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Media Recorder 2.5 Reference Manual

1. 48 5 3 Using the Media Recorder in command line mode 50 5 4 Delay edet ioi ded d ptc E A 51 5 5 Loading a configuration file eee 52 5 6 Control Media Recorder at a predefined time 53 what next 56 6 UsiNG THE MEDIA RECORDER WITH NOLDUS SOFTWARE 57 6 1 The Observer XT sesssszeccscasenicensosodoseadendtedacsnwondessaacetlenteenvoessSesdoasesd 58 Loading the configuration file with The Observer XT 62 S As EAD LR 65 Track from video files 66 Settings 66 External commands 70 Using the created video files 72 6 3 FaceReader 71 5 erret eI SE ETSE EES EEI E OENES 73 7 SPECIFICATIONS 75 73 S pecificatiors o oreet E EE neh 76 Disk space to store media files 78 Video card 78 USB input 78 A TRousuEsHooriNG 81 A 1 Troubleshooting eee eren tn nen tn nennen san 82 A Help Menu onere rent renta teta g eau et einn veniae ag uan 84 A 3 Technical Support eese E tn sata 85 B License AGREEMENT 87 INDEX 91 Chapter 1 Introduction 11 The Media Recorder eeeeeee serere eene eee eenene 8 12 What s new in Media Recorder 2 5 9 Chapter1 Introduction 1 1 The Media Recorder Thank you for purchasing the Media Recorder The Media Recorder is a software package that enables you to make digital v
2. Media Recorder Reference Manual Version 2 5 Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Noldus Information Technology bv The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement Copyright 2013 Noldus Information Technology bv All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced transmitted transcribed stored in a retrieval system or translated into any other language in whole or in part in any form or by any means without the written permission of Noldus Information Technology bv The Media Recorder is a product of Noldus Information Technology bv Other product names are trademarks of their respective companies The Media Recorder software is copyright 2011 Noldus Information Technology bv Documentation Olga Krips Andrew Spink Material used for cover picture by Karen Kloth and Manus Thoen Wageningen UR The Netherlands April 2013 Noldus Information Technology bv International headquarters Wageningen The Netherlands Phone 31 317 473300 Fax 31 317 424496 E mail info noldus nl For addresses of our other offices and support please see our web site www noldus com Table of contents 1 INTRODUCTION 7 11 The Media Recorder esses eee ee esee eee eese en seta assente seta aeta
3. 38 52 62 USB 3 0 78 timer 42 Setup prerequisites 18 V Show and hide columns 35 VIA processors 22 Video card 78 Video device 39 Specifications 75 SpeedStep 22 Stand alone application 14 47 command line mode 50 normal mode 48 Standard Definition SD files 13 Video format 12 H 264 12 45 MPEG 4 45 Video settings 33 38 Support 85 System requirements 9 75 W windows 7 76 windows 8 76 Windows touch features 76 T Windows 7 76 Task Scheduler 53 Windows 435blE 6 Technical specifications 75 Windows 76g bit 9 Windows 7 Service Pack1 9 The Observer XT automatic linking of video files 61 Windows 8 64 bit 9 command line mode 59 Windows media player 15 external application 14 external commands 58 70 offline scoring 14 48 56 Workstation 22 77 78 offset 83 X settings for offline scoring 58 synchronization 83 X 264 12 video support add on 77 Timer settings 42 Touch features 76 Troubleshooting 81 U Unicode font 76 Upgrade 84 USB 78 USB 2 0 78 Index
4. Select the checkbox next to New Observation Inthe same row click the ellipsis button and browse to the file C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 32 bit or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 64 bit In the same row leave the space under Command line options empty You can also type the command E in this field This results in The Observer XT starting the Media Recorder when creating a new observation Select the checkbox next to Start observation Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 59 8 Inthe same row click the ellipsis button and browse to the file C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 32 bit or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 64 bit g Inthe same row under Command line options type the command R This way recording starts when you start an observation in The Observer XT 10 Select the checkbox next to Stop observation 11 In the same row click the ellipsis button and browse to the file C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 32 bit or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 64 bit 12 In the same row under Command line options type the command S This way recording stops when you stop an observation in The Observer XT Leave the fields in front of ms before at the default value o The videos are automatically synchronized with the events in Th
5. Action Start a program Settings Program script C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe Browse Add arguments optional E C configuration_wel Start in optional aa 13 Click OK Optionally select or change any settings on the tabs Conditions and Settings 14 Click OK Your command is now scheduled 15 Similarly you can create tasks to start and stop recording at a predefined time with the commands R and S and to close the Media Recorder with the command X Opening the Media Recorder program requires time t which may be several seconds When a command Start recording is sent before the Media Recorder program is open the recording does not start So make sure you allow enough time for the Media Recorder program to open Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone 55 56 16 By default the tasks are stored in the folder Task Scheduler Library To edit or delete a task click this folder in the tree on the left side and select the task in the window Task Scheduler Library In the Actions pane click Properties or Delete WHAT NEXT e You can open one or more video files created with the Media Recorder in The Observer XT for offline scoring see chapter 4 in The Observer XT Reference Manual e You can open a video created with the Media Recorder in EthoVision XT for tracking from video file see chapter 9 in the EthoVision XT Reference Manual e You can open
6. Output mode Picture in Picture gt Time format HH mm ss v PiP Position Top left Decimals 0 PiP Size 20 X Example 16 43 52 PiP Margin 5 v Use maximum recording time 01 00 00 ok cm Abby 2 For more advanced settings click on the video symbol next to the name of your video device The Advanced Settings window of your video device opens The options available depend on your video device for some cameras you can zoom and adjust settings for brightness and contrast in this window It may be that the settings chosen in the Advanced Settings window are not shown in the Media Recorder Settings window However when you click OK in the Media Recorder Settings window the correct settings are shown in the Media Recorder main window Under Audio device either select the microphone of your computer a separate microphone or choose the audio channels from your cameras You can also choose to record audio from only one camera To do so select this checkbox Use audio device 1 for all videos Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder By selecting this checkbox the input of the selected audio device is used in all videos You can also choose not to record audio at all To do so keep the default No audio selected Audio of H 264 files When you have the encoder H 264 card you need microphones for the audio signal It is not possible to use the audio of the computer You should not directly connect m
7. Media Recorder 2 icon on the desktop On computers with Windows 8 double click the Media Recorder icon on the desktop or click the Media Recorder 2 tile in the Start window The main window of the Media Recorder opens You see a black screen with a warning triangle Error detected with Video 1 Furthermore the table under this black screen is empty and also contains a warning triangle This is because you did not select your video cameras yet The main window of the Media Recorder contains the following features 1 Table with cameras and settings The table under the black window contains the available cameras and their settings This table is filled in once you have created settings for the cameras See 34 Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder page 4 2page 38 for more information on how to choose your cameras and create settings You can select which videos to use in this table For each selected video you can mute the audio during preview and recording by selecting the checkbox in the Mute column You may want to do this when you have more than one audio channel If you select the checkbox in the mute column you do not hear audio of the selected video during preview and recording but audio is recorded normally in the video files Mute Volume Settings Refresh You can add columns with the frame rate resolution and format to this table To do so right click one of the column headers and
8. This will install the Euresys H 264 drivers to your system It is recommended to install the hardware card into your computer before you install this driver Please note that this window opens directly on top of the Installation Wizard Click Yes when you have the Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 encoder card and No when you do not have one of these cards If you have chosen Yes the following window opens Destination Folder for Files Please select the destination folder where the package should extract the files to Please select the destination folder ICAProgram Files Euresys UxH264 e Chapter 3 Installation Accept or change the folder and click Next The following window appears Windows Security Would you like to install this device software yy Name PICOLO U4 H 264 Driver C9 Publisher Euresys s a You should only install driver software from publishers you trust How can decide which device software is safe to install Select Always trust software from Euresys s a Continue to follow the instructions on your screen Accept the terms in the Licence Agreement and install the software When finished the following window opens WE Euresys Picolo U4 U8 U16 H 264 250 134 beJ e E Operation Successful Euresys Picolo U4 U8 U16 H 264 2 5 0 134 was successfully installed Press Close to exit Click Close A question appears whether you want to restar
