Why is my audio and video out of sync ?

Osprey cards perform audio/video capture only. A/V synchronization is performed by the application. There are a few possible issues of the source video device that could result in an application having A/V sync problems:

- During capture, the Osprey card locks to the timing of the incoming source signal. This allows the Osprey card to properly time the video and audio sampling, which are taken together. If the source video signal is unstable, or if the source is switched between different sources during capture (and those sources are not locked to a common clock), then A/V sync loss can occur. You may need to place a time base corrector (TBC) or frame synchronizer between the source and the Osprey input to correct these problems.

- For Osprey 5x0 series cards, when capturing from digital sources via SDI, DV, etc., the Osprey's hardware audio sampling rate (as set using Opsrey config) must match the sampling rate of the source. By default, the Osprey's sampling rate is set to "any supported rate", which means that the rate will be detected from the source. However, there may be instances where the rate cannot be properly detected, so there are also some "force to" settings that could be tried. The default "any supported rate" setting is the preferred setting for most cases.

Note that for SDI audio, the source's sampling rate must be 48kHz. This is the only rate supported by the Osprey today. This does not apply to DV or AES/EBU audio.

Note also that the Osprey hardware audio sampling rate is seperate from a software CODEC's sampling rate.

- Also for Osprey 5x0 series cards, when capturing from digital source via SDI, DV, etc., the source must be started before the Osprey starts capturing.

How do I capture audio using my Osprey-50 or Osprey-100?

The Osprey 50 and Osprey 100 cards do not capture audio. Instead, use the system's sound card for audio.

Is the Osprey's 1394 connector OHCI compliant ?

Only the Osprey 300 contains an OHCI-compliant DV connector. All other cards in the Osprey line provide non-OHCI-compliant connections.

Why does my system freeze intermittingly after installing the Osprey driver ?

The issue you are experiencing can occur if you do not have a soundcard on your system. In systems that do not have soundcards Windows "sees" the Osprey card as a audio playback device and will not allow initialization as a video capture device. This will cause the system to freeze sporadically, as well as not allow the capture of video. To resolve this issue please do the following : Go to Start>settings>control panel>sounds and select "No Sounds " under schemes. When it asked to save the previous scheme select no. After making this selection you will need to restart your system.

How do I capture a still frame with the Osprey card ?

Most video encoding or video streaming applications provide a frame capture function. For example, the Osprey driver installation includes an application called SwiftCap. In SwiftCap, go to Tools->Save Snapshot to save a single frame as a bitmap or JPEG file. Check the documentation of the application being used for specific information on this feature.

I am unable to access my second installed Osprey capture device using RealProducer Basic. Why?

Real Producer Basic only supports the default capture device. To utilize multiple Osprey capture cards with Real Producer you must upgrade to the Plus version. This is can be purchased by visiting Real Network's website

Should I use a 4-pin or 7-pin S-Video cable with my Osprey card?

You will need to use a 4-pin s-video cable to connect your device to the Osprey card. If you have a device which has a 7-pin output connector you can safely use the 4-pin s-video cable with the Osprey card with no video signal loss. Some early Osprey cards do have 7-pin connectors, however the 4-pin cable can still be used as the remaining pins are not used.

My audio plays back too fast or too slow. How can I fix this?

In some instances, when a capture is started before the audio is selected the audio may not be sampled at the correct rate - causing it to sound slower or faster than normal when played back. Should this occur stop and restart capturing audio.

The video preview window shows pink instead of video when I select DV IEEE-1394 as my source. How can I fix this?

First, make sure that you capture application has the correct input selected. Then, make sure that the source you are using is providing a valid signal. If this does not help, then shut down your system and remove the Osprey card. The board consists of two cards. Touch the system chassis to be sure you are static free, then carefully take the two boards apart and place them back together making sure all the connectors are firmly attached. Then place the card back in the system and restart. If the problem continues please contact our technical support group.

What is the maximum resolution I can capture with my Osprey capture card?

The largest capture size is 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x586 (PAL). For the Osprey-50, the largest size is 320x240.

How many Osprey-50s can I install in a single system?

Only one Osprey-50 USB capture device is supported in a system. If you would like to use multiple capture devices we recommend using one of the Osprey PCI capture cards.

What are the power consumption specs for the Osprey capture cards?

Osprey-100/200:
+5 volts, 200 milliamps
+12 volts, 52 milliamps
-12 volts, 13 milliamps.

Osprey-210:
2.45 Watts

Osprey-220:
3.05 Watts

Osprey-230:
3.1 watts
Osprey-500: 6.8 Watts
+5 volts, 1 amp
+12 volts, 75 milliamps,
-12 volts, 75 milliamps

Osprey-540/560:
7.3 Watts
+5 volts, 1.1 amp
+12 volts 75 milliamps
-12 volts, 75 milliamps

Is it possible to extract tele-text captioning from a PAL source, as it is to extract Closed Captioning (CC) from NTSC source with the Osprey cards?

Closed Captioning (CC) is specific to NTSC only. The PAL standard does not support CC. Instead, PAL supports a schema called TeleText. TeleText is transmitted through the source video in the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) part of the analog signal. Osprey cards capture this part of the signal, and output the raw VBI data from any analog source connected to it, from which TeleText (or any other kind of data that happens to be there) can be extracted. Processing of raw VBI data into the desired form requires a custom application. The format of the data is not defined by the Osprey or DirectShow but by a published specification, or an application or 3rd party, etc.

Raw VBI data is captured on all Osprey cards in both NTSC and PAL modes, except for the Osprey models 300, 540, and 560.

