Vivitar DVR 944HD User Manual

DVR 944HD

Wi-Fi Action Camcorder

User Manual

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3

What’s Included ............................................................................................................................ 4

Parts of the Camcorder ................................................................................................................ 5

Camcorder Technical Specifications ............................................................................................. 6

Initial Camcorder Setup ................................................................................................................ 7

INSTALLING AND CHARGING THE BATTERY ........................................................................................................................................ 7

INSTALLING THE MICRO SD MEMORY CARD ..................................................................................................................................... 9

POWERING ON – OFF / ENERGY SAVE .......................................................................................................................................... 10

USING THE CAMCORDER ........................................................................................................................................................... 11

Main Camcorder Modes ............................................................................................................. 12

Camcorder Mounts and Accessories .......................................................................................... 14

WATERPROOF CASE ................................................................................................................................................................. 14

INSTALLING THE BICYCLE MOUNT ................................................................................................................................................ 15

INSTALLING THE HELMET MOUNTING SYSTEM ................................................................................................................................ 16

Using Your Action Camcorder .................................................................................................... 16

POWERING ON YOUR CAMCORDER .............................................................................................................................................. 16

CHANGING CAMCORDER MODE .................................................................................................................................................. 16

NAVIGATING THE MENUS .......................................................................................................................................................... 18

VIDEO CAPTURE – STANDARD MODE ........................................................................................................................................... 20

VIDEO CAPTURE – CAR CARRYING MODE ...................................................................................................................................... 25

PHOTO CAPTURE MODE ........................................................................................................................................................... 30

PLAYBACK MODE .................................................................................................................................................................... 34

DELETING CAPTURED IMAGES ..................................................................................................................................................... 41

MENU OPTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 42

PLAYBACK MODE: HDTV .......................................................................................................................................................... 49

Remote Control .......................................................................................................................... 50

Vivitar Action Cam - Mobile Device Application .......................................................................... 51

MOBILE DEVICE REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................................................. 51

INSTALLING THE VIVITAR ACTION CAM APPLICATION......................................................................................................................... 51

CONNECTING YOUR ACTION CAM TO YOUR MOBILE DEVICE ............................................................................................................... 52

USING THE VIVITAR ACTION CAM APPLICATION............................................................................................................................... 53

Vivitar Experience Image Manager Software ............................................................................. 77

COMPUTER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 77

INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE – USING THE CD ROM ......................................................................................................................... 78

INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE – USING THE ONLINE LINK ..................................................................................................................... 80

CONNECTING THE CAMCORDER TO THE COMPUTER ......................................................................................................................... 80

GETTING PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FROM THE CAMCORDER TO THE COMPUTER ........................................................................................... 81

GETTING STARTED! .................................................................................................................................................................. 82

TRANSFERRING IMAGES MANUALLY FROM THE CAMCORDER TO THE COMPUTER ..................................................................................... 82

Camcorder Maintenance ............................................................................................................ 84

MEMORY CARD MAINTENANCE .................................................................................................................................................. 84

DEVICE MAINTENANCE ............................................................................................................................................................. 85

Sakar Warranty Card .................................................................................................................. 86

Technical Support ....................................................................................................................... 87

Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................... 87

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the Vivitar DVR 944HD Full HD Wi-Fi Action Camcorder. Everything you need to take high definition digital videos and photos is included with your camcorder. This unique, ultraportable camera design is adapted specifically for this camera and can be used to capture special moments in many different environments.

Vivitar makes capturing those special moments as easy as possible.

Please read this manual carefully first in order to get the most out of your digital camcorder.

NOTE:

 Your digital action camcorder supports a Class 6 or higher Micro SD card with a capacity

expansion up to 32GB. In order to use your digital action camcorder normally, please insert the Micro SD Memory card before use. Please format the Micro SD Memory Card before first use. Micro SD Memory cards are not included and need to be purchased separately.

 This camcorder is a plug and play device. You can download the pictures and videos

without the software by directly accessing the camera’s memory card from your computer. We would however recommend that you install the Vivitar Experience Image Manager software to enjoy the full Vivitar experience.

