Philips PCA646VC User Manual

PCA646VC

USB PC Camera

Installation manual

Introduction

Brilliant images and blazing colours.That’s what the Philips USB PC Camera PCA646VC gives you. Forget about installing grabber cards and separate power supplies.You don’t need them.Power is supplied direct to the camera through the USB cable and the camera returns audio and video straight to your PC!

This booklet describes the quick and easy way to:

• install the camera;

• install the software;

• record your own videos;

• and take your own pictures. Congratulations on purchasing the Philips USB PC Camera

PCA646VC.This new digital camera is the most advanced way of recording high-quality movies or still pictures quickly and easily on your PC or laptop computer. After installation, the new camera can be used for all sorts of applications,such as:

• Video e-mail: This new digital camera uses the patented compression technology of the ‘Videogram Creator’ software.Thanks to this compression algorithm,the video files remain very small so they can be sent via the corporate network or the Internet.

• Video conferences: The camera and the driver software are suitable for many popular video conferencing packages,including NetMeeting by Microsoft,VDOPhone and ProShare by Intel.

• Snapshots and video photos: Use photos and images in presentations,create postcards,or send them via e-mail or on diskette. Add sound to the snapshots to add a personal message or to explain the picture.

• Video Capture: Create your own video presentations,video-mail, product demonstrations,training videos, Internet clips etc .

• Video editing and special effects: After recording the video images you want with the Philips USB PC Camera,the images can be easily edited using other programs or devices which support the AVI file format.

Congratulations again on choosing the Philips USB PC Camera.The following sections in this manual give a step-by-step description of the installation process and explain how to use the USB PC Camera.

Preparation

This manual describes how to install the hardware and software and how to create your first video recording.

2.1 Contents of the box

Check to see if the following items are in the box:

• the Philips USB PC Camera PCA646VC;

• clover-leaf shaped base to support the camera;

• the CD-ROM containing the Philips installation software, application software package and electronic software manual;

• this installation manual.

2.2 Your first video recording in five easy steps

The fastest way to get results is to perform the following steps:

Unpack the box

Put the CD-ROM in your CD-ROM player,and let the InstallShield Wizard install the driver software and the application software (see Section 3:“Camera and software installation”)

Connect the camera to the USB port (marked with the USB-logo: )

Start the video application (see Section 4:“The Videogram Creator software”)

Have fun!

Camera and software installation

3.1 Installing the software for the Philips camera

The Philips USB PC Camera works with any application that uses the Video for Windows format (AVI format).As an example of a powerful video software package,we have included the fully functional ‘Videogram Creator’ software on the CD-ROM. Please read Section 4 for a brief introduction to the use of this software.

In order to ensure the video and audio performance your camera has been designed for,we have included an InstallShield Wizard on the CD-ROM.Please follow these directions for the camera driver installation exactly, and make sure that you have your Windows 98 CD-ROM at hand.

Unplug all your USB devices (except USB keyboard or USB mouse) before you start.

Insert the Philips PCA646VC software CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.

Click “start”, then click “run”,type:“X:\setup.exe”, where X stands for the drive name of your CD-ROM drive.

Let the InstallShield Wizard guide you through the setup procedure.

When the camera software is installed,the InstallShield Wizard will ask you to connect the camera to the USB port.

Windows98 will automatically detect your camera.When asked for the Windows98 CD-ROM,insert it into the drive and click “OK”.Exit the Windows 98 Set-up screen if it appears.After completing the installation of the camera,the InstallShield Wizard will ask you for the Philips PCA646VC software CD-ROM.

To install the video application software, press the ‘Applications’ button,and follow the instructions on your screen.

After the installation of the Videogram Creator software you will be able to start the camera set-up wizard and test your new camera. Make sure that the correct input audio device is selected (“Philips CIF Digital Camera;Audio (Microphone)”), especially if you have a sound card installed.

You are now ready to start working with your Philips USB Camera.

Have fun!

The “Videogram Creator” software

The Philips USB PC Camera PCA646VC can be used with many video software applications,for instance the ‘Videogram Creator’ software on the CD-ROM.This application allows you to compress captured video files,embed the Videogram Player inside the file,and play it back on any Windows 3.1x / 95 / 98 or Windows NT system as an .EXE file without having to install the Player on the target system.This is perfect for sending Videograms by e-mail.The compression is so great that a 1-minute Videogram including the Player fits on a standard 3.5”,

1.44 MB diskette.

4.1 Installing the Videogram Creator software

Please see Section 3 for the installation procedure. Note: You will find an extensive software manual in Adobe Acrobat

format on the CD-ROM.Please read this electronic manual for a complete description of the Videogram Creator software.The following short software description is only meant to get you started in the amazing world of PC video applications.

4.2 Using the Videogram Creator software

STEP 1:

Start the ‘Videogram Creator’ software / Preview mode

After starting the ‘Videogram Creator’ software, you will see the ‘live’ camera image. Move the camera about, adjust the lighting and turn the red lens ring to focus.You will immediately see the effect of this on your screen.Adjust the sound and image settings by clicking on ‘Edit’ in the menu bar and selecting the ‘Video Settings’ option.Consult the electronic manual on the CD-ROM for a detailed explanation of all the possible settings.

STEP 2:

Recording video images

Click on the ‘Record’ icon.A three-second countdown displays on your monitor,then the recording begins.

Click on the left mouse button or the ‘Esc’ key to stop recording.

Press the ‘Play’ button on the Tool Bar under the video window to see what you recorded.

STEP 3:

Sending and/or saving a Videogram

Click on the ‘Send’ icon and type a name in the dialog box.

Click on the ‘Send’ button to create the Videogram.

Click on the ‘Send’ button again. If the e-mail software is MAPI compatible, a mail window will automatically appear on the screen. Enter the e-mail address of the person to whom you want to send the Videogram and then send the e-mail.Even if your e-mail software is not MAPI compatible you can send a Videogram by first saving the Videogram as a file and then adding this file to the e-mail as an attachment.

What is MAPI and do I need a MAPI compliant e-mail system?

MAPI stands for Messaging Application Programming Interface. This interface allows different applications to interact using e-mail messaging.Microsoft Exchange, Eudora Pro, Pronto 97, and Z-mail Pro are all examples of MAPI Compliant e-mail systems.Netscape, Internet Explorer,Emissar y and America Online (AOL) are all examples of nonMAPI-compliant e-mail systems.

• If you have a MAPI-compliant e-mail system, an e-mail window will automatically appear when you are ready to send a Videogram.

• You do not need to have a MAPI-compliant e-mail system in order to send Videograms.You can still send Videograms by first saving the Videogram to a file, and then attaching the saved file to your e-mail message.

Aiming the camera

The position of the camera and the amount of light available are important factors in determing the quality of the video images. Preferably you should position the camera at eye level,less than a metre away from what you want to record.Ensure that as much light as possible is illuminating the object you want to record.

Focusing

Rotate the red ring around the lens to focus the image.

Settings

The camera properties (audio and video) can only be changed from within an application.

5.1 Sound properties

Access to the sound properties is dependent on the application software.But usually it will look something like this when you open a ‘Sound Settings’ option.

The camera microphone can only generate a mono audio signal. Applications may offer you a choice of other audio qualities,but bear in mind that a mono microphone can never create stereo sounds!

Note: The USB microphone of the camera works independently from the sound card.Should you want to use the camera microphone as your sound source for applications,the application might ask you for the ‘Recording Device’ setting.Select the ‘USB Audio Device’ from the device list as your input device.Otherwise, your sound card will produce the sounds for the video instead of the camera microphone.

5.2 Camera properties

The Philips USB PC Camera is very user-friendly and can be used intuitively. The video options can be adjusted in the ‘Camera Property Pages’.Access to this property page is dependent on the application software.For instance, with one program you would choose ‘Options’ / ‘Video Source’ from the menu bar to open the property page.

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