Custom application development with the Osprey cards is done using the Microsoft DirectShow SDK. DirectShow is a sub-set of DirectX, and is primarily designed for the C/C++ programming language. There is also support for the Visual BASIC programming language, but this provides access to only a small sub-set of the DirectShow functionality. Specific details and further information about DirectShow can be obtained from Microsoft's DirectX web site, the Microsoft Developer Network site, and from the Microsoft DirectX/DirectShow documentation.

The Osprey AVStream SDK supplements the DirectShow SDK with documentation about Osprey-specific interfaces and functionality, and also provides several sample applications with source code in C++. The Osprey AVStream SDK available from the Viewcast web site's download page.

What audio levels should I use with my Osprey card? Can I use a microphone?

The unbalanced input should have a nominal value of at least 1.0 Volt peak-to-peak = .315 Volts RMS = -10 db, which is a common unbalanced nominal line level in the U. S. This input is not amplified before the A/D converter. The audio impedance is 10k ohms. If you are going to be using a microphone, you will need to use a mic pre-amp to provide this level input. The balanced audio input is designed for a maximum input equal to the common U.S. nominal line level, which is 3.5 Volts peak-to-peak = 1.23 Volts RMS = +4 db. The balanced audio input amplifier has a gain of 2, and can output up to 12.5 volts peak-to-peak to the A/D Converter without distortion, so any input over 3.5 volts p-p on the input will overdrive the audio.

I just purchased a Dell PowerEdge 2650 server and I am unable to place my Osprey card in the system

The Dell PowerEdge 2650 server is shipped with three full length PCI-X slots (1 X 64bit/133MHz, 2 X 64bit/100MHz). This type of interface is not utilized for Osprey models 100, 200, 210, 220, 500, or 540. Only the Osprey models 230, 300, 440, and 560 will work in this type of PCI slot.

Are there Osprey drivers for Linux?

Yes. Osprey drivers for Linux are Open Source and are not owned or supported by ViewCast. Support for Open Source software is available from the Open Source community. If you want to get involved in Linux, it is important to understand the culture. A good introduction can be found here.

You can also find Linux help from the nearest LUG (Linux Users Group). There is probably one near you. Right here in North Texas we have a group (NTLUG) with members world wide. You can join the discussion groups at The North Texas Linux Users Group web site.

My Osprey card appears to have been installed correctly but I only see blue in the video preview window. Is there something wrong with the card?

Blue video is what is captured from a video port on the Osprey-1xx/2xx cards if no video is connected to that port. This alerts the user that the card is installed correctly but is not receiving video. Since the Osprey does not "auto sense" which video port is sending a signal, this can be corrected by making sure that the video port (or input) selection in the Osprey driver is that same as that to which you have connected your video. For example, a user with an Osprey-220 must make a selection from S-Video or Composite input.

Why does my laptop freeze or hang if I have the Osprey-50 USB connected when I start the computer?

If your system "hangs" as it is booting up when the Osprey-50 is connected to the computer, it is sometimes necessary to change a setting in your system/s BIOS. Look in the BIOS for a "Legacy USB Support" setting and set this to ENABLED. In some system/s BIOS, this setting can be found under Advanced- Peripheral configuration- Legacy USB Support. Save the settings and reboot.

Why is it that when I make adjustments to my color/brighness settings on my SimulStream enabled Osprey they are always reset to default when I reopen them?

The reason the settings are not persistent is due to the fact that Simulstream allows unlimited numbers of applications to be open at the same time. Whereas one card with one application the video settings can be adjusted and persist, because there is only one card available. With Simulstream the driver is allowing multiple opens, so it does not have the capability of assigning the correct video settings based on the settings made for the open application. To work around this, open the streaming application and then open configure devices. Any changes now made to the video settings, should persist when the encoder starts.

My s-video cable only has 4 pins, can I still use it with my Osprey?

Most Osprey devices have 4-pin S-video connections, however, some early models of the Osprey-100 have 7 pin connectors. It is okay to use a 7-pin or 4-pin S-video cable in this instance since the Osprey will ignore the data from the extra pins. In cases where the Osprey card has a 4-pin connector a 4-pin S-video cable must be used.

What are the dimensions of the Osprey capture card?

Osprey 100 - Low profile, 2.5"H x 5.2"L, Standard PCI 2.x (5v)
Osprey 210 - Full height, 4.2"H x 5.2"L, Standard PCI 2.x (5v)
Osprey 230 - Low profile, 2.5"H x 6.6"L, PCI/PCI-X, (5v & 3.3v)
Osprey 300 - Full height, 4.2"H x 6.6"L, PCI/PCI-X, (5v & 3.3v)
Osprey 440 - Full height, 4.2"H x 6.6"L, PCI/PCI-X, (5v & 3.3v)
Osprey 560 - Full Height, 4.2"H x 7.0"L, PCI/PCI-X, (5v & 3.3v)

My system with Windows 2000 refuses to resume after going into stand-by mode. How do I resolve this?

This was a known issue with very early releases of the driver on Windows 2000 only. First, be sure that you are using the latest version of the driver available from the viewcast web site legacy driver download page. If the problem continues, you may be encountering a known issue with the Windows 2000 operating system. Download and apply Service Pack 3 for Windows 2000 and the issue should be resolved.

What is the pin assignment for the XLR input on the Osprey?

The XLR pin assignment is the same on all Osprey boards which support XLR inputs. Pin 1 is the ground connection, pin 2 is the positive balanced audio signal, and pin 3 is the negative balanced audio signal. The pins are usually labeled 1,2 and 3 on the connector. On the Osprey breakout boxes, Pin 1 is the bottom, Pin 2 is the top, and Pin 3 is in the middle to the left. On cable-oriented XLR inputs holding the XLR connector facing you with the pins aligned top to bottom and the "odd" pin in the exact middle facing left for the same assignmet as the breakout box.

I am also using my Osprey capture card for video conferencing with Netmeeting but get an echo effect. How can I fix this?

First, be sure that both parties are using a microphone that has audio cancellation so that the audio from the speakers is not picked up by the microphone and sent back to the origination point. Alternatively, a headset with microphone and headphones should also work. Next, try adjusting the volume level via the Audio tuning wizard so that the audio level is consistently yellow when speaking. If neither of these address the issue, we would recommend experiementing with the audio codec used for compression. This is located by clicking on options>audio and then advanced from within the Netmeeting application.

I have a system using the Intel 815x or VIA 686B chipset and experience poor video quality. The System Monitor is also erratic, what is the cause of this?

The following Microsoft Knowledge Base bulletin addresses this issue: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q310718 Performance Counter Problems with VIA 686B and Intel 815x Chipsets in Windows XP The information in this article applies to: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Microsoft Windows XP Professional This article was previously published under Q310718 SYMPTOMS In Windows XP, you may experience poor video capture and erratic System Monitor readings if your computer has either of the following chipsets: Intel 815x chipsets with Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC) VIA 686B chipsets CAUSE The VIA power management timer hardware originally worked incorrectly, and a patch was applied to the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) to fix the problem on Intel 815x chipsets. Since that time, the VIA chipset was modified to correct the timer problem, but this causes the patched HAL to give incorrect timing values. This makes video capture "choppy," and causes System Monitor to generate incorrect readings under some conditions. The problem occurs with Intel 815x chipsets with APIC, and with the VIA dev_1106 and ven_0686 power management timers when you use a video capture adapter with a composite-in port. RESOLUTION To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For additional information, view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base "322389 How to Obtain the Latest Windows XP Service Pack"

The DivX codec does not show up as an available compressor in my capture application, even though I have it installed? How can I fix this?

The ability to utilize the Divx codec should corresponds to the color format you have selected for the Osprey card. In order to compress with DivX you must utilize a YUV format and not RGB. If you are using a capture application like VirtualDub simply open VirtualDub and, after selecting File>Capture AVI, select the video>format menu and verify that the color format is set to Yuv12 or recommended 4:2:2 packed(YUY2). Once this selection is made you should see the DivX codec listed as choice under the compression codecs available.

Is it possible to use the Osprey to encode unique audio to the left and right channels for streaming? For example, separate languages to the left and right channels?

Yes, since the Osprey card provides two channel audio so it is possible to feed separate sources into each channel. When the user connects to the stream it would be necessary to place the balance of the audio output on the left or right to hear what was captured on that specific channel. If the balance is left in the center, then the two channels will be mixed. It should be noted that when mixing the channels in this way using Windows Media Encoder that the application mixes the two channels at lower bit rates. This causes the audio on either the left or right to be mixed instead of remaining separate. By setting the audio sample rate within Windows Media Encoder to at least 96 kbps, 44kHz, stereo with WM8 codec or higher you should be able to accomplish the task of encoding unique audio to each channel. Any sample rate set below this will produce a mixed audio signal instead of a distinct left and right channel audio.

When I close and re-open my application the settings return to default instead of staying the same as when the application was closed. How can I make the settings persistent?

The user that is logged on to the system must have administrative rights in order for settings to persist between reboots.

How do I create a streaming broadcast using 5.1 surround sound or 7.1 audio?

To create 5.1 surround or 7.1 audio a device that supports six or eight channels is necessary. The Osprey products only support two channel audio. We recommend that a device that provides 5.1 audio to the Osprey is used. Another method would be to mix all six channels with a audio editing application and then bring it into Windows Media Encoder.

Is it possible to install Osprey/s of differing types (for example, an Osprey-210 and Osprey-500) in the SAME system?

Yes, Osprey cards of differing models may be installed in the same Windows system with no conflicts.

It appears that the Osprey audio driver is causing my Windows system to freeze during shut-down. How can I fix this?

Try the following steps to troubleshoot the problem:

- The problem may be related to system sounds and audio devices. The system may be invting the Osprey card to play the system shutdown sound. Since the Osprey card doesn't do audio PLAYBACK (only capture), the system could possibly hang before it ever shuts down. To resolve this, boot into Windows, and go to Control Panel->Sounds and Audio Devices. Change to the "Sounds" tab, and select NO SOUNDS for the Sound Scheme. Then, change to the "Audio" tab. Make sure that the preferred playback device is set to the system's sound card (if any) and check the "Use Only Preferred Devices" check box.

- This could be related to a known issue with Windows XP operating systems. To resolve this, please download and install the latest Windows XP service packs.

- If Intel's Active Monitor software is installed on this system, there have been instances where this software has conflicted with the Osprey card to not allow your system to properly shut off. If this software is installed, please try removing it to see if this resolves the issue.

- Boot the computer and go into the system BIOS setup. There may be an item in the setup called /load BIOS defaults/ or similar. If you can find this, select it, then save & exit the BIOS and let the system boot up again. Check again to see if the problem still occurs.

- Check the PC or motherboard vendor/s web site for BIOS updates, and install if applicable.

- Try the card in a different brand or model PC or motherboard, to see if the problem follows the Osprey card, or the particular PC or motherboard.

I upgraded my Osprey drivers and now none of my saved profiles work - how can I fix this?

To make audio and video driver names more consistent a hyphen character "-" was added to the name of the Osprey audio device in later driver releases. For example, previous names were in the form "Osprey 200 Audio" and are now "Osprey-200 Audio". This may, however, cause a problem with saved encoding profiles that have stored the old audio driver name format. Applications such as the Windows Media Encoder, when loading a saved profile with this old name format, will issue an error and indicate that a device has not been found. The solution is edit the profile and change the audio device name.

What is the Video Input/s impedance on the Osprey?

The video line impedance on the Osprey is 75ohms

What is the audio input gain and impedance for the Osprey cards?

For all Osprey cards, the audio gain and impedance is a follows:

Balanced Stereo Audio Input (2 x XLR)
Reference Level Adjustable from -15 dBu to +10 dBu (+4 dBu nominal) with 6 dB headroom

Unbalanced Stereo Audio Input (2 x RCA)
Reference Level Adjustable from -23 dBV to +3 dBV (-10 dBV nominal) with 6 dB headroom

The unbalanced input should have a nominal value of at least 1.0 Volt peak-to-peak = .315 Volts RMS = -10 db, which is a common unbalanced nominal line level in the U. S. This input is not amplified before the A/D converter. The audio impedance is 10k ohms.

The balanced audio input is designed for a maximum input equal to the common U.S. nominal line level, which is 3.5 Volts peak-to-peak = 1.23 Volts RMS = +4 db. The balanced audio input amplifier has a gain of 2, and can +output up to 12.5 volts peak-to-peak to the A/D Converter without distortion, so any input over 3.5 volts p-p on the input will overdrive the audio. The balanced impedance is 600 ohms.

Can I create custom resolutions with the Osprey card?

Custom resolutions are supported up to the maximum resolution of 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) for Osprey models 100 and higher. The Osprey-50 does not support custom resolutions, however a number of standardized resolutions are available for use.

How can I calibrate, or "tune", the Osprey/s video inputs for best quality video capture?

With respect to calibration of video for Osprey cards there are potentially three places that should be considered for tuning. Practically all tuning tools require the source to be able to output various color patterns or at least minimally a SMPTE color bar pattern. Before video is captured by an Osprey card it would be ideal if the video source was already calibrated. Again, calibration of the source typically requires a source capable of outputting various video patterns. The source/s video would be an input to a video calibration tool such as a video vector scope or waveform monitor. Using this method the source itself could be calibrated and thus be known to output correct video levels/signals. The Osprey capture cards can adjust parameters such as brightness, contrast, saturation, and hue (hue only for NTSC analog inputs). Thus instead of calibrating the source, the source signal can be corrected by adjustments to these parameters. Typically all you need is a software vector scope and waveform meter. There are free ones (http://www.winsite.com/bin/Info?500000025716 is a good place to start) and others built into some video capture applications (for an example see http://www.ulead.com/mspro5/faq.htm). Osprey cards (Osprey-500/540/2000) that have digital inputs (SDI / DV) also have the option to disable the card/s video parameters. This way when using a digital source that is already known to be calibrated the Osprey card will pass video unmodified from the source and thus retain the calibration. The final place for calibration is the actual monitor in which video is to be viewed. It will mean little if the video source and capture process are calibrated if the video is displayed on a monitor that is far from calibrated. See http://www.displaymate.com/ for application used to tune monitors.

Can I connect my Firewire (IEEE-1394) Hard Drive to the DV connector on the Osprey?

This can be done only when using the Osprey 300. No other Osprey cards support this capability.

My video suddenly appears to be "zoomed in" on everything. How can I get it back to normal?

It is likely that the cropping feature of the Osprey has been enabled by you or another application. To turn cropping off again deselect "Enable Cropping" on the Format Tab of the Osprey driver dialog. In the VidCap32 test application, for example, you would do this by clicking the Options menu> Format> Format tab, then making sure Enable Cropping does NOT have a check mark next to it.

In the image of my captured video I see tiny lines surrounding certain images. The problem is worse with fast motion video, what causes this?

What you are seeing are interlacing artifacts typically called a "combing" effect. This is often seen when displaying video that is designed for NTSC/PAL output on a computer monitor or video stream. Many capture and streaming applications, such as Windows Media Encoder and RealProducer have deinterlacing filters to correct this. It is also possible to activate a software deinterlacing filter at the Osprey driver level. To do this in the VidCap32 test application click the options menu>Format>Advanced tab and be sure that there is a check mark next to "SW Deinterlacing Filter". Then click OK to close the dialog and you should see the display updated with the filter applied.

Do you have Video For Windows drivers for the Osprey cards?

Video For Windows (VFW) drivers for Osprey cards can be found on the Viewcast legacy downloads page

The Osprey VFW drivers have been discontinued and are provided as-is.

When attempting to update or re-install the Osprey drivers, I get messages saying that the previous version must be uninstalled, but I/ve already uninstalled it

First, use the Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs and remove any previous version(s) of Osprey drivers that are currently installed.

Next, start the Windows Explorer (Start->All Programs->Accessories->Windows Explorer). Make sure that your Windows Explorer is set up to show all files and not to hide certain file types. Go to the Tools->Folder Options menu, change to the View tab. Be sure that 'Show hidden files and folders' is selected, and that 'Hide extensions for known file types' is NOT checked. Hit OK.

In the 'View' menu, please select 'details'. Then click the 'Type' heading on the right pane over the file list so that all displayed files are sorted by type. Then go back to the Tools->Folder Options menu and go back to the 'view' tab. Hit the 'Apply to all folders' button. This will make life easier for you when attempting to do the following steps:

Go to your Windows temp folder (usually C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Temp if you have not changed your temp folder from the Windows default) and delete the contents of the folder - do not delete the folder itself, however.

Now, check your system folder (usually \Windows or \WinNT - this example will assume the folder is names \Windows) to be certain that none of the following files remain.

In the \Windows\system32 directory delete:

o100vc.dll
o200vc.dll
o500vc.dll
o540vc.dll
o200board.dll
o2ca_usr.dll
o2ca_mix.dll
o2ca_wav.dll

And, in the drivers directory delete:

o100drv.sys
o200drv.sys
o500drv.sys
o540drv.sys
o2ca.sys

All of the these files may not be present, but delete any of these files that happen to appear in these folders.

Now go to the \Windows\inf folder. There are many files with a .inf extension. Look through these files. There will be a group of files named 'oem0.inf', 'oem1.inf', 'oem2.inf', 'oem3.inf', and so on (there are different numbers of these from computer to computer depending on what's been installed, etc but they're grouped together because the view is sorted by type). Double-click each of these files one at a time - they are text files and will therefore open up an instance of notepad - and check out the first few lines of text. Find the file that has text in it similar to the following:

; Copyright� 2003, ViewCast Corporation, Osprey Video Division

There may be more than 1 'oem[x].inf file with Osprey information in it. Close notepad and delete any 'oem[x].inf' file that has Osprey information in it. Do not delete any of the others.

Now reboot the system.

When Windows starts, if you receive a 'New Hardware Found' prompt, please press cancel.

Go to www.viewcast.com/driverdownload.asp and download the latest drivers for your card & operating system. After downloading, run the installer and let the drivers get completely installed.

When capturing video, there are missing lines, black lines, repeated lines, and/or severe video artifacts

The issue that you have encountered is caused by device contention on the PCI BUS. This can occur because audio & video is being captured by the Osprey hardware in real time, and access to the PCI bus is being delayed - usually by another PCI device that is accessing the bus at the same time. If the Osprey hardware can not get access to the PCI bus when it is time to move data to external memory then a buffer overflow condition occurs, and the data is lost. The bandwidth of the capture format directly impacts the PCI bus latency requirements. For example, the highest capture bandwidth is full resolution RGB32 (32bits/pixel). This has the largest demand on getting access to the PCI bus. On the other end of the spectrum, QCIF (for example) Grayscale (8bits/pixel) does not request as many PCI cycles - we usually recommend utilizing one of the YUV or YUY color formats for the best results. Note that this is mostly independent of frame rate as the issue occurs on a horizontal line basis. The issue is slightly impacted by vertical resolution only in the respect of the timing from the end of one line to the start of another.

To resolve this issue please upgrade your drivers to the latest version available from our web site, www.viewcast.com/driverdownload.asp, and try each of the settings under PCI Compatibility Mode on the Device tab of the driver properties pages, which can be accessed by running SwiftCap from the Osprey Program Folder then selecting the Settings menu>Device Settings.

If the above does not address your issue, check your Window's Device Manager. Under the device manager, change the view to 'Devices by Connection'. This will display a hierarchical tree of system devices, organized by PCI bus. Locate the Osprey device. If the Osprey card appears on a PCI bus together with other devices (such as disk controllers, display adaptors, network adaptors, or similar) then one or more of these devices is the source of contention for PCI bus access. Some systems have multiple PCI busses, and this will be shown in the device manager.

Try moving the Osprey card a different PCI slot in the system and check the Device Manager->Devices By Connection to see if the Osprey moves to a different bus, seperate from the other devices. If the offending PCI device is an on-board device and moving the Osprey to each PCI slot does not get the Osprey on a separate bus, then disabling the onboard device and installing a PCI controller may help.

If, after that, you still have problems, then the only additional advice that we can offer are the following (these are based on reports of user experiences and - other than #1 and #6 - have not been confirmed by Osprey engineering):

1) If you are not capturing with a YUV color format, such as YUV12 we would recommend trying that.

2) Look in the computer's BIOS for CPU to PCI write buffer. If you can locate this, please set it to disabled.

3) Check the BIOS for a Latency Timer setting and set to 12 or lower.

4) If the Bios has an AGP FASTWRITE setting in the advanced menu, please enable this as well.

5) Be sure you are using the latest Flash update for the BIOS on the motherboard by visiting the manufacturer's website.

6) Capture audio using a seperate sound card, instead of the Osprey card's on-board sound

If you still experience the same issue the only remaining alternative is to reduce the video size you are capturing until you can capture without encountering this issue. Another alternative would be to utilize the Osprey-230 or Osprey-560 product. These cards have an on-board PCI bus bridge that helps to eliminate issues of device contention.

No audio is recorded

This could be related to the primary card preferences in the Windows Control Panel. To make certain that the Osprey is the preferred recording device in Windows, do the following:

Go to Start->Control Panel->Audio Devices. The Osprey should be listed as the preferred device for recording and "Use preferred devices only" should be selected (leave the preferred playback device set to the soundcard not the Osprey placeholder). Next, be sure that the Osprey is also configured in the mixing panel for the audio input which you are using. To do this, go to Start->Programs->Accessories->Entertainment->Volume Control (or, if there is a speaker icon in the system tray just double-click that) then go to Options->Properties and be sure that the mixer device is the Osprey and select "Adjust volume for Recording" (make sure all of the available inputs have a check mark next to them before clicking OK to apply). This will give you a new mixer panel with all of the options for the Osprey. Make sure the input you are using is selected and that the slider is adjusted appropriately.

The Osprey 230 & 560 cards are longer than a standard PCI slot. Why?

The Osprey 230 and 560 cards are PCI-X compatible, and so they have a 64-but PCI bus interface connector. The bus interface is backward-compatible with PCI 2.1, and so the card will work in a standard 32-bit PCI slot. When a PCI-X card is installed into a PCI 2.1 slot, there are contact pins that are exposed. This is normal and signals the card to switch into PCI 2.1 mode.

What PCs are recommended for use with Osprey cards?

We recommend Intel-based PCs with processor speeds of 1gHZ or faster, 512MB RAM, and DirectX compatible VGA with at least 8MB of VGA RAM. For systems in which either SimulStream or multiple Osprey cards are used, we recommend Intel-based PCs, dual CPUs at 1gHZ or faster with hyperthreading support, 512MB RAM, and a DirectX compatible VGA with at least 8MB of VGA RAM. Recently, the Osprey 230 and 560 products have been certified by Hewlett Packard for use with their xw4100, xw6000 or xw8000 workstations. You can get more information on these products here

Does the Osprey card work in Windows 2003 server?

Yes! Drivers are available from our downloads page at www.viewcast.com/driverdownload.asp

I would like to make my own breakout cable. What are the Osprey breakout cable pin assignments?

The following is the pinout of the input connector for Osprey models 200 through 230, Opsrey 300, and Osprey models 530, 540, and 560:

Audio/Video Input Cable (HD15 D-Sub)
1 - Unbalanced Audio Left
2 - Unbalanced Audio Right
3 - Ground
4 - Balanced Audio Left +
5 - Balanced Audio Right - and AES/EBU -
6 - S-Video Luma
7 - Ground
8 - Ground
9 - Ground
10 - Ground
11 - Balanced Audio Left -
12 - Ground
13 - Balanced Audio Right + and AES/EBU +
14 - S-Video Chroma
15 - Composite Video

The following applies to the input connector for Osprey model 240:

1 - Unbalanced Line IN L
2 - Unbalanced Line IN R
3 - Unbalanced Line RETURN (GND)
4 - DB Balanced L+
5 - DB Balanced R-
6 - S LUM
7 - S LUM RETURN (GND)
8 - DB Balanced R RETURN (GND)
9 - S CHROMA RETURN (GND)
10 - Composite RETURN (GND)
11 - DB Balanced L-
12 - DB Balanced L RETURN (GND)
13 - DB Balanced R+
14 - S CHROMA
15 - Composite IN

Note: For component input (Y/Cb/Cr), use the s-video pins plus the composite pin

The following applies to the preview output connector on Osprey model 540/560:

Audio/Video Output Cable (9-pin mini-DIN)
1 - Unbalanced Audio Left
2 - Unbalanced Audio Right
3 - Ground
4 - Ground
5 - Ground
6 - Ground
7 - Composite Video
8 - S-Video Chroma
9 - S-Video Luma

I am using the Osprey SimulStream feature (or I am using multiple Osprey cards). How many videos can I capture/stream concurrently?

There are several contributing factors. Capture resolution is a more significant factor than encoded bit rate because it determines the number of pixels that need to be processed. For example, consider an encoding will be at 500kbps. This would generally indicate a CIF (352x288 or 320x240) resolution, but could be at full resolution.

A Single P4-2.4GHz+ system will generally encode no more than 4 CIF streams using either Windows Media Encoder or Helix Producer. We recommend Intel Pentium 4 2.6 GHz FSB systems with Hyperthreading enabled for best performance. This assumes a very basic encoding profile. Adding filtering and other options may limit encoding to a lower number of streams.

If full resolution capture/encoding is required, we recommend moving to a dual Xeon 2.4GHz+ system with PCI-X slots. No more than 2 full resolution capture/encode sessions per system, and even 2 can be a problem depending on the system architecture.

PCI slot contention is also a consideration. Motherboards with PCI-based graphics, networking, SCSI controllers, ATA RAID controllers, or other devices on the same PCI bus as the Osprey card(s) may contend for PCI bus bandwidth.

If there are no significant contending devices on the PCI bus used for Osprey cards (32-bit, 33 MHz PCI) it is generally possible to do 4 CIF captures on one bus. If a full resolution capture is performed (equivalent to the data rate of 4 CIF captures) performing additional captures from other cards may work, but is not recommended.

For multiple full resolution captures or more than 4 CIF captures, dedicated and multiple peered PCI-X buses are preferred, for use with the Osprey 230 or Osprey 560 cards, which have PCI-X compatible bus interfaces.

When capturing with the Osprey 540 or 560s AES/EBU audio input, there are audible pops or clicks in the audio.

If you hear a consistent click or popping noise in the audio (at regular intervals), the issue is most likely caused by one of two possibilities:

1 - The sampling rate of the source being captured does not match the sampling rate or the Osprey card (or encoding software). Try stepping the source audio sampling rate for each 32, 44.1, and 48KHz. If the popping DOES NOT occur on one of these rates, then the problem is due to a mis-match of sampling rates.

2 - The source audio must be started BEFORE the capture is started. The Osprey card will detect and lock itself to the incoming signal. If the signal is not present when capture is started, the Osprey cannot lock to the incoming source

When capturing audio with the Osprey 540 or 560s AES/EBU digital input, there is a persistent crackling and/or popping noise in the audio (irregular static noise). The problem does not occur when capturing using any of the other digital inputs, and does not occur when using an audio cable that is less that 1 meter in length.

As part of our ongoing quality monitoring, ViewCast identified a potential problem with Osprey-560 cards shipped between May 2003 and April 2004. Users may encounter a situation in which the balanced audio level is lower than expected, or AES/EBU audio may not be properly detected, especially with long cable runs.

This problem has been resolved for Osprey-560 cards shipped on or after April 26, 2004. Here is how the problem is exhibited:

1. Balanced audio is received at about half the volume it should be or not at all.
2. AES/EBU input sensitivity is low. Long AES/EBU cable runs connected to the O-560 may not work.

If you feel that it is possible that you may have one of these cards, feel free to contact your Viewcast Osprey dealer or your Viewcast support represenative with the specific board serial number. Given the serial number of the specific Osprey card, Viewcast should be able to tell you whether a particular card is affected. Keep in mind that it is the shipment date from ViewCast, not to the end user, that will determine whether a card will exhibit the problem.

What happened to the SimulStream Application AKA "Osprey Capture and Encoding Manager" (OCEM)?

The Osprey Capture and Encoding Manager (OCEM) was discontinued and is no longer supported. A new application, known as SCX, has been developed, and replaces the older OCEM application.

Information about SCX can be found here

I have a PC with a SuperMicro P4SCT+II motherboard, and Windows Shutdown does not work whenever there is an Osprey card installed. I have to power the PC off manually

As of June 2005, this problem is fixed in the latest BIOS update for this motherboard, version 1.2. You can obtain the latest BIOS revision from the SuperMicro web site

I am using a PC with a Tyan Thunder K8S Pro motherboard, and the PC reboots itself intermittently

As of June 2005, Tyan has posted a BIOS update that corrects this problem - The update is available from the Tyan Support Web Site

How can I create custom software applications with Osprey cards?

Custom application development with the Osprey cards is done using the Microsoft DirectShow SDK. DirectShow is a sub-set of DirectX, and is primarily designed for the C/C++ programming language. There is also support for the Visual BASIC programming language, but this provides access to only a small sub-set of the DirectShow functionality. Specific details and specs about DirectShow can be obtained from the Microsoft DirectX web site, the Microsoft Developer Network site and from the DirectX/DirectShow documentation.

The Osprey AVStream SDK supplements the DirectShow SDK with developer documentation about Osprey-specific interfaces and functionality, and also provides several sample applications with source code in C++. The Osprey AVStream SDK is available for download from the Viewcast web site download page

I cannot shutdown my PC when an Osprey card is installed

Try the following steps to troubleshoot the problem:

- The problem may be related to system sounds and audio devices. The system may be invting the Osprey card to play the system shutdown sound. Since the Osprey card doesn't do audio PLAYBACK (only capture), the system could possibly hang before it ever shuts down. To resolve this, boot into Windows, and go to Control Panel->Sounds and Audio Devices. Change to the "Sounds" tab, and select NO SOUNDS for the Sound Scheme. Then, change to the "Audio" tab. Make sure that the preferred playback device is set to the system's sound card (if any) and check the "Use Only Preferred Devices" check box.

- If Intel's Active Monitor software is installed on the system, there have been instances where this software has conflicted with the Osprey card to not allow your system to properly shut off. If this software is installed, please try removing it to see if this resolves the issue.

- Boot the computer and go into the system BIOS setup. There may be an item in the setup called "load BIOS defaults" or similar. If you can find this, select it, then save & exit the BIOS and let the system boot up again. Check again to see if the problem still occurs.

- Check the PC or motherboard vendor/s web site for BIOS updates, and install if applicable.

- Make sure you have all of the latest Windows Service Pack updates installed.

- Try the card in a different brand or model PC or motherboard, to see if the problem follows the Osprey card, or the particular PC or motherboard.

- If NONE of the above helps to resolve the problem, please feel free to contact Viewcast Technical Support

My PC will not boot with the Osprey card installed in any PCI-X slot, but works OK in a PCI 2.1 slot.

There is a known issue when using the Tyan S2882 and S2882-D motherboards. When the Osprey card is installed in any of the PCI-X slots, Windows gives a "blue screen of death" during Windows start up for a split second, and the PC immediately reboots.

To correct this problem, perform the following steps:

1 - Download and install the latest flash BIOS from tyan.

2 - Go into the system BIOS, load optimal defaults, then change the "PCI Bus Scan order" in the PCIPnP section to "ASCENDING", then save and exit the BIOS.

3 - Re-install the operating system.

I am trying to capture from my Osprey card using Premiere Pro, but I cannot select the device. Why?

For Adobe Premiere Pro (versions 7x) a special Premiere plug-in is requred. This is available from the Viewcast free software download page.

In addition, this also requires Osprey WDM based drivers for Windows XP or Windows 2003. This type of driver is NOT available for Windows 2000.

The Premiere plug-in supports Osprey models 100, 2x0, 300, 440, and 540/560. The plug-in DOES NOT support the Osprey 500 models today.

I cannot change the Osprey audio pin line in Windows Media Encoder. When I change the pin line selection the input does not change, and the selection I make doesn/t get saved

The audio input selector box does work correctly, but the way the dialog works is slightly non-intuitive.

First, select the desired audio input in the Pin Line field. Next, you must select the "Enable" checkbox to activate it. If you do not select the "Enable" check box then the selection does not take effect.

If you close then re-open this dialog, "Unbalanced" is seen in the Pin Line field by default, not the real active selection. The Enable field will get a check when you change the "Pin Line" selection field to the previously selected (currently active) input.

I am using the Windows Mixer Panel and I cannot select the Osprey audio input. Clicking on the input does not change the selection. Why?

You may have an application (such as Windows Media Encoder, Real Producer, etc.) running that has effectively locked out changes to the input selections. Simply close the application(s) that have the Osprey card selected, make input selections via the Windows Mixer Panel, then re-start the application(s).

When capturing video using the Osprey/s SDI input, there is a black line down the left (and sometimes right) edge of the video - this line does not appear when using composite or s-video, or when using Osprey 100, 2x0, 300, or 440 model cards. Why?

The issue lies in the video sampling methods used by the digital class Osprey cards (models 5x0). When 720 horizontal pixels (e.g. 720x480 or CCIR-601 mode) is selected, all Osprey cards use the same sampling method. But when 640x480 (square pixel mode) is selected, the implementation is different. On all multimedia series cards (models 100 through 440) selecting 640x480 changes the pixel sample rate, and in addition to some other technical details, performs a little bit of cropping of the source material which in most cases is enough to eliminate the black regions.

On the digital class Osprey cards, all inputs are first normalized to 720x480 (CCIR-601) format. This is the native resolution of all SDI (SD) signals. When 720x480 is selected, the result is the same as for the Multimedia series. But when 640x480 is selected, the Osprey takes all 720 pixels per line and scales them to the desired horizontal resolution. This means that regardless of the resolution selected, the black regions will be seen.

The solution to this issue is to use the Osprey's cropping function to eliminate the black regions. This is easy for low resolution capture. But when the desired output is 640x480 (square pixel mode), there is an extra step required that may not be obvious.

To solve this problem, perform the following steps (for this example we arbitrarily use a black region that is 12 pixels wide on the left and 4 pixels wide on the right - you may need to adjust the values in this example for your specific instance of this issue):

On the Osprey driver property pages �

Set Horizontal Format to CCIR-601 (Ref Size tab)
Set Cropped Size to 704 x 480 (Size & Crop tab)
Set Left Top to 12, 0 (Size & Crop tab)
Un-check Auto Size, and set Output Size to 640 x 480 (Size & Crop tab)

This will result in the card capturing from pixel 12 to pixel 716 on each line (704 pixels), then scaling that source range to 640 pixels per line.

Most video applications, including Windows Media Encoder, specify the resolution they expect the driver to supply, so these crop settings, although set for 640 x 480 as the output size, will also apply to 320 x 240 and any other capture sizes up to the cropped size of 704 x 480 (the driver will not scale up). The output size setting on the property page will apply for applications that do not set the capture resolution.

Does the Osprey support capturing at 16:9 (Widescreen or Letterbox) aspect ratio?

This depends on the resolution that is being captured. 16:9 aspect ratio is defined in several different resolution standards. The Osprey can only capture SDTV (standard definition television), not HDTV (high definition television) today. The maximum capture resolution is 720x480.

You can connect a 16:9 aspect ratio standard def signal to an Osprey card and it will capture what it receives within the maximum resolution of 720x480. What you will get is a standard 4:3 aspect with black bars at top and bottom where there is no video signal coming from the source. You can then use the cropping tool to crop off the black to return to the 16:9 aspect ratio.

However your encoding software must also support 16:9 aspect ratio so it doesn`t just re-add black back to the top and bottom to take it back to 4:3. Some applications have the ability to set custom capture resolutions and sizes. Windows Media Encoder (for example) has a preset for 16:9 aspect ratio.

Do you have drivers for the 64 bit version of Windows/My card will not work in 64-bit Windows

Viewcast will not issue drivers for Windows x64. Instead, Viewcast plans to offer drivers for Windows Vista.

Currently there are no Windows Vista drivers available for any Osprey card. When Vista drivers are available, we will make an announcement through our Osprey news letter, and the new product will also be made available on our driver downloads page.

My video preview goes black during capture, but the encoded stream is fine. When capture is stopped, the preview comes back. Why?

This is normal behavior by design in accordance with Microsoft`s recommendations, and not really a problem or bug with the card or the driver.

The driver is somewhat restricted in the combinations of capture and preview video that it can produce at the same time. If the capture pin alone is used or the preview pin alone is used, the driver can produce video in any size and rate. If both the capture and preview pins are used, the limitations to video size and rate are as follows: The capture stream is preemptive over the preview stream, in accordance with Microsoft recommendations for video capture drivers. That is, if (1) there are both a preview and a capture pin; (2) the capture pin frame rate is 29.97 frames per second (25.0 PAL/SECAM); and (3) the source video of either or both pins is interlaced, using both video fields, then there will be NO preview video � the preview window will be blank. If the above conditions hold except that if the capture pin frame rate is less than 29.97, then the preview rate will be 29.97 minus the capture rate. In other words, the preview pin will obtain a video frame only in time slots when the capture pin does not require one.

I am unable to install the latest Opsrey drivers, when running setup.exe the installation program give an error message "Error 1723 - There is a problem with Windows Installer Package".

This message occurs because the Windows Installer runtime package on the system is out of date. Use Windows Update to update the Windows Installer runtime components, and this will cure the error message.

When using any encoding application, the Osprey audio device cannot be selected, even though the device itself shows as installed and working correctly in the Windows Device Manager

If you are using Windows Remote Desktop, you must change the connection options (prior to connecting) - under the "local resources" tab, be sure to select "leave at remote computer".

If you`re using Windows Server 2003, make sure that audio services are enabled. To do this, go to Start->Control Panel->Sounds and Audio Devices. If audio services are DISABLED (the default), then this window will contain only a single check box that says "enable". Check this box, and press "OK", and you will be prompted to reboot. If the service is already enabled you will see the usual tabbed Sound and Audio Devices window.

Do you have drivers for Windows Vista/My card will not work in Windows Vista

Currently there are no Windows Vista drivers available for any Osprey card. When Vista drivers are available, we will make an announcement through our Osprey news letter, and the new product will also be made available on our driver downloads page.

When using an Osprey 440 card, an intermittent blue-screen error occurs and the message "contact hardware vendor" is displayed with no other information.

If your streaming PC has experienced a Windows NMI-generated blue screen and has all of the following conditions:

* The host PC is a Dell PE1950 or 2950 server-class system or an HP model of similar architecture

* Multiple (two or more) Osprey 440 cards in the same system

* High CPU utilization, i.e. capture on all eight ports pushing CPU utilization up to 85% or greater

* Osprey-440 cards are placed in PCI-X card slot in this type of PC

Please have contact ViewCast Customer Support for instructions and assistance to overcome this issue.