What’s Included

1. Wi-Fi Action Camcorder

6. Remote Control

2. USB Cable

7. Bicycle Mount

3. AC Adapter

8. Helmet Mount & Strap

4. Vivitar Experience Installation CD

9. Lithium Battery

5. Waterproof Casing

10. Camera Shield

NOTE: Micro SD Card not included.

Parts of the Camcorder

Busy LED Indicator

Battery Cover

Power / Mode Button

Infrared Signal Reception Light

2.0 Inch HD LCD Display

10.

Charging / Busy LED Indicator

Shutter / OK Button

11.

Speaker

Menu / Display Button

12.

Micro SD Card Slot

Wi-Fi Button / Down Button

13.

Mini HDMI Port

Microphone

14.

Micro USB Port

15.

Lens

Camcorder Technical Specifications

Image Sensor

CMOS Sensor

Video Resolution

1440P@30fps, 1080P@60fps, 1080P@30fps, 720P@120fps, 720P@60fps, 4K@10fps

Photo Resolution

16M (4640x3480), 12M (4000x3000), 8M (3264x2488), 5M (2592x1944)

File Format

H.264 MOV (Video), JPG (Photo)

External Memory

Class 6 Micro SD Memory card or higher, up to 32GB

LCD Display

2.0 Inch HD LCD

Lens

170° Fixed Wide Angle, Fisheye ; f2.8 ; f=2.5mm

White Balance

Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent H, Tungsten (Incandescent)

Frequency (via App)

50Hz, 60Hz

NOTE: Accessible only via the App on your mobile device.

Continuous Shot

Off (single photo), 3, 5, 10 continuous photos

Self-Timer

Off, 2 seconds, 10 seconds Double

Auto Power Off (Power Save)

Off, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes

Language

English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Polish, Greek

Interface

USB 2.0

System Requirements for Vivitar Experience

WINDOWS XP (SP3), Vista (SP1), WINDOWS 7 or higher; MAC OSX v10.5.x or higher

Battery

Removable Lithium-ion battery

Initial Camcorder Setup

INSTALLING AND CHARGING THE BATTERY

TO INSTALL THE LITHIUM BATTERY:

1. If the camera is inside the waterproof casing, please take it out of the casing.

2. Push and hold the battery cover lever up to the unlock/open position, until it flips open.

3. Insert the battery into the battery compartment as shown. Make sure to place the battery according to the correct polarity as shown inside the battery compartment.

4. Close the battery cover.

TO CHARGE THE LITHIUM BATTERY:

1. Power off the camcorder.

2. Connect the included USB cable to the camcorder and connect the other end of the cable to a power source such as the included AC charger or to a computer. Please refer to the images shown below for reference.

CHARGING USING THE AC CHARGER:

CHARGING USING THE COMPUTER:

3. During the time the camcorder is charging, the LED status indicator light (blue) is on. When the battery is fully charged the LED status indicator light turns off. The battery generally fully charges within 2-4 hours.

NOTE:

 While the device is charging it cannot be used to capture images.  When the camcorder is on, connecting it to a computer will not charge the device. Make sure

the camcorder is powered off when recharging.

BATTERY INDICATOR:

Battery Indicator

Description

The battery level is full.

The battery level is half.

The battery level is low, indicating to prepare for recharging the built-in lithium battery.

Once ‘Low Battery’ appears on the LCD, this indicates

that the battery level is completely exhausted and the camcorder automatically turns off after a few seconds. Please fully recharge the battery.

NOTE: When the battery capacity drops to a low level, the battery icon will flash on the display, indicating that the camcorder requires to be recharged. Please charge the battery. When the battery icon flickers, the camcorder will shut down automatically.

INSTALLING THE MICRO SD MEMORY CARD

Make sure a High Speed Class 6 or higher Micro SD Memory card has been properly inserted into your camcorder. A Micro SD Card must be inserted before use. Micro SD Memory card not included.