9. Upon termination of this agreement you must immediately destroy the Software and all copies of it LIMITED WARRANTY Noldus warrants that the media on which the Software is furnished are free of defects in workmanship and material under normal use and that the Software will perform substantially in accordance with the specifications set forth in the documentation provided with the Software for a period of ninety 90 days from the date of purchase by you During the go day warranty period if the Software does not perform as warranted Noldus at its sole option will a provide without charge a replacement of the media b provide without charge corrected Software c replace without charge Software with a functionally similar program or d refund the fees paid for licensing the Software These are your sole and exclusive remedies for any breach of warranty Do not return any product until you have called Noldus or its supplier and obtained a return authorization number Appendix B License Agreement DISCLAIMER Software is licensed as is without warranty as to its performance Except for the limited warranty provided above there are no warranties expressed or implied including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose and all such warranties are expressly disclaimed In no event shall Noldus or its suppliers be responsible for any indirect or consequential damage or
10. When you select the cable labelled with number 1 this is shown as Euresys Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 No o VID 1in the Media Recorder Chapter 3 Installation 25 26 5 Connect the power cable and turn the computer on Two balloons may appear in the right bottom corner of your screen immediately after the computer is restarted m Installing device driver software X Click here for status and later i Device driver software was not successfully installed gt Click here for details If so wait until both these messages have disappeared before you proceed with the next step If not proceed with the next step If you use the H 264 encoder card you need H 264 decoding software to be able to play the videos This decoding software is present on your installation CD and is installed during installation of the Media Recorder see page page 28 for details You can now go ahead and install the setup prerequisites and the Media Recorder Chapter 3 Installation 3 5 Installing the setup prerequisites To start the installation of the Media Recorder 1 Insert the Media Recorder installation CD The Media Recorder setup browser opens If this is not the case browse to the CD and run the program Setupbrowser exe Under Install Software select Media Recorder 2 5 2 Click Install in the window that opens Media Recorder 2 5 InstallShield Wizard WE Media Recorder 2 5 requires the following
11. XT you can load the configuration file with the external program functionality To do so you select MRCmd exe as external program For example you want to start the Media Recorder and load a configuration for a webcam when you create a new observation 1 Create a configuration file for your cameras in the folder C Users Public Public Documents Noldus Media Recorder Click the Add External Program button In the Add External Program window that opens under Name type in a name for the command only for viewing purposes For example Media Recorder with webcam Select the checkbox next to New Observation Click the button next to the Program column and browse to the file C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 32 bit or Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 64 bit 5 Under Command line options type the command E C Configuration_webcam mrs If the configuration file is not located in the folder C users public public documents noldus Media Recorder you must type the full path If the file name or the path contains spaces you must type it in between quotation marks See also page 52 You can then enter the commands to start recording when you start an observation and stop recording when you stop an observation 6 Select the checkbox next to Start Observation 7 Click the button next to the Program column and browse to th
12. a video file created with the Media Recorder in FaceReader for video analysis see Chapter 3 in the FaceReader Reference Manual Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 6 1 The Observer XT ssccssssssscccssssecesssssssccesssscescessesees 58 6 2 EthoVision XT eese sees eee eee e eee nente netos nt tnonen 65 6 3 FaceReaderF 5 5 rine Heer trien eet reino 73 Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 57 58 6 1 The Observer XT We strongly recommend to run a test recording of about 2 E minutes and play it back in The Observer before you start the actual recording see page 28 how to run the Media Recorder in normal mode Offline scoring The MPEG 4 and H 264 files created by the Media Recorder can be used for offline scoring in The Observer XT 10 0 or higher No special settings are needed to use files from the Media Recorder in The Observer XT External commands You can use the program MRCmd exe to control the Media Recorder from within The Observer XT To do so you select MRCmd exe as external program and specify which command you want to use On computers with 32 bit version of Windows 7 or 8 this file is present in the folder C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 On computer with a 64 version of Windows 7 or 8 the file is present in the folder C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2
13. go to the Media Recorder home page check for updates contact the help desk or consult the Media Recorder knowledge base If you encounter a problem with the Media Recorder you can inform Noldus IT with the Report an Issue option On the Noldus web site you can also Download technical notes Visit www noldus com and browse to the Support Downloads section Getinformation about known problems and their solution This information is also available on the Support Downloads section Upgrade If you have purchased an upgrade of The Media Recorder choose this option to type the new Upgrade Key number that you have received from Noldus About Media Recorder Choose this option to see details of exactly which version of The Media Recorder you are using You can click User Info to see the registered user and license number of your software Appendix A Troubleshooting A 3 Technical Support For questions about this or any other Noldus product please check the Technical Support knowledgebase or contact the Support department www noldus com support You can also contact the Support Department by opening the Help menu in the Media Recorder select Noldus Online and subsequently Contact Help Desk The help desk may ask for the file MediaRecorder log You can find this file in the folder C Users Public Public Documents Noldus Media Recorder Appendix A Troubleshooting 85 Appendix B L
14. is sent before the Media Recorder program is open the recording does not start So make sure you allow enough time for the Media Recorder program to open If you want to switch configurations between observation in The Media Recorder make sure the Media Recorder is not recording when you load a new configuration Make separate device settings for each configuration for example to switch between an IP camera and a webcam Select the new configuration in the Devices window in The Observer XT Project Setup window Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 6 2 Devices a Device Status Run at New Observation V Control webcam Run at Start Observation Run at Stop Observation Run at New Observation Control IP camera Run at Start Observation 7 Run at Stop Observation ex Look for 1 video files in folder V Automatic linking of video files C WUsers Public Documents Noldus Media Recorder Video Files DAQ Settings Not selected Not selected Add external program Editsettings emm Delay It is recommended to start and stop recording with the Media Recorder with commands from The Observer XT If you start recording with the Media Recorder manually and import the videos in the observation you need to synchronize the observation and videos using an event that is recognizable in the videos To assess the delay make a video recording where the camera points at your keyboard When you pre
15. lost profits even if Noldus and its suppliers had been advised of the possibility of such damage MISCELLANEOUS The Software and accompanying documentation are protected by both Dutch copyright law and international copyright treaty provisions This agreement will be governed by the laws of The Netherlands OTHER SOFTWARE The Media Recorder contains MainConcept codecs Copyright 2013 MainConcept AG Aachen MediaLooks DirectShow Filters O 2013 MediaLooks These files or modules may not be reverse assembled reverse compiled or otherwise translated HASP is a trade mark of SafeNet Inc Belcamp USA www safenet com Euresys is a trade mark of Euresys SA Angleur Belgium www euresys com Appendix B License Agreement 89 Index Numerics C 32 bit Camera type 39 windows 7 10 76 Characters 64 bit Chinese 36 38 41 76 windows 7 76 windows 8 9 A About Media Recorder 84 Advanced settings 40 AMD processors 22 Analog camera 13 split signal 82 Aspect ratio analog cameras 69 digital cameras 68 Audio 40 advanced settings 41 H 264 files 41 mute 35 no sound 83 settings 41 troubleshooting 83 Audio bracket 23 Automatic linking of video files 61 BIOS 21 Cyrillic 36 38 41 76 Japanese 36 38 41 76 Chinese characters 36 38 41 76 Codec 13 15 26 27 Columns show hide 35 Command line mode 14 50 58 70 71 commands
16. mm ss v PiP Position Top Left i Decimals o z PiP Size 20 x Example 16 43 52 PiP Margin 59s x Use maximum recording time ok J canei aw jJ ym You can show and hide the columns Frame rate and Resolution by right clicking one of the column headers and selecting or deselecting one of the options This way you can also show the column Format This column is hidden by default because the default options are the most optimal ones The formats column shows the color format of the created video file See http www noldus com knowledge base search for extensive background information on color formats Lz V By default the optimal combination of frame rate and resolution and color space of your camera is selected If you increase the frame rate the maximum resolution available goes down and vice versa If you select an impossible combination of frame rate and Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder 39 40 resolution and format the Media Recorder gives a warning see below Media Recorder Settings Use Video name Video device Framerate Resolution Audio name Audio device 1 M video Microsoft LifeCam Studio amp 30 00 aoo al Audio 1 Microphone Line In Sigm jeo jevic Invalid combination of framerate resolution and color space ect vid d The device does not list this combination as supported lect video devi Output settings Timer settings
