Importing live video from a Web camera
You can use Media Import to import live video from the Web camera built into your computer or from external USB and FireWire (1394) Web cameras that plug into your computer.
To import video from a Web camera:
1 If necessary, connect the Web camera to your computer using the appropriate cable.
Note: If you have not already chosen an application to use with the camera, you are prompted to do so. Select Media Import and click OK.
If Media Import is open on your computer, continue with the next step.
If Media Import is not open, it opens and the Video Import Home page appears. Skip to
step 3.
2 On the Media Import Home page, click Video.
3 On the Video Import Home page, in the Device drop-down list, select the Web camera.
4 In the Capture Settings box, select the output quality. You can choose from some or all of the following options:
n DVD HQ: Select if you will be burning the video to DVD, and you want the highest possible DVD quality. This option gives the best results with all video sources. You can usually edit the video with little or no effect on the image quality.
n DVD SP: Fits twice as much video onto a DVD as the DVD HQ option does. Not recommended when the video source is low-quality or noisy. Not recommended for editing.
n DVD LP: Lets you fit more video onto a DVD than the Standard Play option, but video quality is low. To get good results with this setting, you need a very clean DV or analog source. Not suitable for editing.
n VCD: Select if you will be burning the video to VCD.
n DV: Select if you will be editing the video.
5 If you want to specify the amount of video to be captured, in hours and minutes, select Set Capture Length, and enter the time, in hours and minutes. For example, to capture 30 minutes of video, enter 00:30.
6 Optional: To change your audio source or the broadcast standard, click Options.
7 Optional: To improve the picture quality, click Enhance Picture and adjust the following settings:
n Brightness: The amount of light in the video, and the difference between the light and dark areas in the video.
n Hue: The amount of red, green, and blue color in the video.
n Contrast: The difference between the light and dark areas of the video.
n Saturation: The strength, or depth, of color in the video.
n Sharpness: The amount of detail or sharpness of edges.
n Gamma: Specify the gamma setting to be used. The gamma setting indicates the change in voltage required to produce a specified change in brightness, and varies depending on the output device.
n Backlight Compensation: If the video subject is in front of a bright background, you can use this setting to compensate for the brightness, and allow a greater level of detail.
8 In the Save To box, select the folder in which you want to save the media files.
9 In the Rename Files text box, enter a name for the new video file.
Media Import uses the text you enter to name the new video file. If a file with this name already exists in the selected location, Media Import appends a five-digit number to the name (for example, “Imported Videos 00001”).
10 Click Capture now and use the video camera to import the live video.
Media Import copies the video to your hard disk. While it copies the video, Media Import shows the amount of video copied, in hours, minutes and seconds, indicates how much disk space is available on your hard disk, in GB.
11 When you are finished importing video, click Stop capture.
A thumbnail of the new video file appears in your Import Bin.
See also: