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Creative 900 manual

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Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    User’ s Guide[...]

  • Page 2

    User’s Guide Creative PC -CAM 900 Information in this document is subject to change with out notice and does not represent a commitme n t o n t h e p a r t o f C r e a t i v e Te chnology Ltd. No part of this manual ma y be reproduced or tr ansmitted in any form or by any means, elec tronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for[...]

  • Page 3

    Contents[...]

  • Page 4

    i Contents 1 Introduction Before You Begin ........................................................ ...................................................... ........................ 1-1 Package Contents ...................................................... ........................................................ ............. 1-1 README file .......[...]

  • Page 5

    ii Deleting a Photo or Recording ................................ ............................................................... .......... 3-4 Protecting a photo or recording ............................... ............................................................... .......... 3-4 Configuring Your Camera ......................................[...]

  • Page 6

    iii ArcSoft PhotoImpression ............................................. .......................................................... ............... 6-1 ArcSoft VideoImpression .............................................. ......................................................... ................ 6-1 ArcSoft Panorama Maker ........................[...]

  • Page 7

    iv Software compatibility .......................................... .............................................................. A-3 B Troubleshooting Problem Installing Software ................................................................................................... ................ B-1 Problems Using Creative PC-CAM 900 ............[...]

  • Page 8

    Introduction[...]

  • Page 9

    Introduction 1-1 Intr oduction Creative PC -CAM 900 is a digital video came ra that gives y ou 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-fa ce with others on the Internet! Creative PC -CAM 900 comes with the following software: ❑ Creative PC -CAM C[...]

  • Page 10

    Introduction 1-2 README file The README file on the CD-ROM contains information not av ailable at the time of printing. Re ad the file before you begin installing Creative PC -CAM 900. Minimum System Requirements ❑ 233 MHz Intel ® Pen t i u m ® II or higher IBM ® compatible PC ❑ 64 MB RAM ❑ 600 MB free hard disk space on a hard disk drive [...]

  • Page 11

    Introduction 1-3 Document Con ventions 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. Use this information to avoid risky situations. W arning! This warns you of possible hazards to yourself or y ou[...]

  • Page 12

    Introduction 1-4 Handling Y our Camera ❍ Do not subject to excessive force or impact. ❍ Do not incinerate or expose to excessive heat. ❍ Ke e p a wa y f r om strong magnetic fields. ❍ K e ep away fro m excessive moisture. ❍ Do not store or use in areas exceeding 45° C or 113° F .[...]

  • Page 13

    About Your Camera[...]

  • Page 14

    About Your Camera 2-1 About Y our Camera About Cr eative PC-CAM 900 Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 highlight the features of Creative PC -CAM 900. Figure 2-1: Creative PC-CAM 900 front and side views Snap button Mode Selector dial Flash Normal / Macro focus switch Camera lens Microphone Self- Timer LED Front View Side View USB connector TV out connector[...]

  • Page 15

    About Your Camera 2-2 Figure 2-2: Creative PC-CAM 900 bottom and back views Bottom View Camera-stand socket Battery compartment TV out and USB connector protector Optical viewfinder LED indicator Pow er button Multi- Selector button Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Display button Set/Flash/ Thumbnail button Menu button Integrated speaker Back View Mode[...]

  • Page 16

    About Your Camera 2-3 About the Mode Selector dial With your camer a’s Mode Selector dial, you can access many features of your Creative PC -CAM 900: •W e b C a m m o d e — transfer photos and audio/video recordings with PC -CAM Center , or use your camera as a webcam. •A u d i o m o d e — create audio recordings with the integrated micro[...]

  • Page 17

    About Your Camera 2-4 Using the Multi-Selector button The Multi-selector button is one of the mo st important features of your camer a. Use the directional keys to locate options on y our Onscreen Display (OSD) menu, and press the Set/Flash/Thumbnail button to select an option. For more details on using the Multi-Selector button with your Onscreen [...]

  • Page 18

    About Your Camera 2-5 Left ❍ In all modes except Playback, Menu: mov e to Exposure, White Balance, Settings or Format options ❍ Auto or Manual Photo modes: enable or disable Self- Timer Right ❍ In all modes except Playback, Menu: mov e to Exposure, White Balance, Settings or Format options ❍ Auto or Manual Photo modes: enable or disable Mul[...]

  • Page 19

    About Your Camera 2-6 Inser ting an SD Memor y Card (optional) Y ou can purchase a Secure Digital (SD) me mory card to extend the image stor age capacity of your camer a. T o install your SD card: 1. Be sure that your camera is turned off. 2. Push and slide open the battery compartment door . 3. Insert the SD card as shown. T o remove the card, pus[...]

  • Page 20

    About Your Camera 2-7 T urning on Y our Camera 1. Push and slide open the battery compartment door . 2. Insert the batteries according to the battery polarity (+ and -) symbols indicated (see Figure 2-6). 3. Close the battery compartment door . 4. Press and hold down the Power button to turn on your camer a. The LED turns red and the LCD monitor is[...]

  • Page 21

    About Your Camera 2-8 Usag e Pr ecautions Before switching modes, disconnecting your camer a from your computer or turning your camer a off, note the color of the LED indicator . W ait until the LED indicator turns green before attempting any other action with the camer a. Disconnecting y our camera pr operly Before disconnecting your camera from y[...]

  • Page 22

    About Your Camera 2-9 Windows 98 SE 1. W ait at least 10 seconds after all file transfers are completed, or until the LED indicator turns green. 2. In Windows Explorer , right-click the Removable Disk icon and click Eject . 3. Unplug your camera after 10 seconds. Figure 2-10: Disconnecting your camera in Windows 98 SE[...]

  • Page 23

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera[...]

  • Page 24

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera 3-1 Using Cr eativ e PC-C AM 900 as a Digital Camera T o use Creative PC-CAM 900 as a portable di gital camer a, simply disconnect it from the computer . Use your camera’s defa ult settings in Auto Photo mode to tak e photos. For finer control, adjust exposu re and white balance settings in Manual Pho[...]

  • Page 25

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera 3-2 Pre vie wing a Photo 1. T urn the Mode Selector dial to Playback mode to view your picture on the LCD. 2. Press the Left and Right keys on your Multi Selector button and locate your photo on the LCD. If you hav e a large number of photos or videos, press the Set/Flash/Thumbnail button to display a S[...]

  • Page 26

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera 3-3 Recording Audio or Video 1. Be sure that your camera is not connected to y our computer . 2. T urn the Mode Selector dial to Audio or Video mode . 3. For videos, compose y our picture and press the Snap button to begin recording. For audio recordings, place the camer a cl ose to the audio source and[...]

  • Page 27

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera 3-4 Deleting a Photo or Recording 1. Be sure that your camera is not connected to y our computer . 2. T urn the Mode Selector dial to Playback mode . 3. Locate the photo or reco rding you want to delete. 4. Press the Menu button. 5. Use the Down key on your Multi Selector button to highlight the icon an[...]

  • Page 28

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera 3-5 Configuring Y our Camera Y ou can change Exposure and White Balance settings only in Manual Photo mode. Exposure Compensation Settings Adjust exposure compensation settings so that the subject is lit correctly against a bright background. Over exposure can lead to photos that are too bright, or whit[...]

  • Page 29

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera 3-6 General Camera Settings Y ou can configure how y our camera provides audio feedback, image quality and size, plus other useful settings. Y o u can access these settings in Audio , Video , Auto Photo or Manual Photo mode. 1. Be sure that your camera is not connected to y our computer . 2. T urn the M[...]

  • Page 30

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera 3-7 Media Set your camera’s internal stor age or an SD memory card to be the default storage media for photos or recordings. ❍ Up or Down keys Pow e r S a vi n g Set the default idle time before your camera automatically turns off the LCD. Choose a time interv al or disable power saving. For all set[...]

  • Page 31

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Digital Camera 3-8 F ormat With the F ormat function, you can quickly erase all photos and recordings from the camera’s internal memory or SD memory ca rd. Be sure to choose the default media before using this function. See "Media" on page 3-7 for more inf ormation on choosing a default media. 1. Press the[...]

  • Page 32

    Installing Creative PC-CAM 900[...]

  • Page 33

    Installing Creative PC-CAM 900 4-1 Installing Cr eativ e PC-C AM 900 This chapter tells you how to quickly in stall Creative PC -CAM 900 and the software that comes with it. Installing Cr eative PC- CAM 900 Use the installation procedures for your oper ating system. In Windo ws XP / 2000 / Me / 98 SE / 98 1. Do not connect Creative PC -CAM 900 to y[...]

  • Page 34

    Installing Creative PC-CAM 900 4-2 5. If a Software Installation dialog box appears (Figure 4-1), click the Continue Anyway button. For more details on this warning message, see "Problems in Windows XP" on page B-3. 6. T urn your camera ’s Mode Selector dial to Manual Photo mode. 7. With a USB cable, connect Creative PC -CAM 900 to an a[...]

  • Page 35

    Installing Creative PC-CAM 900 4-3 9. After Windows finishes loading USB Ma ss Storage Device driv ers for your camera, close an y Removable Disk , Scanner and Camera , Photo Printing or folder view dialog boxes that appear . If a slide show appears, press the Esc ke y on your k eyboard to close the slide show . 10. When a message bo x appears, dis[...]

  • Page 36

    Installing Creative PC-CAM 900 4-4 10. If an Unsafe Removal of Device dialog box appears, click the OK button. 11. When Digital Signature Not Found dialog boxes (Figure 4-3) appear , telling you that Creative PC -CAM 900 has been detected, click the Yes button. 12. Click the Finish button and restart your computer if you are prompted to do so. For [...]

  • Page 37

    Installing Creative PC-CAM 900 4-5 12. Click the Finish button and restart y our computer if you are prompted to do so. Ve r i f y i n g t h e installation in Windows XP and 2000 1. Be sure that your camera’s Mode Selector dial is turned to W eb Cam mode. 2. Right-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop . 3. On the menu that appears, click [...]

  • Page 38

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Web Camera[...]

  • Page 39

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Web Camera 5-1 Using Cr eativ e PC-C AM 900 as a W eb Camera This chapter tells you how to quickly set up Creative PC -CAM 900 as a W eb Camera using the PC -CAM Center software. For detailed information about the application’s features and settings, refer to its Help fi le. (See “Starting PC-CAM Center Help” on[...]

  • Page 40

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Web Camera 5-2 Capturing Imag es and Video With PC-CAM Center , you can take photos and record videos. For more instructions on how to tak e a ph oto or record a video, refer to the PC -CAM Center Help file. T o launch PC-CAM Center Help, see"Starting PC-CAM Center Help" on page 5-5. T aking a Photo T o take[...]

  • Page 41

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Web Camera 5-3 5. T o stop the recording, click the button again. The button stops blinking. By default, the video is saved automatically and added to the destination album. T o preview a video: 1. Click the Save automatically check box to clear it, if you w ant to preview each video before deciding whether to sav e i[...]

  • Page 42

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Web Camera 5-4 Viewing a Video 1. Click the My Album button . PC -CAM Center is now in My Album mode. 2. In the My Album box, click the My Video folder and then click the album that contains the video that you want to view . Thumbnails of videos in the album are displayed in the Thumbnails window . 3. Double-click the[...]

  • Page 43

    Using Creative PC-CAM 900 as a Web Camera 5-5 Reactivating the Camera If your computer goes into standby mode , your camer a will go into suspend mode. Y ou can reactiv ate the camera and comput er by moving the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard. Star ting PC-CAM Center Help This Help file contains instructions on how to use PC -CAM Center to[...]

  • Page 44

    Creative PC-CAM 900 Applications[...]

  • Page 45

    Creative PC-CAM 900 Applications 6-1 Cr eativ e PC-C AM 900 Applications PC-CAM Center This powerful application lets you take pi ctures or record videos and store them in albums. Y ou can also export pictures or vi deos to other progr ams, or send them as attachments in your e-mail message. There are various settings for you to adjust, allowing yo[...]

  • Page 46

    Creative PC-CAM 900 Applications 6-2 Ar cSoft Multimedia Email ArcSoft Multimedia Email is a unique p rogram that enables home and business Windows users to create and send digita l postcards featuring their own photos, audio messages, text, music and digital video clips.[...]

  • Page 47

    Appendixes[...]

  • Page 48

    Technical Specifications[...]

  • Page 49

    Technical Specifications A-1 T echnical Specifications Dimensions 97 mm (W) x 63 mm (H) x 28 mm (D) We i g h t Approx. 110g (without batteries) Powe r AAA siz e x 4 batteries (alkaline or NiMH) or USB (connected to PC) Sensor Pr og r es s iv e S c an 2 .1 M eg ap i xe ls CM O S LCD Displa y 1.5" Color LCD Video Resolution ❑ W ebCam Mode: Up [...]

  • Page 50

    Technical Specifications A-2 Foc u s r an g e ❑ Normal (100 cm to inifinity) ❑ Macro (20 cm) Foc a l le n g th f = 8.47 mm Aper tur e F/2.8 Self-timer Adjustable 2 to 10 second delay Video formats ❑ RGB24 ❑ I420 File formats ❑ JPEG (DPOF compliant) ❑ AV I Exposur e control ❑ Automatic ❑ Manual (-2EV to +2EV in 1/3 steps) White balan[...]

  • Page 51

    Technical Specifications A-3 Software compatibility TWAIN, Video for Windows, WDM Mini Driv er for DirectShow and STI (Still Image) driver that runs in Windows 98, Wind ows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows Me and Windows XP Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) driver r uns in Windows XP and Windows Me only .[...]

  • Page 52

    Troubleshooting[...]

  • Page 53

    Troubleshooting B-1 T r oubleshooting If you have a technical problem with this product, you may wish to consult our self- help tool “Knowledgebase” for online troubleshooting and solutions. Go to www.creative.com and select your region. Pr oblem Installing Softwar e The setup program for Creative PC-CAM 900 does not run automatically after you[...]

  • Page 54

    Troubleshooting B-2 The image is too bright. The amount of light entering the camera has exceeded the exposure control limit. There may be a very bright ob ject in the camer a’s view . Av oid pointing the camera at very bright objects (for example, sunlight, lights, or highly reflective surfaces). Insufficient system resources reserved for the US[...]

  • Page 55

    Troubleshooting B-3 Pr oblems in Windo ws 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 encour aged companies to submit their hardware solutions for certificat ion. If a hardware device driv er is not submitted, [...]

  • Page 56

    Note on USB Compatibility[...]

  • Page 57

    Note on USB Compatibility C-1 Note on USB Compatibility While testing Creative PC -CAM 900 on PC motherboards with integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, we encountered a small number of motherboards that do not meet the USB specification exactl y . These and other non-USB-compliant motherboards may not operate correctly with Creativ e PC-CAM[...]