17. stand alone you can also use the command line to run it from another program You can use these commands to run the Media Recorder directly from The Observer XT see page 58 or EthoVision XT see page 65 1 a Windows 7 From the Start menu enter CMD in the Start Search field and click Enter b Windows 8 Type Run in the Start screen with tiles and click the tile Run Enter CMD in the window that opens 3 Type CD C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 32 bit or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 64 bit 4 Type the command The following commands are available MRCmd exe no parameter after the executable or MRCmd exe E Starts the Media Recorder program MRCmd exe R Starts recording MRCmd exe S Stops recording MRCmd exe X Closes the Media Recorder program MRCmd exe C Loads a configuration file Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone There is a space between the file name and the slash The commands are the same as for the Noldus MPEG Recorder 5 4 Delay Opening the Media Recorder program requires time When a command Start recording is sent before the Media Recorder program is open the recording does not start So make sure the Media Recorder program is open when you want to start recording If you send commands with The Observer XT or EthoVision XT to the Media Recorder make sure to allow enough time between sending the command Start Media Rec
18. track from video files in EthoVision XT 8 or higher SETTINGS e Inthe EthoVision XT overview window open the Experiment Settings EthoVision XT Setup Acquisition Experiment Settings o ure Manual Scoring Settings dup Arena Settings yg Trial Control Settings t Detection Settings B Trial List Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software In the Experiment Settings window choose From Video File as your Video Source You find more information on how to make Experiment Settings in chapter 5 of the EthoVision XT Reference Manual Video Source From video file It is important that you define the correct aspect ratio for your video files in EthoVision XT To do so open the Arena Settings To open the Arena settings open the Setup menu and select Arena Settings or click the desired Arena Settings in the Experiment Explorer Experiment Explorer X Gil Setup G Experiment Settings gj Manual Scoring Settings GJ Arena Settings 1 QI Arena S G Tri Control Se TA Detection Settings 1 Ej Trial List R Acquisition E Analysis Browse to your video file and grab a background image for your arena See chapter 6 of the EthoVision XT Reference Manual for information on how to do this and for more information on how to make Arena Settings Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 67 68 Click Adjust Aspect Rati
19. 50 Computer specifications 75 Configuration file 38 52 62 Connecting camera 31 Cool n Quiet 22 C States Control 22 Cyrillic characters 36 38 41 76 D Decoder 13 Default location of files 30 Default settings 38 Delay 83 Disk space 78 DivX 12 Download technical notes 84 DVI2PCle 10 Index g1 E Echo 83 Encoder 48 Encoder board dip switches 82 Error message 83 EthoVision XT aspect ratio 67 aspect ratio analog cameras 69 aspect ratio digital cameras 68 experiment settings 67 external commands 70 track from video file 14 48 56 65 66 External application 58 70 External command command line option 71 F FaceReader video analysis 14 48 56 73 File base name 49 File location 30 35 38 48 50 61 File size 45 46 77 78 H 264 36 45 49 78 MPEG 4 36 45 49 78 Format 12 Frame rate 39 G GigE camera 9 92 Index H H 264 12 decoding 26 HD files 13 SD files 13 H 264 encoder card 13 77 dip switches 82 installing 18 Help 84 Help desk 85 High Definition HD files 13 Identify 9 36 Input source 14 Installation 17 Installation disc 13 26 Installing audio bracket 23 H 264 card 23 H 264 driver 28 Media Recorder 30 Noldus MainConcept Codec Package 8 3 27 Noldus Mainconcept Encoder Package 7 5 27
20. 64 card the format of the output file is not H 264 but MPEG 4 DivX 4 4 Video length The maximum video length that is supported if you want to use the videos in The Observer XT or FaceReader is 3 hours If you want to use the videos stand alone or in EthoVision XT we recommend to create multiple short videos rather than one very long video since the file size of the videos is at least o 5 Gb Hour The maximum supported recording time is 24 hours You find the supported recording time per device in the Service Manual of the Media Recorder that you can download from www noldus com downloads Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder Chapter 5 5 1 5 3 5 4 5 5 5 6 Using the Media Recorder stand alone Stand alone nc ssccccassdsencasssscssiecssdeescessdivvcinssdevcedencsonce 48 Using the Media Recorder in normal mode 48 Using the Media Recorder in command line mode 50 Delay iiie tire t tnt resto E fea Yee dave Hes Hose toes YE deo Sono ades 51 Loading a configuration file 52 Control Media Recorder at a predefined time 53 Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone 47 48 5 1 Stand alone 5 2 You can use the Media Recorder as a stand alone MPEG 4 encoder to create digital video files These video files can be used for offline scoring in The Observer XT tracking from video in EthoVision XT and video analysis in Face
21. 8 1 2 What s new in Media Recorder 2 5 eese eene 9 For customers with Media Recorder 1 9 For customers with media recorder 2 0 9 2 THE MEDIA RECORDER 11 2 1 Video formats sunori ree E Ea ee 12 MPEG 4 DivX 12 H 264 AVC 12 Picolo H 264 encoder card 13 2 2 Types of applications eee eee tnn tn n 14 2 3 Input sources esses eene eese nnn tn nennt nn stunts tassa senno 14 Playing back Media Recorder video files 15 3 INSTALLATION 17 3 1 Installing the Media Recorder eene 18 3 2 Turn off automatic updates for device drivers 18 3 3 Changes to the power saving settings of your computer 21 3 4 Installing the Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 encoder card the drivers and the decoding software eerte 23 3 5 Installing the setup prerequisites eene 27 3 6 Installing the Media Recorder software 3 7 Connecting the video cameras eee 31 4 WORKING WITH THE MEDIA RECORDER 33 4 1 Working with the Media Recorder eere 34 Lon cg 38 4 3 Video format otros subsea os EEE see uua erat eaa 45 4 4 Video length eere eer eere teen orea eser OSNren san 46 5 UsiNG THE MEDIA RECORDER STAND ALONE 47 5 1 Stand alone soniers sensisse etes apos QoeV aee pet erae nebat 48 5 2 Using the Media Recorder in normal mode
22. Link video extensions Make sure that avi and mpg are included Link videos based on Select Video start time later than observation start time Search for Specify here the number of videos you record simultaneously with the Media Recorder If this is more than two you need the multiple video add on of The Observer XT Stop looking after Specify here the time The Observer XT should look for media files The maximum time is 600 seconds Visualize audio of video files select this checkbox if you want to include the audio stream of the videos in the visualization Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 61 62 The Automatic Linking of Video Files window will look like this Automatic Linking of Video Files Linking settings Video linking folder Users Public Documents Woldus Media Recorder ideo F Browse Link video extensions mpg mpeg avi mov mp4 3gp 392 Link videos based on Video start time later than observation start time Search for 4 video fies Stop searching after 60 al s Visualize audio of video files C9 Gea Click OK Your Devices window now includes the commands to control the Media Recorder and to automatically link video files See chapter 5 of The Observer XT Reference manual for more information on automatic linking of video files LOADING THE CONFIGURATION FILE WITH THE OBSERVER XT In The Observer
23. Noldus MediaLooks AV Filters 2 0 27 Sentinel HASP Run time 27 setup prerequisites 27 Japanese characters 36 38 41 76 L Language packs Chinese 76 Cyrillic 76 Japanese 76 Laptop 77 License agreement 87 Loading configuration 52 M Maximum recording time 42 Media Recorder external commands in EthoVision XT 70 71 external commands in The Observer XT 58 59 upgrade 84 with EthoVision XT 65 with FaceReader 73 with The Observer XT 58 Microphone 40 41 MPEG 4 12 45 MPEG 4 Part 10 12 N Noldus MainConcept Codec Package 8 5 27 Noldus Mainconcept Encoder Package 7 5 27 Noldus MediaLooks AV Filters 3 27 Normal mode 14 48 NTSC 69 oO Observer see The Observer XT Offset 51 Output Picture by Picture 42 Picture in Picture 43 Separate video files 42 P PAL 70 PCI express slot 24 77 Picolo U4 H 264 card 13 Picolo U8 H 264 card 10 13 Picture by Picture 42 Picture in Picture 9 43 margin 44 position 43 size 43 Playing back video files 15 Power saving settings 21 PowerNow 22 PowerSaver 22 Program location 30 R Recommended computer 77 Recording 49 Recording at predefined time 53 Recording properties 39 Requirements 75 Resolution 39 5 Screen capture 10 Sentinel HASP Run time 27 Separate video files 42 Index 93 Settings
24. Reader You can use the Media Recorder either with a normal Windows interface or from a command line Using the Media Recorder in normal mode 1 First connect your cameras and make sure they are turned on and not in standby mode If the camera was off when you started the Media Recorder it may not be possible to preview the images or record from that camera Similar problems may occur when disconnecting a camera and connecting another one while the Media Recorder program is open Therefore we recommend to restart the Media Recorder after you have connected and switched on all the cameras Start the Media Recorder a Windows 7 Select All Programs from the Windows Start menu then Noldus then Media Recorder then click the Media Recorder icon or double click the icon on the desktop b Windows 8 Double click the Media Recorder icon on the desktop or click the Media Recorder tile in the Start screen The main window ofthe Media Recorder opens Browse to the folder where you want to store the video files that the Media Recorder creates by clicking one of these buttons c Jis Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone You must be able to write in the selected folder and there must be enough file space available at least 500 Mb per video per hour for MPEG 4 DivX and 600 Mb per video per hour for H 264 AVC files Enter a name in the File base name field The name of the video file consists of the File base nam
