Vivitar DVR 830XHD User Manual

DVR 830XHD

Digital Video Camcorder

Owner’s Manual

© 2009 Sakar International, Inc. All rights reserved. Windows and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

Table of Contents

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 2

Key Features ....................................................................................................................... 3

What your Digital Video Camcorder includes ....................................................................... 4

Maintenance and Precautions .............................................................................................. 5

Computer System Requirements for Windows XP ............................................................... 6

Computer System Requirement for Windows Vista .............................................................. 6

Computer System Requirements for Macintosh ................................................................... 7

A Quick Look at your Digital Video Camcorder ..................................................................... 8

Preparing Your Camera for Use ........................................................................................... 9

Inserting and formatting SD Memory Card ......................................................................... 14

Powering on and Menu Function Control ........................................................................... 17

MODE selection ................................................................................................................. 18

Taking Still Photos ............................................................................................................. 20

Camera Mode Functions .................................................................................................... 24

Capturing Videos ............................................................................................................... 36

Video Mode Functions ....................................................................................................... 38

Audio Mode........................................................................................................................ 43

Playback Mode .................................................................................................................. 44

Playback Mode Functions .................................................................................................. 48

Setup Mode ....................................................................................................................... 57

Connecting the Camcorder to a TV or HDTV ..................................................................... 67

Install the Vivitar Experience Image Manager Software ...................................................... 69

Connect your camera to the computer ............................................................................... 73

Get photos and videos from your camera to your computer ............................................... 73

Get started! ........................................................................................................................ 75

Transfer media from my camera to my computer manually (Using Windows) ..................... 76

Transfer media from my camera to my computer manually (Using Macintosh) ................... 76

Using your device as a PC Camera (on Windows only) ...................................................... 78

Sakar Warranty Card ......................................................................................................... 79

Technical Specifications ..................................................................................................... 80

Trouble Shooting................................................................................................................ 82

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the DVR 830XHD Digital Video Camcorder. With your camera you can shoot video clips, take individual photos and record audio files. In addition, a SD compatible memory card of up to 8GB should be inserted in order to expand the memory of your DVR camera. Your camera can also be used for Web conferencing in PC Camera mode.

Connect your camcorder to an HDTV via the provided HDMI cable, and easily view photos and playback recorded high-definition videos directly on the wide screen HDTV.

Key Features

 4 dial modes - Camera, Playback, Video and Audio.  Digital Video resolutions – 1280x720 Pixels (HD), 720x480 (SD).  5 digital camera resolutions- 12M, 8M, 5M, 3M and 0.3 M  2.7" TFT LCD  3 X Optical Zoom  Limited Internal Flash memory  Supports external SD memory card up to 8GB  Built-in Microphone and Speaker  Takes digital photos, videos and records audio files  Delete, protect, rotate and view slideshows directly on your camera

 Vivitar Experience Image Manager software for uploading and managing photos

and videos to or from the most popular photo sharing and social network websites.

 Use as a PC Camera for Web conferencing and instant messaging

What your Digital Video Camcorder includes

 Digital Video Camcorder  USB cable  AV cable  HDMI Cable  Power Adapter  Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery  Vivitar Experience Image Manager software Installation CD  Quick Start Guide  Built-in wrist strap

Maintenance and Precautions

Before using the camcorder, please ensure that you read and understand the maintenance and safety precautions described below.

 Do not try to open the case of the camcorder or attempt to modify this camcorder

in any way. Maintenance and repairs should be carried out only by authorized service providers.

 Keep the camcorder away from water and other liquids. Do not use the

camcorder with wet hands. Never use the camcorder in the rain or snow. Moisture creates the danger of electric shock.

 Use only the recommended power accessories. Use of power sources not

expressly recommended for this equipment may lead to overheating, distortion of the equipment, fire, electrical shock or other hazards.

 Before using the camera, remove the Lithium battery from the box and insert it

correctly into the battery compartment of the camera. Connect the camera with the AC-Adaptor found in the packaging to an electric outlet for at least 8 hours. The camera must not be turned on or used while it is charging.

