video capture adapter?

[birdzeye]

HI,

I recently purchased a VA11A and am finding the video quality to be exceptionally poor! Is the VA11A known to be lousy or is it just mine?

This may sound naive, but the advertisements for x10 software such as Vanguard and iWitness show a pretty decent camera picture. Are they using some other kind of video capture device?

[HA Dave]

.........the advertisements for x10.........show a pretty decent camera picture.

The ad's show some pretty hot babes on screen too. Have you seen any of those?

I wouldn't expect an excellent picture resolution.

[birdzeye]

.........the advertisements for x10.........show a pretty decent camera picture.

The ad's show some pretty hot babes on screen too. Have you seen any of those?

I wouldn't expect an excellent picture resolution.

I've tried changing the video codec but it keeps reverting back to the default codec---is there a glitch in the software that won't allow the codec to change?

And yes, Dave_x10, I have seen some pretty hot babes.....but not with the VA11A!

[steven r]

The ad's show some pretty hot babes on screen too. Have you seen any of those?...

Even if I was to zoom in on my mail lady, she doesn't come close to the X10 models. 
(Partly a private joke between Dave_x10_L and me at KDR's Home Automation Chat. Come join us for the fun!)

[birdzeye]

I've tried changing the video codec but it keeps reverting back to the default codec---is there a glitch in the software that won't allow the codec to change?

Does anyone know anything about this codec thing?

[Tuicemen]

Has been a while since I played with the codec!
I remember different OSs had problems with saving the changes this may be your issue!
I don't remember if the issue was resolved with 98 or ME. If running in compatibility mode don't use those 2!

[birdzeye]

Has been a while since I played with the codec!
I remember different OSs had problems with saving the changes this may be your issue!
I don't remember if the issue was resolved with 98 or ME. If running in compatibility mode don't use those 2!

I have XP Pro. What is compatiibility mode?

[Tuicemen]

Compatibility mode is found by right clicking on an exe file and going to properties!
It tells the OS to run the program as if it was in a  OS
Since your running XP this shouldn't be the issue!

[birdzeye]

Compatibility mode is found by right clicking on an exe file and going to properties!
It tells the OS to run the program as if it was in a  OS
Since your running XP this shouldn't be the issue!

Any ideas on what the issue might be, Tuicemen?

[Tuicemen]

Have you updated to the latest ver of AHP?
You shouldn't be having this issue on XP!
I have had all kinds of software problems with a bad AHP install!
They range from errors which your seeing to vanishing rooms and modules!
Does it reset no mater which codec you choose?
Try making a new AHX file and see if the issue is still there!
I'm not sure if AHP only displays codecs on your system or the popular ones. If the codec isn't installed on your PC then that could also be the issue.
Googleing will find you codec downloads!

[birdzeye]

Have you updated to the latest ver of AHP?
You shouldn't be having this issue on XP!
I have had all kinds of software problems with a bad AHP install!
They range from errors which your seeing to vanishing rooms and modules!
Does it reset no mater which codec you choose?
Try making a new AHX file and see if the issue is still there!
I'm not sure if AHP only displays codecs on your system or the popular ones. If the codec isn't installed on your PC then that could also be the issue.
Googleing will find you codec downloads!

Tuicemen, if I were to download some codecs and install them, how would I make AHP incorporate them into the software, or how would I make AHP use them?

Also, I've noticed that capture resolution 640X480 gives a good picture but the motion is jerky, while a capture resolution of 160X120 gives normal motion but a lousy picture. I have tried modifying the fps in 640X480 but nothing changes.

[Tuicemen]

Tuicemen, if I were to download some codecs and install them, how would I make AHP incorporate them into the software, or how would I make AHP use them?

I'm not sure how AHP see the codec possibly from the Windows OS,if this is the case AHP should see them once they are installed and your system is rebooted!

Also, I've noticed that capture resolution 640X480 gives a good picture but the motion is jerky, while a capture resolution of 160X120 gives normal motion but a lousy picture. I have tried modifying the fps in 640X480 but nothing changes.

Some of the codecs allow for some advanced settings others don't(of coarse you need to be able to access them)!
I'm probably not the best one to be answering your questions on video, as I use the auto stills option (preferred by me) instead of video!
Some video Guru may jump in here at any time!

[birdzeye]

Tuicemen, if I were to download some codecs and install them, how would I make AHP incorporate them into the software, or how would I make AHP use them?

I'm not sure how AHP see the codec possibly from the Windows OS,if this is the case AHP should see them once they are installed and your system is rebooted!

Also, I've noticed that capture resolution 640X480 gives a good picture but the motion is jerky, while a capture resolution of 160X120 gives normal motion but a lousy picture. I have tried modifying the fps in 640X480 but nothing changes.

Some of the codecs allow for some advanced settings others don't(of coarse you need to be able to access them)!
I'm probably not the best one to be answering your questions on video, as I use the auto stills option (preferred by me) instead of video!
Some video Guru may jump in here at any time!

I'm still waiting...........

........but in the meantime, I changed my stills capture setting to the highest image quality, and for some reason now when I have my capture resolution on 640X480 the motion is working better now.

However, the video recording function is totally strange.......when I playback, it is in fast forward! Even if I change the playback to slow motion, the video is still going way too fast. WTF is with this thing?

[birdzeye]

I've discovered something that may be helpful to anyone who wants to use the VA11A and is getting poor image quality and lousy video recording. It's mostly because of the SOFTWARE, not the VA11A, that these problems occur. There is a free software program called Virtual VCR which is very small but extremely excellent, and can be configured to use with the VA11A. I found it at majorgeeks.com under their Multimedia section. It's a great little FREE program, and you can change the compression and the codecs much more efficiently than with iWitness.

Oh, and did I mention that it is FREE, free, as in not having to shell out $50 bucks to x10 for software that doesn't even work?

[steven r]

...There is a free software program called Virtual VCR which is very small but extremely excellent, and can be configured to use with the VA11A. I found it at majorgeeks.com under their Multimedia section....

For those that may be search challenged (like I was), this is a direct link.
http://majorgeeks.com/Virtual_VCR_d5173.html