INSTALLING THE MEMORY CARD:

To properly insert the Micro SD Card, follow the instructions below:

1. Power off the camcorder.

2. Insert the Micro SD Card into the Micro SD Card slot in the direction as shown above.

3. Gently press the Micro SD Card until you hear a slight clicking sound. This indicates the memory card has been inserted correctly.

4. To remove the card, gently press on the edge of the card to release it and pull the card out.

IMPORTANT:

 Please power the camcorder off before installing or taking out the memory card.  If the card is inserted or removed while the camcorder's power is on, it may damage the card

and/or any recorded data. Always confirm that the power is off before inserting the card into the camcorder.

 Make sure there is room on the Micro SD Memory Card for additional images. If the Micro SD

Memory Card is full, additional images will not be added to the memory card.

POWERING ON – OFF / ENERGY SAVE

TO POWER ON THE CAMCORDER:

1. Press and hold the Power button for about 3 seconds.

2. The LCD displays turns on and a sound can be heard from the camcorder’s speaker.

TO POWER OFF THE CAMCORDER:

Press the MODE button to select the mode.

Press the Shutter/OK button to capture your videos and photos.

1. Press and hold the Power button for about 3 seconds.

2. The LCD displays “Goodbye” and a sound can be heard from the camcorder’s speaker.

ENERGY SAVE:

Your camcorder also has an auto power off feature that will automatically turn off your camcorder after a specific period of time that your camera is left idle. The auto power off settings can be set from the Power Save settings menu.

USING THE CAMCORDER

Main Camcorder Modes

Video Capture Mode

Use this mode to capture videos with your digital camcorder. To record a video, please check that the DV is in Video mode. If the video icon is not

displayed on the LCD screen, short press the Power/Mode button repeatedly until it appears. To start recording, press the Shutter/OK button. Press the Shutter/OK button again to stop recording. The video is automatically saved to your camcorder’s memory card.

Car Carrying Capture Mode

Use this mode to capture videos in motion with your camcorder. To take a video, please check that the DV is in Car Carrying mode. If the car carrying

icon is not displayed on the LCD screen, short press the Power/Mode button repeatedly until it appears. Press the Shutter/OK button to capture your video. The video is automatically saved to your camcorder’s memory card.

Photo Capture Mode

Use this mode to capture pictures with your camcorder. To take a photo, please check that the DV is in Photo mode. If the photo icon is not

displayed on the LCD screen, short press the Power/Mode button repeatedly until it appears. Press the Shutter/OK button to capture your photo. The picture is automatically saved to your camcorder’s memory card.

Short press the Power/Mode button to toggle between the camcorder modes.

Playback Mode (Car, Video, JPG)

Use this mode to view and manage your captured videos and photos via your camcorder. Please check that the DV is in Playback mode. If the Playback icon is not displayed on the LCD screen, short press the Power/Mode button repeatedly until it appears.

NOTE: Your captured images can be also viewed either on the computer, on your television or your mobile device. Playback Mode on the Computer: After turning on your camcorder, connect it to your

computer via the supplied USB cable to view the images on your computer. Playback Mode on the HDTV: After turning on your camcorder and connecting it to an HDTV via an HDMI cable (purchased separately), it enters Playback Mode. Mobile Device: After downloading the Vivitar Action Cam app to your mobile device and connecting it via Wi-Fi to your camera, tap the Playback icon to view your captured images.

Camcorder Mounts and Accessories

3 1 2

WATERPROOF CASE

1. Shutter Release

2. Clamp (Securing Latch)

3. Power/Mode Button

4. Wi-Fi Button

Your action cam comes with a waterproof casing for underwater action and added durability. To assemble your camera to the case, follow the instructions below:

1. To open the case: Insert a finger at the half circle of the latch by prying the latch up - away from the case.

2. Insert the camera lens forward into the case.

3. Before sealing the waterproof case, make sure the camera housing’s rubber seal is clean.

Close the door and secure the latch.

4. While the camcorder is in the waterproof casing, press the POWER/MODE button to select either Video or Photo Capture Mode. Press the Shutter button for recording your videos and capturing your photos.

NOTE:

 A single hair or grain of sand can cause a leak. You can test by closing the case without

inserting the camera. Submerse the case completely in water for about a minute. Remove the case from the water, dry off its exterior with a towel, and then open the case. If the entire interior is dry, the case is safe for use under water.