Computer System Requirements for Windows XP

To be able to download photos and videos to your PC, you will need the following minimum configuration:

 Pentium 4 processor or above with Windows XP service pack 2  512 MB RAM, with 100MB of free disk space  1024 x 768 Recommended screen resolution  16-bit color or higher display adaptor  CD-ROM Drive  QuickTime 6 or higher  Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or higher  Windows Media Player 10 or higher  Internet connection required

Computer System Requirement for Windows Vista

To be able to download photos and videos to your PC your will need the following minimum configuration:

 Windows Vista  800MHz processor and 512 MB of system memory  20GB hard drive with at least 15GB of available space

 Support for Super VGA graphics  Available USB Interface  CD-ROM drive  QuickTime 6 or higher  Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or higher  Internet connection required

Computer System Requirements for Macintosh

 Macintosh with Intel processor running Mac OS X v10.4.6 or later  256 MB RAM, 100 MB free disk space  Display: 1024 x 768 or higher-resolution monitor  QuickTime 6 or higher  Internet connection required

A Quick Look at your Digital Video Camcorder

1: Zoom switch 2: Capture /voice record button 3: Power button 4: Power LED 5: Video record button 6: Charging LED 7: Mode dial 8: AV out jack 9: Earphone jack 10: DC in jack 11: USB Jack 12: HDMI jack 13: Display button 14: Speaker 15: LCD screen 16: Menu button 17: Joystick/ OK button 18: Delete/ Flash button 19: Compensating LED 20: Flash strobe 21: Microphone 22: Lens

23: Battery cover 24: Tripod socket

Preparing Your Camera for Use

Battery Installation

Your DVR camcorder requires a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery (included in the packaging). You need to insert the battery into the camera and charge the battery for at least 8 hours first before using the camera.

1. Slide and gently lift the battery cover to open the battery compartment on the bottom of the camera.

2. Insert the battery with the metallic contacts aligned with the contacts in the compartment and wait to hear the battery click in place.

3. Return and close the battery cover.

Note:

 On removing the battery from the camera the photos, videos and audio clips in limited

built-in memory will not be lost.

 Limited internal memory is provided in order to get you started.

 An SD Memory card is required to expand the memory capacity and take many more images before having to download them to the computer to free up memory. All the media in the built-in memory will be not lost if no SD Memory Card has been inserted in the DVR when the camera powers off or you charge the battery.  We strongly recommend downloading your photos and videos regularly to your computer.  Remove the battery if the DVR camera is not in use for an extended period.

Charging the Battery

Before using the camera for the first time please charge the battery for at least 8 hours.

1. Make sure the camera is powered off before charging.

2. Connect the AC-adaptor to the camcorder DC in jack located in the package.

3. Plug the AC-adaptor into an electrical outlet.

4. Charging starts when the LED to the left of the mode dial turns BLUE. The charge indicator light turns off when charging is completed.

5. When charging is complete, disconnect the camcorder from the AC-adaptor.

Setting the Language

It is important when using the camcorder for the first time after purchasing it to choose the language that all the menus will appear on the LCD.

1. Press the Power button to turn on the camera.

2. Press the Menu button on the top left of the LCD Panel to enter the IMAGE, VIDEO or PLAY mode menu depending on what mode the camera dial is set to.

3. Push the OK joystick button to the Right to select the SETUP mode menu.

4. Push the OK joystick button Up or Down to select and highlight the Language option.

5. Push the OK joystick button to the Right to open the Language submenu:

English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Turkish

6. Push the OK joystick button Up or Down to select the language you desire and then press the OK button.

Setting the Date and Time

It is important when using the camcorder for the first time after purchasing it to set the date and time that will appear on the photos once they are captured. This date and time will only appear is the Date Stamp setting is activated in the IMAGE photo mode.

