Video Conference with MiniDV?

[jtsurf1]

Not sure if this is OT, if so my apologies

Anyway, I have a Samsung SC-D67 MiniDV camera that I connect to my Win98se computer via a Pinnacle Studio DV firewire card. I want to use that camera for video conferencing, but when I use Netmeeting, iVisit, or Yahoo messenger, I am unable to find my camera in the configuration screens. I think this has something to do with the camera not showing up in the "Cameras and Scanners" control panel applet. Is this the problem? If so, how can I "add" the camera?

Any information on this topic would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

jt

 

[lobadobadingdong]

I don't think you can do internet video confefencing with a high quality camera...yet. The kind of video stream your wanting to do would require a special line, and it's kinda expensive, the stuff tv stations use. most video conferencing streams on-line are limited to 640x480, many won't even go that high, and some of the newer cameras are just now available for 800x600. Get you a cheap video conferencing camera at Wally World, you know the kind that sticks to the top of your monitor, that's really what they are designed for anyway. This thread woulda been better in the genneral hardware, but that's ok, nobody's gonna castrate you over it.

 

[alexruiz]

Originally posted by: jtsurf1
Not sure if this is OT, if so my apologies

Anyway, I have a Samsung SC-D67 MiniDV camera that I connect to my Win98se computer via a Pinnacle Studio DV firewire card. I want to use that camera for video conferencing, but when I use Netmeeting, iVisit, or Yahoo messenger, I am unable to find my camera in the configuration screens. I think this has something to do with the camera not showing up in the "Cameras and Scanners" control panel applet. Is this the problem? If so, how can I "add" the camera?

Any information on this topic would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

jt

It can be done!!

There are several methods.

1) Use windows media encoder, start a new session and broadcast that session (I read this method somewhere, I tried it but I didn't know what to broadcast) I cannot guarantee it, but some people have had had sucess.

2) Use another program as a gateway. The downside of netmeeting and related programs is that they are designed to work with VFW drivers. DV video trough firewire is WDM. I downloaded a program called trackercam (free, it is intended to be used with hardware, but the download and installation is free at www.trackercam.com). This program can read from DV firewire directly. Configure it as needed. Once it is done, open it and then start your videoconferencing. Your video source will be trackercam. Done!!

3) Get a VFW-WDM wrapper. This will "mask" a wdm driver as vfw in order to "cheat" netmeeting or toher programs and make them believe you have a vfw driver. I haven;t tried this one yet.


The trackercam is a good solution, but the video is cropped in ther sides. Neverthless, the image quality (even in a dial up modem) beats the fanciest webcam.

Hope you can make it work

Alex

 

[hans007]

i've tried to do this with my minidv cam and it doesnt work with netmeeting.


there are newer webcam type softwares for running a server, that work with WDM based video equipment.