#video capture hardware
4 messages in this thread
I'm new to this world and I need some advice. I need to capture still video
pictures from a still video camera. The board that came with it
(ComputerEyes/RT video digitizer) doesn't capture the same quality image that I
get viewing it on a TV monitor.
Q. Is the quality issue with the board? Can a different board give me better
results? Or is this an issue of tranforming formats?
If its a board issue, I would like some recommendations as to a board that can
capture images accurately with a minimum of tweaking. I would like to keep the
price under $1000, (I really don't know whats available).
I thought originally that the image quality was that of the camera, but it
produces great tv images and I tried a viedocam and it didn't capture any
better.
the camera (Canan RC360) produces 400 line video frames. There is a more
expensive model that does 450, but I can't afford that.
Q. Are there other color still video cameras out there that I should know
about?
Where is a good source to find out?
I have a little time where I could send back what I have to get something
better.
Any help would be most appreciated!
Ben
Ben,
We use still-video cameras to photograph manufacturing and assembly processes
and then grab them using either Targa+ 16/32 cards or a Canon capture card. We
use Sony Mavica 2000's and Canon RC570's as cameras.
The Targa+ 16/32 was priced around $2000 new, but it is older technology now
and you may find used ones on the market in your price range. The Targa and
the Canon both capture 2 fields per frame (assuming you are shooting in the
high resolution mode – 25 photo's per disk). Other capture cards we have
looked at grab only one field at a time, resulting in a lower quality image.
What you see when you view the image from the camera diskette may have
something to do with the discrepancy in image quality as well. If you view the
image from the diskette on a regular TV, you are seeing an analog signal sent
to the TV in NTSC mode. When you capture that image and digitize it with the
ComputerEyes/RT video digitizer, you see an image that may have lost data in
the process. It depends on how many fields are captured, how much color, what
format the digitized file is stored in, the resolution of your computer
monitor, what resolution and color depth you have set for your Windows
environment (if you are running Windoze). There are a lot of variables.
Drop me a line if you have further questions.
Douglas Fifield Tennant Company Minneapolis, MN with OzWin 1.10
Interesting application. I'm the operations manager for a gas turbine assembly
plant and we were looking at something similar. Would you care to describe
what type of products you assemble and what hardware software you use for said
process planning?
Thanks
Dominique
Dominique,
We design, fabricate and assemble industrial sweepers and scrubbers at this
facility. In terms of part count and complexity, the product could be
comparable to an automobile.
The software we use for the assembly documentation is called Impression and is
put out by a company from Utah by the name of Eyring Corporation. This
particular product is DOS-based although they are marketing a Windoze version
at this time.
The hardware consists of a PC LAN running Banyan Vines, still-video cameras
(Sony Mavica's, Canon RC570's, and Panasonic AG-ES10's), and Targa frame
grabbers.
Let me know if you want to know more.
Douglas Fifield Tennant Company Minneapolis, MN with OzWin 1.10