1. Press the Power button to turn on the camera.

2. Press the Menu button to enter the IMAGE, VIDEO or PLAY mode menu depending on what mode the camera dial is set to.

3. Push the OK joystick button to the Right to select the SETUP mode menu.

4. Push the OK joystick button Up or Down to select and highlight the Date/Time option.

5. Push the OK joystick button to the Right to open the Date/Time submenu:

Date Format, Date Setup

6. Push the OK joystick button Up or Down to select the Date Format option.

7. Push the OK joystick button to the Right to open the Date Format submenu:

DD/MM/YY, MM/DD/YY, YY/MM/DD

8. Push the OK joystick button Up or Down to select your choice and press the OK button to save your date format and revert back to the Date / Time submenu.

9. To set the Date and Time on your camera push the OK joystick button Up or Down and select the Date Setup option.

10. Push the OK joystick button Right/Left button to highlight and select each of the different Date / Time options you desire.

Year , Month , Day , Hour , Minutes and Seconds

11. Push the OK joystick button Up or Down to change and set the digit settings for each.

12. Press the OK button when you have updated the last digit to save the new date and time setting on your camera.

Inserting and formatting SD Memory Card

Your DVR camera has limited internal memory that allows you to capture photos, videos and audio files. An SD compatible memory card of up to 8GB (not included) should to be inserted into your DVR camera to expand the amount of memory thus allowing an increase in the number of videos, photos and audio that can be captured before transferring them to your computer.

Media sitting on the SD memory card is not lost when your camera’s power runs low or on recharging the battery.

1. The camcorder should be powered off before inserting the SD card.

2. Make sure the card is not locked. Locked cards will not be able to have media transferred to them or be formatted.

3. Open the battery cover on the bottom of the camera and locate the SD card slot.

4. Insert the SD memory card correctly in the direction shown.

5. The card should easily slide into the slot. If you feel resistance turn the card around and try again.

6. Press the memory card in until you hear a “Click” sound. The memory card when properly inserted will sit flush with the camera.

7. Close the battery cover.

Note: After you insert an SD memory card, the SD card icon will appear on the bottom left corner of the LCD screen, indicating that your SD memory card has been installed successfully. The media you capture will now be stored on the card and not in the limited internal memory.

 This product supports SD cards of up to 8GB.  Formatting will delete all data on the SD Memory Card including protected data.  Do not remove the SD memory Card during formatting as this may damage the card

and render it unusable.

 Be sure to format the card with the camera before use.

Format the memory card

It is important to format the memory card the first time you use this DVR camcorder. All data sitting on the card will be deleted including protected files. Be sure to download important files to your computer before formatting.

1. Press the Power button to turn on the camera.

2. Press the Menu button on the top left of the LCD Panel to enter the IMAGE, VIDEO or PLAY mode menu depending on what mode the camera dial is set to.

3. Push the OK joystick button to the Right to select the SETUP mode menu.

4. Push the OK joystick button Up or Down to select and highlight the Format option.

5. Push the OK joystick button to the Right to open the Format submenu.

6. Push the OK joystick button Up or Down to select either “YES” to format the card

or “No” to exit without formatting and then press the OK button.

Powering on and Menu Function Control

Important: Do not plug your camera into the computer until the software installation is complete. See the Install the Vivitar Experience Image Manager Software section for more details.

Power on

To power on the camera, flip open the LCD Screen. The camera automatically powers on. The LCD monitor will light up indicating that your DVR is ready for use.

Once the camera goes into power savings mode, press the Power button to turn on your DVR.

Power off

Closing the LCD Panel will automatically power-off your camera.

Alternatively, press the Power button to turn your DVR camera off. The DVR camera will switch off.

To save battery power, the LCD monitor automatically turns off 30 seconds after the last control is accessed (factory-preset setting). Press any button other than the power button to turn on the LCD monitor.

By default, if the DVR camera is not in use or in an operational mode for 60 seconds it will switch off automatically Press the Power button to power the camera back on. You can change the power-off time by selecting the desired setting in the [Auto off] function in the SETUP menu.

When there is insufficient battery power, a icon will appear on the LCD screen. The camera will automatically power off a few moments later.

MODE selection

The DVR camcorder has four record modes. To change to the different modes you need to rotate the mode dial so that the relevant mode is in line with the red dot outside the dial.

Display

Title

Description

Capture mode

For taking still photos.

Video mode

For recording movie clips.

Audio mode

For recording audio files.

Playback mode

For playback record files.

Tip: To easily rotate the dial anticlockwise (to the left), hold the camera in both hands and place your right thumbnail in the grooves on the bottom of the dial. Gently move the dial to the mode setting you desire. To move the dial clockwise (to the right), place your left thumbnail in the grooves on the bottom of the dial.

Taking Still Photos

To enter the Camera Capture mode turn the mode dial to line the camera mode picture with the red dot.

The camera icon will now appear on the top left corner of the LCD screen. Important: The camera`s internal memory is limited to 64MB.

1. Use the image that appears in the LCD to compose your shot.

2. Zoom In or Zoom Out of the object by pushing the W/T button on the top of the

3. Hold the camera steady and press the Capture button on the top of the camera.

4. The camera will beep and the picture taken is now saved to the memory.

5. The number of photos that can be taken for each resolution and per the memory

6. After the shot is taken the number on the left tells you the number of the photo

Insert a compatible SD card of up to 8GB to expand the memory and take many more images.

camera button (T = zoom in, W = zoom out).

card inserted appears on the top left of the LCD screen.

taken and the number on the right indicated the number of shots left to take at this

resolution.

7. When the camera`s internal memory is full, “Memory Full” will appear on the LCD screen when you attempt to press the Shutter button to take a photo. Either download the photos to your computer using the Vivitar Experience Image

Manager software as described below in the section “Transfer photos and videos to your computer” or insert an SD card to continue taking more photos

and videos.

8. The number of photos that can be captured not only depends on the SD card’s capacity but also on the resolution selected. Better quality photos are taken at higher resolutions but these will also take up more memory on the card.

9. The screen will power off automatically if the camera is not active for 30 seconds.

Press any key to restart the screen.

10. Do not take the memory card or battery out when camera is saving the image,

otherwise the image won't be saved completely.

Auto: Automatically turn on/off according to the light

Flash on: Force on the flash

Flash off: Force off the flash

For more information on how to use the Playback mode to view and delete images see the Playback mode section of this manual.

Flash The flash feature only operates in Camera mode and if there is enough battery power.

1. Press the Flash button on the bottom Left of the LCD Panel to activate the flash.

2. The corresponding flash icon will appear on the left side of the LCD.

3. If the flash is on, when the image is captured and the flash activated the screen

will remain blank while the flash recharges. The next image can only be taken once the flash has recharged.

4. Using the Flash in bright light environments will cause the image to come out with

the incorrect exposure.

Note: The flash will not work while in Burst Snapshot mode or if the battery power

Digital Zoom

You may zoom in or out of the object by using the 4X digital zoom feature.

1. Press the Zoom In ( T ) function button to zoom into your object.

2. Press the Zoom Out ( W ) function button to zoom out of your object.

3. The Zoom digits icon appears on the bottom right corner of the LCD.

4. The image on the LCD is affected immediately when the zoom option is pressed.

5. Press the Shutter button to capture the image.

Note: The digital zoom may affect the quality of the image as the higher the zoom multiple the lower the image quality will be.

You can also zoom in or out and navigate around your Photos in Playback mode.

level is low.

Camera Mode Functions

In Camera mode, press the Menu button on the top left of the LCD Panel. The LCD will display 2 mode tabs – IMAGE and SETUP.

By default the IMAGE tab will open with the menu options for that tab appearing:

Resolution, Quality, White Balance, Color Effect, Exposure, Date Stamp, Self Timer,

and Burst Snapshot

Resolution

You can select different Photo resolutions. Using the smaller resolution allows you to take more photos. Photos captured at higher resolution are of better quality but take up more memory.

1. Push the OK joystick button Down to select the Resolution mode.

2. Push the OK joystick button Right for the 5 Resolution options submenu to

appear:

12M, 8M, 5M, 3M, or 0.3M.

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