User’s Guide Creative WebCam NX Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Creative Technology Ltd. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the written permission of Creative Technology Ltd.
Contents
Contents Before You Begin............................................................................................................................................ v Package Contents ................................................................................................................................. v README file........................................................................................................................................... v Minimum System Requirements ..............
Creative WebCam Monitor................................................................................................................... 3-1 Microsoft NetMeeting.............................................................................................................................. 3-1 Microsoft Internet Explorer................................................................................................................... 3-2 Appendixes A Technical Specifications Construction ...................
Introduction
Introduction Creative WebCam NX is a digital video camera kit that gives you everything you need to capture 24-bit still images and video in 16.7 million colors. Not only that, it also allows you to communicate face-to-face with others on the Internet! Creative WebCam NX comes with the following software: ❑ Creative PC-CAM Center ❑ Creative WebCam Monitor ❑ Microsoft® NetMeeting ❑ Microsoft Internet Explorer For more information, see "Creative WebCam NX Applications" on page 3-1.
❑ CD-ROM drive installed ❑ Sound Blaster® or other Windows-compatible sound card. Sound Blaster 16 or higher required for simultaneous two-way conversation with full-duplex support. For Videoconferencing ❑ Microphone ❑ Modem or LAN access to the Internet at 28.8Kbps or faster Document Conventions Tip. This tells you about short cuts or hints relating to a feature. Note. This highlights additional or important information about a feature. Caution! This highlights proper usage of your product.
1 Installing Creative WebCam NX
Installing Creative WebCam NX This chapter tells you how to quickly install Creative WebCam NX. About Creative WebCam NX Figure 1-1 highlights the features of Creative WebCam NX. Snapshot button Press it to launch PC-CAM center and capture images Focus ring Adjusts the view focus. Point the lens toward your subject and then rotate this ring in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion until the image is in focus.
Installing Creative WebCam NX Follow the installation procedures for your operating system. In Windows 98/ 1. Do not connect Creative WebCam NX to your computer before installing the drivers. If you accidentally begin installation with Creative WebCam NX connected, the Add New Hardware Wizard or Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box appears. Click the Cancel button. 2. Insert the Creative WebCam NX Installation CD into your CD-ROM drive.
5. Place your Creative WebCam NX on top of your computer monitor or other flat surface. For LCD flat panel monitors and notebooks, use the integrated hinged lever to balance the camera. See Figure 1-2. USB port Hinged lever Figure 1-2: Connecting Creative WebCam NX to your computer For Windows 98/98SE and Windows Me only 6. Connect the Creative WebCam NX’s USB cable to an available USB port on your computer (Figure 1-2). Windows automatically detects the device. i.
7. Check the image in the Video preview pane of the Creative WebCam NX Camera Configuration dialog box. If it flickers or displays a series of dark bands, click the Cancel Flicker button. 8. Click the Finish button, and then restart your computer if you are prompted to do so. For Windows 2000 only 1. When a Digital Signature Not Found dialog box appears, telling you that Creative WebCam NX has been detected, ignore the message and click the Yes button. 2.
Verifying the installation in Windows 98/98SE and Windows Me Verifying the installation in Windows 2000 & XP 2. When a Hardware Installation Dialog box appears (Figure 1-4), ignore the message and click the Continue Anyway button. For more details on this warning message, see "Problems in Windows XP" on page B-3. Installation will be complete in a while. 3. Check the image in the Video preview pane of the Creative WebCam NX Camera Configuration dialog box.
2 Using PC-CAM Center
Using PC-CAM Center This chapter tells you how to quickly set up Creative WebCam NX as a Web Camera using PC-CAM Center software. For detailed information about the application’s features and settings, refer to its Help file. (See “Starting PC-CAM Center Help” on page 2-5.) Starting PC-CAM Center • If PC-CAM Center does not recognize the camera correctly, see Appendix A, “Troubleshooting.
Capturing Images and Video With PC-CAM Center, you can take photos and record videos. For more instructions on how to take a photo or record a video, refer to the PC-CAM Center Help file. To launch PC-CAM Center Help,Figure 2-1See “Starting PC-CAM Center Help” on page 2-5. Taking a Photo To take a photo: 1. In the PC-CAM Center window, click the Live Video button. The current camera view is displayed in the Viewing window. The Save automatically check box is selected, by default. Recording a Video 2.
Viewing a Photo Viewing a Video Reactivating the Camera 5. To stop the recording, click the button again. The button stops blinking. The video is added to your selected album. If the Save automatically check box is not selected, click the Save button to save the video. Otherwise the video is not saved or added to your selected album. 6. To preview the video, click the Play button on the bottom-left corner of the Preview window. 1. Click the My Album button. PC-CAM Center is now in My Album mode. 2.
Starting PCCAM Center Help This Help file contains instructions on how to use PC-CAM Center to take photos and record videos. It also teaches you how to optimize settings to take high quality photos and videos. To start the Help file: 1. Click the PC-Cam Center logo at the top left corner of PC-CAM Center’s main window. 2. On the PC-CAM Center menu, click Help.
3 Creative WebCam NX Applications
Creative WebCam NX Applications The Creative WebCam NX application CD includes the following: ❑ Creative PC-Cam Center ❑ Creative WebCam Monitor ❑ Microsoft NetMeeting ❑ Microsoft Internet Explorer Creative PCCam Center This powerful application lets you take pictures or record videos and store them in albums. You can also export pictures or videos to other programs, or send them as attachments in your e-mail message.
Microsoft Internet Explorer Microsoft Internet Explorer is an Internet browser that features ActiveX technology, so web pages can combine interactive ActiveX Controls, Java applets, and more, to create interactive content. ActiveMovie technology allows you to view multimedia content on the web, including MPEG audio and video.
A Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications Construction ❑ USB Port version: Remote camera head with a USB cable Power ❑ From a USB port or USB hub with an external power supply Sensor ❑ CMOS image sensor Video Resolution ❑ Up to 352 x 288 pixels on a Minimum System ❑ Up to 640 x 480 pixels with software interpolation Picture Resolution Still mode ❑ Up to 352 x 288 pixels ❑ With software interpolation: 640 x 480 pixels Video formats ❑ RGB24 ❑ I420 Exposure control ❑ Automatic Color balance ❑ Automatic Color ma
Software compatibility ❑ TWAIN, Video for Windows, WDM MiniDriver, DirectShow and Still Image driver that runs in Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows Me and Windows XP Technical Specifications A-2
B Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting If you have a technical problem with this product, you may wish to consult our selfhelp tool “Knowledgebase” for online troubleshooting and solutions. Go to www.creative.com and select your region. Problems Using Creative WebCam NX An application reports that the video driver is already in use, or that the camera cannot be found. Do the following: ❑ The camera is not properly connected.
The camera’s Power LED does not light up, or in Windows 98/98 SE, Me and 2000, the computer restarts for no apparent reason. You may have USB devices drawing too much power from your computer. This can happen especially when connecting USB devices to a passive or self-powered USB hub. In Windows XP, a dialog box similar to Figure B-1 appears. Do the following: ❑ Connect the camera directly to your computer’s USB port. ❑ Use a USB hub with an external power supply.
Problems in Windows XP A Hardware Installation error message appears on a Windows XP operating system when applications are being installed. At the time of this product's release, Microsoft strongly encouraged companies to submit their hardware solutions for certification. If a hardware device driver is not submitted, or does not qualify, for Microsoft certification, a warning message similar to the one below appears. You may see this message when installing a driver.
C Note on USB Compatibility
Note on USB Compatibility To look for a USB compatible product, you can visit the product search page at the official USB Web site: http:// www.usb.org/app/ search/products. While testing Creative WebCam NX on PC motherboards with integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, we encountered a small number of motherboards that do not meet the USB specification exactly. These and other non-USB-compliant motherboards may not operate correctly with Creative WebCam NX.