 Before opening the waterproof casing and putting the device in, carefully check whether the

waterproof ring of the casing is flat and smooth.

 After placing the device into the waterproof casing and closing the cover, carefully check

whether the waterproof ring is deformed due to pressure.

 After every use in salt water you will need to rinse the outside of the housing with non-salt

water and dry. Not doing this can eventually cause corrosion of the hinge pin and salt buildup in the seal, which can cause failure.

 To clean the seal, rinse in fresh water and shake dry (drying with a cloth may cause lint to

compromise the seal). Re-install the seal into the grooves of the housing.

INSTALLING THE BICYCLE MOUNT

INSTALLING THE HELMET MOUNTING SYSTEM

Using Your Action Camcorder

POWERING ON YOUR CAMCORDER

1. Press and hold the POWER button for about 3 seconds to turn on the camcorder. The LCD screen briefly displays the ‘Vivitar’ screen and opens to the Video Capture Mode.

2. Press and hold the POWER button again for about 3 seconds to turn the power off. The LCD screen briefly displays ‘Goodbye’ and then powers off.

CHANGING CAMCORDER MODE

CAMCORDER MODES

1. Video Capture Mode (standard) - Use this mode to capture videos with your camcorder.

2. Video Capture Mode (Car Carrying) – Use this mode to capture videos in motion with your camcorder.

3. Photo Capture Mode - Use this mode to capture photos with your camcorder.

Playback Mode

Video Capture Mode - Standard Video Capture Mode – Car Carrying Photo Capture Mode

4. Playback Mode (for photos and videos) – Connect to your camcorder to your computer or television to use this mode to view your captured photos and videos.

SWITCHING MODES

After turning on the camcorder, short press the POWER/MODE button to switch between the four modes in turn:

When in Video Capture Mode - Standard, this icon will display on the top-left corner of the

LCD display.

When in Video Capture Mode – Car Carrying, this icon will display on the top-left corner

of the LCD display. The display appears upside down.

When in Photo Capture Mode, this icon will display on the top-left corner of the LCD

display.

When in Playback Mode, ‘CAR, VIDEO, JPG’ will display on the LCD display.

 In Video Capture Mode, press the SHUTTER button to start recording and press it again to

stop.

 In Car Carrying Video Capture Mode, press the SHUTTER button to start recording and press

it again to stop.

 In Photo Capture Mode, press the SHUTTER button to take photo.  In Playback Mode, press the SHUTTER button to play back your captured Video.

NAVIGATING THE MENUS

VIDEO CAPTURE, PHOTO CAPTURE AND PLAYBACK MENUS

To access the Main Menu for each Mode:

1. Press the MENU button to open the Main Menus for the current mode.

2. Press the  DOWN (WI-FI) button to select a specific menu.

The selected option appears highlighted.

3. Press the SHUTTER/OK button to confirm and save your selection and open the options

for the menu you have selected.

4. To select a specific option, press the  DOWN (WI-FI) button to select an option and then the SHUTTER/OK button to save the selected option and return to the menu screen.

NOTE: To go back from the submenus or exit the Main Menu, press the MENU button.

GENERAL CAMCORDER SETTINGS MENUS

To access the General Camcorder Settings Menu:

1. Press the MENU button to open the menu screen while in any mode.

2. Short press the POWER/MODE button to select the tab with the General Camcorder Settings icon .

NOTE: If you have already highlighted a menu item and would like to enter the Settings Menu, press the  DOWN (WI-FI) button until there is no menu item highlighted. This

indicates that the top, left current tab (Video, Photo, or Playback) is selected. You can now short press the POWER/MODE button to switch to the Settings tab.

3. Press the  DOWN (WI-FI) button to select a specific menu.

The selected option appears highlighted.

4. Press the SHUTTER/OK button to confirm and save your selection and open the options

for the menu you have selected.

5. To select a specific option, press the  DOWN (WI-FI) button to select an option and then

the SHUTTER/OK button to save the selected option and return to the menu screen.

NOTE:

 At any time you can press the MENU button to exit the menus and return to the previous

screen.

 Once you change a setting, the setting is saved by your camera until you manually change

the setting or restore the camera’s default factory settings.

 After selecting your desired setting, some settings appear as an icon on the LCD screen in

Capture Mode – indicating the option selected.

VIDEO CAPTURE – STANDARD MODE

The Video Capture Mode allows you to capture videos with your digital camcorder.

After powering on your camcorder, the camcorder automatically enters the Video Capture Mode – either Standard or Car Carrying mode, depending on what mode was last used prior to powering off your camcorder. If needed, press the POWER/MODE button until the Video Capture icon appears.

TAKING A VIDEO

1. Selecting the Scene with the LCD Display: Use the LCD display to direct the camcorder at the scene you would like to capture.

NOTE: The time available for video capture (as per the installed memory card size and selected resolution) is shown on the top right of the LCD screen.

2. Changing Resolution: If you would like to change the resolution, press the MENU button and then press the  DOWN (WIFI) button to select ‘Movie Size’. Next, press the SHUTTER/OK button to view the Movie Size options. Press the  DOWN (WIFI) button to select an option and then press the SHUTTER/OK button to confirm the option. The Movie Size options include:

 1440P - 1440P (30fps)  1080P - 1080P (60fps)  1080P - 1080P (30fps)  720P - 720P (120fps)  720P - 720P (60fps)  4K - 4K (10fps)

3. Capturing the Video:  START: Press the SHUTTER/OK button to start the video capture.

The camcorder’s LED busy light turns on and blinks. All icons disappear and the

elapsed time appears on the top right corner of the LCD screen along with a blinking icon REC that indicates the recording is in progress.

 PAUSE: Press the DOWN (WIFI) button to pause the recording.  STOP: Press the SHUTTER/OK button again to stop the video recording.

4. The video is automatically saved to the camcorder’s Micro SD Memory card.

NOTE:

Button

Description

SHUTTER / OK

 STARTS/STOPS: Starts and stops the video capture.  ENTERS SUBMENU/SAVES SELECTION: Within the Menu, enters the

selected menu’s submenu list and saves the selected submenu option.

 OPENS/EXITS MENU: Opens and exits the menu options for Video

Capture Mode and General Camera Settings.

NOTE: Use the DOWN/POWER button to navigate within the menu options.

POWER / MODE

 POWERS ON/OFF:

LONG PRESS: Powers the camcorder on and off.

 SELECTS MODE/ENTERS CAMCORDER SETTINGS MENU:

SHORT PRESS:

- Standby Mode: Toggles between the Video Capture – Standard Mode, Car Carrying Mode, Photo Capture Mode and Playback Mode.

- Menu Mode: Toggles between the current mode menu and the camcorder setting menus.

 WIFI/ DOWN

 WIFI: Connects or disconnects camera to WiFi.  NAVIGATES MENU: Down button used to navigate within the Menus,

toggling between the menu options.

 While capturing your video, after approximately one minute of video capture, the LCD display

turns off in order to save power. The busy LED light remains on and the video continues to be captured. Press the any button to reactivate the LCD display.

 After recording the video, the updated amount of available time left to capture additional

videos as per your memory card size and selected resolution size appears on the LCD screen.

 If the memory card is full or the battery level is low, the camera will automatically stop

recording the video

 When using the Waterproof Case, make sure to set camcorder settings before placing it into

the case.

VIDEO CAPTURE MODE BUTTONS

VIDEO CAPTURE MODE LCD ICON STATUS DESCRIPTION

Item

Function

Description

Mode Selection

Displays the current selected Mode:

Video Capture – Standard Mode

Frames Per Second

Movie Size Selection

Displays the frames per second as per the selected movie size. The frames per second options include:

30fps, 60fps, 120fps, 10fps

Displays the selected Movie Size Setting. The Movie Size options include:

1440P (30fps), 1080P (60fps), 1080P (30fps), 720P (120fp), 720P (60fps), 4K (10fps)

Video Counter / Record Indicator

 Standby Mode: Video Counter

Displays the amount of time available for video capture as per selected Movie Size and memory card size.

 Record Mode: Record Indicator

The following icons appear on the LCD screen and indicate the selected menu options and camera status.

Displays the elapsed time as the video is being recorded and a blinking REC icon appears. Note that Standby icons do not appear while recording is in progress.

Battery Indicator

Displays the current status of the battery level.

The battery level is full.

The battery level is empty. Indication to

recharge the battery. ‘Low battery’ will flash on

the LCD screen when the battery level is low.

Slow Motion Indicator (icon displays only when Slow Motion is ON)

Time-lapse Indicator (icon displays only when Time-lapse is ON)

When the Slow Motion menu option is set to

ON, the Slow Motion icon appears on the screen, indicating the video will be captured in slow motion. During standard video capture, no icon is shown.

When the Time-lapse menu option is set to

ON, the Time-lapse icon appears on the screen, indicating the video will be captured using the Time-lapse feature.

NOTE: During standard video capture, no icon is shown. Only one feature can be used at a time, therefore only one icon of the above features appears on the LCD when set to ON.

PAUSE RECORDING / RESUME RECORDING SCREEN ICONS

While capturing a video you can pause the recording and then resume recording (except for 4K Movie Size).

 PAUSE RECORDING ICONS:

The following icon appears at the bottom of the LCD while recording: Press the DOWN (WIFI) button to pause the video capture. While the video is paused, the

record icon REC changes to the pause icon indicating that the video capture has been paused.

 RESUME RECORDING ICONS:

The following icon appears at the bottom of the LCD screen while the video recording has been paused:

Press the DOWN (WIFI) button again to resume recording. The icon at the top then changes from pause icon to the video record icon REC, indicating the video recording is in progress.

VIDEO CAPTURE – CAR CARRYING MODE

The Video Capture Mode allows you to capture videos with your digital camcorder. After powering on your camcorder, the camcorder automatically enters the Video Capture Mode – either Standard or Car Carrying mode, depending on what mode was last used prior to powering off your camcorder. If needed, short press the POWER / MODE button once to enter the Car Carrying Mode.

TAKING A VIDEO

1. Selecting the Scene with the LCD Display: Use the LCD display to direct the camcorder at the scene you would like to capture.

NOTE:

 If you are holding the camcorder as in standard mode, the LCD icons appear

upside-down on the LCD screen.

 The time available for video capture (as per the installed memory card size and

selected resolution) is shown on the top right of the LCD screen.

 1440P - 1440P (30fps)  1080P - 1080P (60fps)  1080P - 1080P (30fps)  720P - 720P (120fps)  720P - 720P (60fps)  4K - 4K (10fps)

3. Capturing the Video:

 START: Press the SHUTTER/OK button to start the video capture.

The camcorder’s LED busy light turns on and blinks. All icons disappear and the

elapsed time appears on the top right corner of the LCD screen along with a blinking

REC icon that indicates the recording is in progress.

 PAUSE: Press the DOWN (WIFI) button to pause the recording.  STOP: Press the SHUTTER/OK button again to stop the video recording.

4. The video is automatically saved to the camcorder’s Micro SD Memory card.

NOTE:

 In Car Carrying Mode, a passage of video is kept every three minutes in recording. After the

memory card is full, the earliest passage will be deleted, and video will be recorded in a circulating way.

 To have the Car Carrying Mode be the default mode when powering on your camcorder, enter

the Car Carrying Mode then shutdown the camcorder. When you power on your camcorder the next time it will be by default in the Car Carrying Video Capture Mode. You can also connect the camcorder to a USB slot in your car and when turning on the camcorder it automatically opens to the Car Carrying Mode and you can begin capturing your video in this mode.

 After recording the video, the updated amount of available time left to capture additional

videos as per your memory card size and selected resolution size appears on the LCD screen.

 If the memory card is full or the battery level is low, the camera will automatically stop

recording the video.

 When using the Waterproof Case, make sure to set camcorder settings before placing it into

the case.

+ 61 hidden pages

Vivitar DVR 944HD User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual