Videoconference Device and Webcams

[carlos]

I have a Polycom View station 512 (H.320 and H.323) and I would like to use it as a web cam.
Is there any software to emulate it as a web cam installed on my PC?, to use it with the messenger for example, or any other application that supports web cams.

[Entropy3XD]

I have actually used a polycom as a web cam, but it required a server set up for streaming. I just went out and got a cheap TV tuner card, then plugged the output of the Poly into the card. I then downloaded Microsoft'e Media Encoder (free) and was off and running. Very easy to do. If you want a portable streaming solution, Hauppauges WinTV USB device works great as a tuner.

[zornzack]

i think Entropy3XD has a good idea on video streaming, but i think you can try the video card with netmeeting / MSN and the Polycom codec if you need the codec as a web cam.

[Entropy3XD]

Zornzack is right. Sorry.....Drifted off topic a bit.

[carlos]

Thank you very much Entropy3XD and zornzack, and sorry for my poor English.

Regarding the last solution: "video card with netmeeting / MSN and the Polycom codec", I am not very good with this type of technologies.
Would you be so kind to explain it in more detail?
This is, I use a web based conferencing tool that can broadcast my picture if I have a webcam installed on my computer. When I run that tool, I can select the video device.
I see in the drop-down list the option "Microsoft WDM Image Capture (Win32)" and I must select it to use my webcam.
I would like to use my Polycom Viewstation as the video source, in such a way that it would be recognized in my computer as other webcam.
If I install the Microsoft'e Media Encoder, is it recognized by the applications as a web cam?

Best Regards,
Carlos

[Entropy3XD]

Carlos,

I was a bit confused at first as to what you were trying to do. Media Encoder is only for streaming video, so you would not use it for video conferencing.

If you want to use the Polycom with Messenger for video conferencing, then you would need to get a tv tuner device. You can get an internal tv tuner card, or you can get an external USB/firewire TV tuner device. Now I am not the expert on this so maybe someone else can add input, but I have found that the TV tuner must support raw AVI capture in order to work with Messenger. I have tried devices that only use MPEG and have not had success. I have also found this to be true when using Media Encoder.

Once you install the TV tuner, you would go into your software codec and select the TV tuner as the source.

[carlos]

Thank you Entropy3XD.

I think that I am not used to working with these subjects, so I don't know where to find the software codec installed on my computer and change the video source.

Best Regards,
Carlos

[Skylark]

There is no emulator progarm Viewstation to connect it to MSN.

Like Entropy said you can use the camer on the Viewstation and feed it into a videocard on the PC but that would not realy be using the Viewstation (just the camera).

I know that future release of Weboffice will be fully compatble with MSN (so you could be loged on you weboffice and talk to an MSN user).
But weboffice is a large service application that need a server to run and cost alot of money so unless you could lease out a space on sombodies weboffice server there is little else you can do.

[Entropy3XD]

Originally posted by carlos@May 7 2004, 04:07 PM
Thank you Entropy3XD.

I think that I am not used to working with these subjects, so I don't know where to find the software codec installed on my computer and change the video source.

Best Regards,
Carlos
Carlos,

When I refer to "Codec", I am talking about the software you use for video conferencing. Do you use Microsoft Messenger or Net Meeting?

Within the program you use, there should be settings for audio and video. Under the video settings there should be a section for video source configuration.

Let me know what type of software you use.

[carlos]

I would like to use the camera of the Viewstation as the video source for a web conferencing tool and it only allows a webcam for live-videostreaming.
The software used to broadcast the video is a non-standard solution based on a java applet (I'm not sure, probably an ActiveX control as well). This software is not customisable and it detects if there is a web cam installed on the computer and use it as the video source.
I have a Philips ToUcam installed and the device detected by the webconferencing application is the "Microsoft WDM Image Capture (Win32)"

Checking the properties of the "Microsoft WDM Image Capture (Win32)" in the control panel, I see no way to modify the settings.

[Entropy3XD]

Carlos,

What you may have to do is go to the manufacturer of your software and ask them if it supports a video input card as opposed to a USB web cam. Again, I am not an expert, but I believe there are some cards on the market which support Microsoft WDM Image Capture (Win32). You could also go to the card manufacturers. They may have a product which will work for you. You can try some of the following:

www.hauppauge.com
www.winnov.com
www.ati.com
www.nvidia.com

Let me know how it goes with this. There has to be a solution out there for you.

[carlos]

Thank you very much Entropy.

[Entropy3XD]

Originally posted by carlos@May 12 2004, 11:43 AM
Thank you very much Entropy.
My pleasure. Definitely keep us up to date with your progress on this one. I would really like to know the solution.