25. The exact procedure is explained below The following commands are available No parameter or E Starts the Media Recorder program R Starts recording S Stops recording X Closes the Media Recorder program Opening the Media Recorder program requires time When p a command Start recording is sent before the Media Recorder program is open the recording does not start So make sure the Media Recorder program is open when you want to start recording Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software On the installation disc of the Media Recorder you find The Observer XT template projects StartStopMediaRecorder_2_32bit otx and StartStopMediaRecorder_2_64bit otx When you open the appropriate template project the settings in The Observer XT to use the Media Recorder as an external application are automatically loaded See paragraph Creating a new project from a Template in Chapter 12 of The Observer XT Reference Manual for information on how to create a project from a template Commands to control the Media Recorder with The Observer XT 1 In The Observer XT from the Setup menu select Observation Sources Select Live The Devices window opens If not click the Devices button Click the Add External Program button In the Add External Program window that opens under Name type in a name for the commands only for viewing purposes For example Control Media Recorder
26. another configuration make sure the Media Recorder is not recording To go back to the default configuration no cameras selected open the File menu and select Open Configuration Browse to the file Default Settings mrs This file is read only You can find this file in the folder C Users Public Documents Noldus Media Recorder Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone 5 6 Control Media Recorder at a predefined time Windows 7 and 8 come with the program Task Scheduler With this program you can control other programs at a predefined time With the external commands you can control the Media Recorder at a predefined time This is especially useful when you want to start recording in the middle of the night or you do not want to disturb the test subjects by handling the video software 1 a Windows 7 Type Task Scheduler in the Search field of the Windows Start menu Open the program Task Scheduler b Windows 8 Open the Control Panel and click System and Security Then click Schedule tasks under Administrative Tools tes View update histery 3 Open the Action menu and select Create Task 4 Inthe General tab of the Create Task window type a name in the Name field for example Media Recorder with Webcam 5 Change or fill in any of the other settings in this tab and click the tab Triggers Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone 53 6 Click the button New 7 Inthe New Tri
27. artment by opening the Help menu in the Media Recorder select Noldus Online and subsequently Contact Help Desk Chapter 1 Introduction 1 2 What s new in Media Recorder 2 5 If you have been using a previous version of the Media Recorder you should read this section to get an idea of the improvements in this version FOR CUSTOMERS WITH MEDIA RECORDER 1 Picture in Picture Itis now possible to choose the position of the embedded video images in the primary video Furthermore you can select the margin of the embedded video images Identify The Media Recorder now has an Identify button which allows you to see which video image comes from which camera When you press this button the video numbers are superimposed on the camera images GigE cameras The Media Recorder now also supports the use of GigE cameras It has extensively been tested with the Basler GigE camera AC1300 30gm The drivers of this camera are present on the Media Recorder installation CD FOR CUSTOMERS WITH MEDIA RECORDER 2 0 Windows 7 and 8 64 bit compatible The Media Recorder is now compatible with Windows 7 and 8 64 bit For Windows 7 Service Pack 1 should be installed Some supported hardware has also been tested with Windows 7 32 bit For more Chapter1 Introduction information see System requirements for Noldus software on www noldus com downloads Support of Epiphan DVI2PCIe screen capture Besides the Epiphan DVI2USB 2 0 scree
28. corder can create video files from a wide range of sources Industrial FireWire cameras USB cameras IP cameras GigE cameras Analog cameras in combination with an H 264 encoder board The screen capture devices DVI2USB and DVI2PCIe The analog to USB converting device TerraTec Grabby Canopus ADVC 55 In the Media Recorder Service manual you find a list of specific devices with which the Media Recorder has extensively been tested The drivers of these devices are present on the Media Recorder installation CD The Chapter 2 The Media Recorder type of camera you choose depends on the way you are going to use the video material Each of the camera types has its advantages and restrictions The Media Recorder Service Manual also contains an overview of the advantages and restrictions for each type of device Furthermore the optimal settings for use with the Media Recorder are documented You can download the Media Recorder Service Manual from www noldus com downloads The Media Recorder does not work in combination with the 5 Picolo Diligent Video Capture Card that was used with Noldus MPEG 4 Recorder 1 1 Neither does the Media Recorder work in combination with the IEI IVC 4300 Video Capture Card that was used with Noldus MPEG Recorder 2 The Media Recorder cannot create video files from cameras with HDMI output PLAYING BACK MEDIA RECORDER VIDEO FILES The Media Recorder videos play back in Microsoft Windows Media Playe
29. dered a computer with The Media Recorder from Noldus IT the automatic updates for device drivers have already been turned off Windows 7 1 From the Windows Start menu go to Devices and Printers lige Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Bras I eet je even Olga Krips Microsoft Office Word 2007 253 Microsoft ofice Excel 2007 If you do not see Devices and Printers open the Windows Start menu and type Devices and Printers M M 2 Right click on the icon of your computer and select Device installation settings Browse files gt Eject gt Network settings Sound settings Modem settings Mouse settings Keyboard settings Region and language Display settings System properties Ee EE Power options Windows Update Dial up Networking gt OG RSH CHAE e Create shortcut Troubleshoot Properties Chapter 3 Installation 19 3 To the question Do you want Windows to download driver software and realistic icons for your devices select No let me choose what to do and then 4 Select Never install driver software from Windows Update Device Installation Settings x Do you want Windows to download driver software and realistic icons for your devices Yes do this automatically recommended No let me choose what to do Always install the best driver software from Windows Update Install driver software from Windows Update if it is not found on my compu
30. e Observer XT iy MN The Add External Program window will look like this Add External Program Device settings Name Control Media Recorder Start At Program Command line options V New Observation C Program Files Noldus Media EJ 0 ms before V StartObservation C Program Files Noldus edia R 0 ms before V Stop Observation C Program Files Noldus Media is Close Observation 13 Click OK A new row Control Media Recorder appears in the Devices window 60 Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software Command for linking video files automatically to the observation 1 Select the option next to Automatic linking of video files under Device then double click this row or click the Edit Settings button at the bottom of the table 2 Inthe Automatic Linking of Video Files window select the following options 3 Under Linking settings Video linking folder Browse to the folder where The Observer XT should search for the video files created by the Media Recorder Make sure that the Video linking folder is the folder to which the Media Recorder saves its media files SNL By default the media folder of The Observer XT is selected However this is not the default folder to which the Media Recorder saves its media files The Media Recorder saves its files by default in the folder C Users Public Publick Documents Noldus Media Recorder Video Files
31. e file C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 32 bit or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 64 bit 8 Under Command line options type the command R g Select the checkbox next to Stop Observation 10 Click the button next to the Program column and browse to the file C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 32 bit or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 64 bit 11 Under Command line options type the command S Leave the fields in front of ms before at the default value o The videos are automatically synchronized with the events in The Observer XT un ML Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 63 The Add External Program window will look like this Add External Program Device settings Name Control Media Recorder with webcam Start At Program Command line options V New Observation C Program Files Noldus Media _ E C Configuration_webcam mr 0 ms before V Start Observation C Program FilesWoldusWedia R o ms before 7 Stop Observation C Program Files Noldus Wedia 5 Close Observation 12 Click OK A new row appears in the Devices window In the same way you can make settings to load a configuration file and start and stop recording with two cameras for The Observer XT Opening the Media Recorder program requires time When T a command Start recording
32. e followed by the video input name the date and the time the videos were recorded and the number of the video camera For instance if your File base name is Video you have changed the name of Video 1to Webcam in the Settings Window the date is 11 October 2011 the time 10 54 43 and you create 2 videos simultaneously the video from the second input is called Video Webcam 10 11 201110 54 43 AM 2 avi Openthe Settings menu and specify the cameras and other settings For more details see page 38 Click OK If necessary make adjustments in the main window of the Media Recorder Clickthe button at the bottom of the window to start recording There may be a small delay after you click the start button and the actual start of the recording This is dependent on the performance of your computer and the type of camera If you did not enter a maximum recording time click the button at the bottom of the window to stop recording Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone 49 50 We strongly recommend to run a test recording of about 2 minutes and play it back in EthoVision XT The Observer XT or FaceReader before you start the actual recording With this test recording you can also determine the delay between the moment you click the start button of the Media Recorder and the actual start of recording 5 3 Using the Media Recorder in command line mode Besides using the Media Recorder
33. e question Do you want to save changes shows up If you bought a Dell Precision T3600 quad core workstation it is not necessary to switch off the power saving settings If you have purchased a computer with another processor than the ones described above similar power saving options are present in the BIOS For example PowerNow and Cool n Quiet AMD processors or PowerSaver VIA processors It may be necessary to disable these power saving options in the BIOS for correct synchronization by the Media Recorder We recommend the use of the Dell Precision T3500 or T3600 workstation or the Dell Precision 4700 Laptop with the Media Recorder The Media Recorder has been tested with and optimized for these processors Chapter 3 Installation 3 4 Installing the Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 encoder card the drivers and the decoding software The following steps are required to install the Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 encoder card 1 Make sure your computer is turned off and the power cable is disconnected Open the computer If you are also recording audio you received an audio bracket with the H 264 card Connect the FTSH34 connector of the audio bracket to the H 264 card and insert the bracket into a free slot in the computer Chapter 3 Installation 23 3 Gently but firmly insert the Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 encoder card into a free PCI express slot Avoid touching the contacts or other metal parts of t
34. ecommended USB INPUT To be able to use cameras with USB output you need USB version 2 0 The M4700 laptop has a USB 2 and a USB 3 controller The devices that are supported with the Media Recorder do not need USB 3 However if you use two USB devices simultaneously it is recommended to connect one to a USB 2 port and the other one to a USB 3 port This way each Chapter 7 Specifications device is connected to a separate USB controller which results in more accurate recordings Chapter 7 Specifications 79 Appendix A Troubleshooting A3 Troubleshooting eese eere rennen eene etn 82 A 2 Help Menu eee eeeeeee eene enne en stent tn natns ttnsnn 84 A 3 Technical Support eese eene 85 Appendix A Troubleshooting 81 82 A 1 Troubleshooting If you are having problems please first read Chapter 7 Specifications above to check that your system is suitable for using the Media Recorder If you get an error message during installation of the Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 card it is most likely that the card is not correctly inserted into your computer Turn the computer off and disconnect the power cable Press the card gently but firmly into place If you split the input of one analog camera and connect them to two video channels on the Picolo U4 H 264 encoder board it may happen that one or more of the camera images is very bad quality If this is the case the dip sw
35. edia Recorder DV PAL IVC 4300 NTSC IVC 4300 PAL Euresys PICOLO U4 H 264 NTSC Select this option when you have the Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 encoder card to create H 264 files with the Media Recorder Furthermore you have an NTSC camera with a frame rate of 29 97 frames per second These cameras are found in North and Central America together with parts of Asia Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 69 Euresys PICOLO U4 H 264 PAL Select this option when you have the Picolo U4 or U8 H 264 encoder card to create H 264 files with the Media Recorder Furthermore you have a PAL camera with a frame rate of 25 frames per second These cameras are found in Europe and the rest of the world except for North and Central America together with parts of Asia The other options do not apply for video files created with the Media Recorder 2 5 EXTERNAL COMMANDS You can use the program MRCmd exe to control the Media Recorder from within EthoVision XT To do so you select MRCmd exe as external program and specify which command you want to use By default this file is present in the folder C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 24M RCmd exe 32 bit or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 MRCmd exe 64 bit The exact procedure of creating video files with external commands is explained below The following commands are available No parameter or E Starts the Media Recorde
36. edia Recorder gives a warning message g If you choose Picture by Picture while you are using the Picolo H 264 card the format of the output file is not H 264 but MPEG 4 DivX Picture in Picture The Media Recorder creates one video file with the images from the second and third and fourth camera embedded in the image from the first camera If possible choose the same frame rate for all the videos If you choose different frame rates the videos with the lowest frame rates may flicker and may not be suitable for use in The Observer XT EthoVision XT or FaceReader If you use different frame rates the Media Recorder gives a warning message If you select the option Picture in Picture the following options become available e PIP Position Choose the position of the second and third and fourth camera image in the image from the first camera e Pip Size Choose the size of the second and third and fourth camera image The percentage is based on the width Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder of the first camera image The aspect ratios of the embedded camera images are maintained Please note that if you have multiple videos in portrait format they may overlap when you use Picture in Picture e Pip Margin Choose the position of the embedded images in the main image When the percentage is zero the image is positioned directly on the edge of the main image The percentage is based on the width of the firs
37. evices are also supported with Windows 7 32 bit Professional edition with Service Pack 1 Four Axis P5534 IP cameras Four analog cameras Three analog cameras in combination with a DVI2USB 2 0 screen capture device Customers that have a 32 bit version of Windows 7 and En upgrade Media Recorder to version 2 5 should realize that most supported devices have been tested with the 64 bit version of Windows 7 We expect that the supported devices also work with Windows 7 32 bit but this has only been tested with the above mentioned devices The Media Recorder has been thoroughly tested with Windows 7 and 8 Professional U S English 64 bit edition It has also been tested with and Cyrillic Japanese and Chinese language packs It is possible that certain local language versions of Windows may affect how well the program runs If you encounter a problem related to the operating system please contact Noldus Technical Support see page 85 Installation of the Media Recorder is also possible on computers that have Chinese Japanese or Cyrillic language packs of or Windows 7 and 8 e The Media Recorder is not designed for use with the Windows Touch features of Windows 7 and 8 e For working with The Media Recorder and video files or cameras we recommend that you use a professional workstation It is possible to buy consumer range computers with a high processor Chapter 7 Specifications speed and plenty of memory bu
38. gger window select Ona schedule from the list next to Begin the task 8 Select the time you want to start the command in the Start field and choose whether you want to send the command once daily weekly or monthly The window will look like this New Trigger Begin thetask On a schedule Settings Onetime Start 8 30 2011 GJ 11 00 00PM Synchronize across time zones Daily Weekly Monthly Advanced settings Delay task for up to random delay 1 hour Repeat task every 1 hour 1 day Stop task if it runs longer than 3 days Expire 8 30 2012 11 52 06 AM 7 Enabled g Select or change any of the Advanced Settings and click OK 10 Click the Actions tab and click New 11 In the New Action window select Start a program next to Action 12 Click Browse next to Program script and browse to MRCmd exe In the field Add arguments optional type the command you want For example to start the Media Recorder and load the configuration file for your webcam type E C Configuration_webcam mrs If the configuration file is not located in the folder C users public public documents noldus Media Recorder you Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone must type the full path If the file name or path contains spaces you must type it in between quotation marks See also page page 52 Your window will look like this New Action You must specify what action this task will perform
39. he animal leaves a shelter The left Start MR action box starts up the Media Recorder The Start recording MR action box on the right starts the recording when both the Out of Shelter and Time 1 conditions are true that is the center point of the animal has left the shelter at least 5 seconds after the Media Recorder was started USING THE CREATED VIDEO FILES If you want to use the files created with the Media Recorder with the method described above you have to make a new experiment and choose the option track from video file in the Experiment Settings Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 6 3 FaceReader The MPEG 4 and H 264 files created by the Media Recorder can be used in FaceReader 4 or higher They can be used for video analysis offline FaceReader does not support or wide screen video No special settings are needed to use files from the Media Recorder in FaceReader You cannot simultaneously analyze live video signals in FaceReader and create video files in the Media Recorder If you want to analyze and record videos simultaneously record the videos in FaceReader Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 73 Chapter 7 71 Specifications Specifications Chapter 7 Specifications 75 7 1 Specifications e The Media Recorder supports Microsoft Windows 7 64 bit Professional edition with Service Pack 1 and Windows 8 64 bit Professional edition The following d
40. he card Do not insert the card into one of the graphics slots Use the smaller black slots next to the graphics slots see picture below primary graphics slot secondary graphics slot 4 IClose the computer 5 a Picolo U4 H 264 card With the Picolo U4 H 264 card you received an HD44M Male to BNC breakout cable with six BNC connectors This cable has a HD44M connector with the label H 264 Video You also received an HD44M to RCA breakout cable 24 _ Chapter 3 Installation with four RCA connectors This cable has a HD44M connector with a label H 264 Audio b Picolo U8 H 264 card With the Picolo U8 H 264 card you received an HD44M Male to BNC breakout cable with ten BNC connectors This cable has a HD44M connector with the label H 264 Video You also received an HD44M to RCA breakout cable with eight RCA connectors This cable has a HD44M connector with a label H 264 Audio 3 Connect the HD44M connector with the label H 264 Video to the HD44F Female connector on the Picolo U4 H 264 card This card has the label H 264 Video on the bracket Connect the HD44M connector with the label H 264 Audio to the HD44F connector of the audio bracket This bracket has the label H 264 Audio 4 Connect at least one video camera to one of the BNC connectors With the Picolo U4 H 264 card do not use the cables with number 5 and 6 With the Picolo U8 H 264 card do not use the cables with numbers 9 and 10
41. hinese or Japanese characters for the configuration name To go back to the default configuration open the File menu and select Open Configuration Browse to the file Default Settings mrs This file is read only You can find this file in the folder C Users Public Public Documents Noldus Media Recorder g Recording Properties bar Click this bar to hide or show all the features visible under the preview window v Recording properties N See below to select your cameras and create their settings 4 2 Settings To select your cameras and create their settings open the Media Recorder Settings window by clicking the Settings button or choose Settings from the File menu Refresh Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder If the Settings button is not visible the recording properties may be hidden If this is the case first click the bar Recording Properties By default the recording properties are visible 1 In the Media Recorder Settings window select your cameras from the drop down list under Video device Select the preferred frame rate and resolution The options shown in these fields are dependent on your type of camera Media Recorder Settings Use Video name Video device Framerate Resolution Audio name Audio device 1 videoi Microsoft LifeCam Studio G 30 00 640 x 480 Audio1 Microphone Line In Sigm Output settings Timer settings Output mode Picture in Picture Time format HH
42. icense Agreement Appendix B License Agreement 87 88 1 LICENSE Noldus Information Technology bv Noldus grants you a non exclusive license to use the software and accompanying documentation collectively called the Software in this agreement in accordance with the following terms Noldus retains title and all ownership rights to the Software Noldus will allow you to make back up copies of the Software always including copyright notices provided that these copies are only for your own use Noldus grants you the right to transfer this license and the Software to another party provided that a the other party accepts all terms of this agreement b all copies of the software are transferred and you discontinue use of the Software after transferring c Noldus is promptly notified of the license number of the Software and the name and address of the other party and d Noldus is not required to supply new media You may not sublicense assign or transfer the license or the Software except as expressly provided in this agreement Any attempt otherwise to sublicense assign or transfer any of the rights duties or obligations hereunder is void You may not receive money or any other form of compensation for transferring the license TERM AND TERMINATION Failure to comply with any of these terms will terminate this agreement and your right to use the Software You may also choose to terminate the agreement at any time
43. ick this button when you have connected a camera after you have started the Media Recorder If you have already created settings for this camera see page page 38 the video signal now becomes visible Identify button Clickthis button to view which video number in the table corresponds with which camera source Use Video name 1 v Videot y video 2 Identify Identify video channels Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder Result the video numbers are superimposed on the camera images 7 Recording button After you have created settings for the cameras see page page 38 use this button to start recording The button now changes into the stop recording button and the status Not recording in the lower left corner of your screen changes into a timer Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder 37 8 File menu The file menu contains the options Open configuration and Save configuration as You can also open the Media Recorder Settings window see page page 38 from the File menu The settings you create for the different cameras are automatically saved to the file Current settings mrs When you restart the Media Recorder these settings are used To save your settings under a different name open the File menu and select Save Configuration As This way you can create different settings for for example The Observer XT EthoVision XT and FaceReader You can also use Cyrillic C
44. icrophones to the audio inputs connected to the card You need pre amplifiers to amplify the microphone signals to Line Level 0 dBu 0 775 V The option to use one audio signal for all videos is not available in the Media Recorder when you use the H 264 encoder card If you want to use the same audio source for all videos you need an audio splitting cable Subsequently you can connect the outputs of the audio splitting cable to the audio inputs that are connected to the H 264 encoder card Audio recorded by the H 264 card is always mono You can only select the same channel number for the video input as for the audio input in the Settings window of the Media Recorder So if you connected a camera to the video cable No 2 you should connect the microphone to the audio cable No 2 Click the microphone button for Audio settings Audio name Audio device Audiol Microphone Line L Em The Advanced Settings window of your audio device now opens The options that are shown depend on your audio device In this window you can adjust the volume of your recording You can optionally change the names of Video 1 Video 2 etc and Audio 1 to for example Webcam Sony Camcorder and Microphone You can also enter Cyrillic Chinese or Japanese characters in these fields Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder 41 42 6 Specify the format of the recording timer under Timer settings Timer setting
45. ideo Chapter 5 Using the Media Recorder stand alone 51 52 5 5 Loading a configuration file In the Media Recorder you can make a configuration file with the settings like frame rate resolution and color space for your cameras This way you can for example make separate configuration files for a webcam that films the face of a test participant for FaceReader and two cameras that film the set up from two different angles for The Observer XT To save your configuration open the File menu and select Save Configuration As You can also use Cyrillic Chinese or Japanese characters for the configuration name You can load a configuration file with MRCmd exe and the command C By default MRCmd exe loads a file from the folder C Users Public Public Documents Noldus Media Recorder If the file is located in another folder you must type the full path If the file name or the path contains spaces you must type it in between quotation marks Example 1 Command for opening the Media Recorder and loading the configuration file Configuration webcam mrs that is located in the folder C Users Public Public Documents Noldus Media Recorder MRCmd exe E C Configuration webcam mrs Example 2 Command for opening the Media Recorder and loading the configuration file Configuration USB cameras that is located in the folder C Configuration files MRCmd exe E C C Configuration files Configuration USB cameras mrs If you want to load
46. ideo files with many different types of cameras The video files can subsequently be used in other software programs such as The Observer XT EthoVision XT and FaceReader The Media Recorder can be used as a standalone program to create video files However with The Observer XT and EthoVision XT it is also possible to send commands to the Media Recorder This way the Media Recorder can be started automatically when starting an observation and stopped when ending an observation Furthermore the videos obtained this way can automatically be linked to an observation This manual describes how to make optimal use of the Media Recorder Chapter 2 contains general information about the Media Recorder Chapter 3 describes the setup of the drivers and the software Chapter 4 describes the settings of the Media Recorder In Chapter 5 you find how to create video files with the Media Recorder Subsequently Chapter 6 describes how to make full use of the Media Recorder with other Noldus products And Chapter 7 contains the minimum technical specifications for your hardware If you have any problems questions remarks or comments please let us know You can contact us via our website www noldus com helpdesk and fill out a Support Request Form preferred or phone We offer 24 hours phone support from our worldwide network of helpdesks Please refer to the Contact section on our website for other contact information You can also contact the Support Dep
47. ile types Executables exe from the list 5 Locate the file MRCmd exe and click Open 6 Enter one of the commands that are available for the Media Recorder E R S X or no command as a Command line option Example You carry out live tracking during a 24 hour period and you want to make a recording in the Media Recorder but only when the animal leaves the shelter defined as a Hidden Zone where it spends most of its time First startup the Media Recorder using an External command box select MRCmd exe as the Executable to run and enter E as a Command line option to start the Media Recorder Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software y Next insert a Condition Out of shelter and combine this with a Time condition to make sure that the Media Recorder is started before recording starts see Figure 6 1 for an example Then insert an External command box select MRCmd exe as the Executable to run and enter R as a Command line option to start recording with the Media Recorder Similarly you can stop recording Command line option S when the animal enters the shelter again command C Program All inputs True command Files Nokdus Media simultaneously C Program Recorder MRCmd exe E Files Noldus Media Recorder MRCmd exe R After a delay of 5 0 secs Figure 6 1 Example of the External command action to start a recording with the Media Recorder when t
48. itches on the encoder board are in the wrong position Open the computer and make sure that for the video channels you use one dip switch is set to ON and the other to OFF The picture below shows which switch belongs to which video channel VIDEO Terminators Switches Group NOT PRESENT Present on U8 card only Appendix A Troubleshooting If your output folder is on the C drive it is possible that you will have insufficient file space Most computers are configured with more file space on the D drive so select your output folder on the D drive If you are playing back multiple videos in The Observer XT and you hear an echo on the sound track turn the sound off on all but one of the video monitors If one of your video inputs is black with a warning triangle and the message like Error detected with Video 1 is shown the video source was not turned on when the Media Recorder program was started Press the Refresh button in the Media Recorder to show the image from that camera Note that with some DV camcorders they go into standby after a certain amount of time unless you remove the tape You also get the message Error detected with Video 1 when you have not yet selected this camera in the Media Recorder Settings window see page 33 for details If one of your video inputs is black and you do not see a warning triangle this is most likely because the aperture of your camera is closed or the lens cap is not remo
49. items to be installed on your computer Click Install to begin installing these requirements Status Requirement Pending Euresys Picolo H264 Driver 2 5 0 134 m The following setup prerequisites are installed automatically before Media Recorder 2 5 is installed Sentinel HASP Run time Needed for correct functioning of your licence key Noldus MediaLooks AV Filters 3 Needed for several features of the Media Recorder like Picture in picture videos synchronization of audio and video and volume control Noldus Mainconcept Encoder Package 7 5 Needed to create MPEG 4 DivX video files Noldus MainConcept Codec Package 8 5 26 Needed for audio encoding MPEG 4 DivX decoding and H 264 AVC decoding Chapter 3 Installation 27 28 Euresys Picolo H 264 Driver Needed for correct functioning of the Picolo U4 H 264 card The following window opens before this driver is installed Media Recorder 2 5 InstallShield Wizard pi Media Recorder 2 5 requires the following items to be installed on your computer Click fF Install to begin installing these requirements Please indicate if you have the Euresys Picolo hardware video capture and H 264 compression card to record media files This hardware card requires you to install drivers for it 5 No don t have a hardware video capture and H 264 compression card Yes have a hardware video capture and H 264 compression card
50. n capture device the Media Recorder now also supports screen capturing with the DVI2PCle This is a frame grabber board that can be inserted into a PCle port of the computer with the Media Recorder The bandwidth is much higher than with the DVI2USB 2 0 device This means that recording can be done with a higher resolution and frame rate than with the DVI2USB Support of 6 analog cameras for use in EthoVision XT Together with the Media Recorder you can now buy a Picolo U8 encoder board With this board you can videos from up to 6 analog cameras simultaneously for use in EthoVision XT For customers with Windows 7 32 bit Customers that have a 32 bit version of Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 and upgrade Media Recorder to version 2 5 should realize that most supported devices have been tested with the 64 bit version of Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 We expect that the supported devices also work with Windows 7 32 bit with Service Pack 1 but this has not been thoroughly tested Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 The Media Recorder 2 1 Video FOF MALS ss resiescassesesessassensoseseasesseaesensensnecoosssan 12 22 Types of applications eere eerte 14 2 3 Input sources eese eese eene senise nnne oeta 14 Chapter 2 The Media Recorder 2 1 Video formats The Media Recorder creates video files in MPEG 4 DivX or H 264 AVC format The generated media files can be used in The Observer XT 10 E
51. o Arena Settings Arena Settings 1 i Add Zone Group J FF add Hidden Zone Group GI Grab Background image _ a Adjust Aspect Ratio af Validate Arena Settings Color View Lock E Background EN s 2 Calibration EN ol i Arena 1 I d li Zone Group 1 EN ol 4 Depending on whether you use an analog or a digital camera the procedure differs Digital cameras For most digital cameras you can leave the default option Diligent controlled by EthoVision or video file with aspect ratio selected To be sure the correct aspect ratio is used place a sheet with a circle under the camera and grab this image as background image Draw a three point circle If the aspect ratio of the image is correct this three point circle fits over the circle from the camera image If the aspect ratio is not correct select the option Custom and enter the adjusted aspect ratio Example 1 You have a perfectly circular water maze with a diameter of 100 cm When you open the Background Image of this water maze in an image editing program and draw an ellipse around the maze the ratio of width height does not equal but is 1 019 This means that you need to adjust the aspect ratio of the Background Image using this ratio in the Adjust Aspect Ratio window in the Custom field divide the width box on the left of the image by 1 019 Do not change the height Example 2 You have a square open field measuring 40 x 40 cm When
52. of the Media Recorder H 264 compression is often used to create High Definition HD files on Blue Ray Disks However H 264 High Definition HD files are very highly compressed and your computer processor has to do a lot of work in order to play an HD file back Therefore you can only use one H 264 HD file at the same time in The Observer XT and you can only play it back at 1x speed The higher demands that The Observer XT places on video accurate timing while playing multiple videos forwards and backwards at multiple speeds are more than computers can currently handle with the H 264 codec Therefore the H 264 encoder card that is sold with the Media Recorder only creates H 264 Standard Definition SD files Chapter 2 The Media Recorder 733 2 2 Types of applications 2 3 You can use the Media Recorder in the following ways As a stand alone application The digital video files you create this way can be used for offline scoring in The Observer XT track from video file in EthoVision XT or video analysis in FaceReader As an external application controlled by The Observer XT This way you can start and stop the Media Recorder from within The Observer XT and automatically link synchronized digital video files to observations As an external application controlled by EthoVision XT This way you can start and stop the Media Recorder with EthoVision XT Input sources The Media Re
53. order and Start Recording There may also be a delay between the command Start Recording and the moment the recording actually starts This delay varies between 0 1 and 10 seconds and is dependent on the number of cameras camera settings the processor speed and programs running in the background This is important when you control the Media Recorder with EthoVision XT When you control the Media Recorder with commands from The Observer XT 11 5 the videos are automatically synchronized with the events When you start an observation in The Observer XT and start the Media Recorder manually you need to synchronize the observation and videos using an event that is recognizable in the videos To assess the delay make a video recording where the camera points at your keyboard When you press a key for an event the event is recorded in The Observer XT event log and also in the video footage You can then visualize video and event data to estimate the time difference between the event logged and the corresponding video footage when the key was pressed You can also use the SyncBox to assess the delay see the chapter The SyncBox in The Observer XT Service Manual When you use the video in EthoVision XT the delay results in missing frames at the beginning of a video file To assess this delay make for example a video of a digital clock and compare the time the command Start Recording is given with the time at the first frame of the v
54. ou create With the default settings the files have a minimal size of 0 6 GB per hour It must also meet the minimum specifications for the version of The Observer XT EthoVision XT FaceReader and Windows that you are using Recommended computer If you order a complete solution from Noldus Information Technology you will obtain a Dell Precision T3600 quad core workstation or its successor or a Dell Precision M4700 quad core laptop or its successor for a portable solution These PCs are the standard test Chapter 7 Specifications _ 77 78 platforms for The Media Recorder and we recommend that you use that computer The Media Recorder 2 5 has also been tested on a Dell Precision T3500 quad core workstation If you are planning to purchase a different computer than the T3600 or the M4700 please contact us for detailed advice We recommend that you do not use the following computers as these have caused our customers problems in recent years e All HP Hewlett Packard computers e Dell Optiplex e Dell Vostro e Low end consumer models e Dell dual core computers DISK SPACE TO STORE MEDIA FILES If you are scoring from video files on the hard disk you need sufficient free space to store them MPEG 4 at least o 5 GB hr and H 264 at least 0 6 GB hr VIDEO CARD For working with digital video a good quality high end video card designed for workstations is recommended Onboard video is not r
55. ow With an H 264 encoder card you can create H 264 video files without slowing down your computer Chapter 2 The Media Recorder PICOLO H 264 ENCODER CARD You can buy a Picolo U4 H 264 encoder card together with the Media Recorder With this card you can create H 264 AVC video files from analog video input You can connect four analog cameras to this card and create four H 264 video files simultaneously for use with The Observer XT and FaceReader This number is limited to three for use with EthoVision XT This is caused by the fact that the Media Recorder drops some frames when four analog cameras are used with default frame rate and resolution For The Observer XT this is not a problem since the time information in the video is corrected with one ofthe filters see Appendix A in The Observer XT Service Manual However for accurate tracking in EthoVision XT all video frames are needed When three analog cameras are used simultaneously no frames are dropped If you want to record more videos simultaneously for use in EthoVision XT you can buy a Picolo U8 H 264 encoder card This card is supported for use with EthoVision XT only You can record up to six H 264 videos simultaneously The Picolo H 264 encoder cards make video files with the video and audio streams in a container with MPEG format The audio has the format MPEG 1 Layer 2 MP2 H 264 decoding software for playing back the video and audio is present on the installation CD
56. r if you have installed the Mainconcept decoder package from the Media Recorder installation disc This decoder package is automatically installed when you install the Media Recorder On computers with Windows 8 some Windows Media Player codecs need to be disabled to be able to play back the H 264 video files the Media Recorder creates with the Picolo H 264 board These codecs are disabled by the Media Recorder installation De installing the Media Recorder restores the Windows Media Player codecs In Windows 8 the MPEGA4 DivX files avi created by de Media Recorder from output of digital cameras play back with the Video app in the Start window with tiles The H 264 files created by the Media Recorder with the Picolo H 264 board from output of analog cameras mpg play back with the Microsoft Windows Media Player in the desktop You can open the MPEG 4 files manually from within the Windows Media Player Chapter 2 The Media Recorder 15 Chapter 3 3 3 2 33 34 3 5 3 6 3 7 Installation Installing the Media Recorder 18 Turn off automatic updates for device drivers 18 Changes to the power saving settings of your computer eese eese ene ntnnnnnnnne 18 Installing the Picolo U4 H 264 encoder card the drivers and the decoding software eee 20 Installing the setup prerequisites 27 Ins
57. r program R Starts recording S Stops recording X Closes the Media Recorder program Opening the Media Recorder program takes time When a p command Start recording is sent before the Media Recorder program is open the recording does not start So make sure the Media Recorder program is open when you want to start recording There also may be a delay between the command Start Recording and the moment the Media Recorder actually starts recording Run a test recording to test how long this delay is To assess this delay make for example a video of a digital clock and compare the time the command Start Recording is given with the time at the first frame of the video Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software Settings To create settings to control the Media Recorder from within EthoVision XT open the Trial Control screen For an extensive description of how to use Trial Control see chapter 7 of the EthoVision XT Reference Manual or the Trial and Hardware Control user Guide 1 In the Components pane under Actions click the button next to External command 2 Next to Action Name enter the name of the action for example start recording or accept the default name Click the Help button to get additional information about defining an External command 3 Under Actions to perform select which file you want to run by clicking the ellipsis button ni 4 Next select f
58. s Time format HH mm ss Z Decimals lo Example 16 43 52 The recording timer is shown when recording on the left lower part of the main Media Recorder window If wanted you can specify the maximum recording time V Use maximum recording time 01 00 00 The maximum is 99 99 59 hr min sec However for use in The Observer XT we recommend that you create separate videos for each period of 3 hours The maximum supported recording time is 24 hours for standalone use or for use in EthoVision XT If you record longer videos the time information becomes less accurate However please realize that video files of 24 hours are very large at least 12 Gb Therefore we recommend to create multiple shorter videos If you have selected more than one video source several options are available under Output Settings Output mode From the list next to Output mode you can select one of the options below Separate videos The Media Recorder creates separate video files for each camera Picture by Picture The Media Recorder creates one video file with the images from each camera next or above each other If possible choose the same frame rate for all the videos If you choose different frame rates the videos with the lowest frame rates may flicker and may not be suitable for use in The Observer Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder XT EthoVision XT or FaceReader If you use different frame rates the M
59. s created It is not possible to solve this problem in the Media Recorder software Therefore before you start using your Media Recorder it is important to switch off certain power saving options in the BIOS of your computer If you ordered a computer with The Media Recorder from Noldus IT these power saving options have already been turned off Chapter 3 Installation 21 e Dell Precision T3500 quad core workstation If you ordered a Dell Precision T3500 workstation with your Media Recorder Noldus has already changed the BIOS settings If you purchased this computer yourself go to the BIOS by pressing the F2 key during startup of your computer Click Performance and subsequently click C States Control Deselect the checkbox in front of C States Control in the right upper part of your screen Also check that the checkbox in front of SpeedStep is deselected Exit the BIOS and click Yes when the question Do you want to save changes shows up e Dell Precision M4700 quad core Laptop If you purchased a Dell Precision M4700 Laptop from Noldus the BIOS settings are already correct If you purchased a computer yourself go to the BIOS by pressing the F2 key during startup of your computer Click Performance and subsequently click SpeedStep Deselect the checkbox in front of SpeedStep in the right upper part of your screen Also check that the checkbox in front of C States Control is deselected Exit the BIOS and click Yes when th
60. select the preferred options Audic Show Frame rate Audio N Show Resolution Show Format 2 File location By default the video files the Media Recorder creates are stored in the folder C Users Public Public Documents Noldus Media Recorder Video Files To change this location browse to the folder where you want to store the video files by clicking one of these buttons ae Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder 35 5 36 You must be able to write in the selected folder and there must be enough file space available at least 500 Mb per video per hour for MPEG 4 DivX and 600 Mb per video per hour for H 264 AVC files File base name The name of the video file consists of the File base name followed by the video input name the date and the time the videos were recorded and the number of the video camera For instance if your File base name is Video you have changed the name of Video 1 to Webcam in the Settings Window the date is 11 May 2013 the time 10 54 43 and you create 2 videos simultaneously the video from the second input is called Video Webcam 5 n 2013 10 54 43 AM 2 avi You can also use Cyrillic Chinese or Japanese characters in the video file name Settings button Clicking the Settings button opens the Media Recorder Settings window in which you can select your cameras and create their settings See page page 38 for further details Refresh button Cl
61. so a shortcut is added to the Desktop On computers with Windows 8 a shortcut is added to the Desktop and a Media Recorder 2 tile is added to the Start window e If the Media Recorder software is not installed in the default folder C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 32 bits or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 64 bits the software Chapter 3 Installation provided on the installation CD for embedding this tool in The Observer XT does not function Installation of the Media Recorder is also possible on computers that have Chinese Japanese or Cyrillic language packs of Windows 7 and 8 3 7 Connecting the video cameras 1 Connect your cameras to your computer 2 Optionally connect your microphones to your computer 3 Start the Media Recorder The main screen of the Media Recorder opens Chapter 3 Installation 31 Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder 4 1 Working with the Media Recorder 34 RET UL C 38 4 3 Video format eo eset e e NERIS Reese e ERG 45 4 4 Video length ccscccsccssccsecssecsssessseessesssessesesseees 46 Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder 33 4 1 Working with the Media Recorder To start the Media Recorder with Windows 7 open the Windows Start menu select All Programs then Noldus then Media Recorder 2 then click the Media Recorder 2 icon You can also double click the
62. ss a key for an event the event is recorded in The Observer XT event log and also in the video footage You can then visualize video and event data to estimate the time difference between the event logged and the corresponding video footage when the key was pressed You can also use the SyncBox to assess the delay see the chapter The SyncBox in The Observer XT Service Manual EthoVision XT The MPEG 4 DivX and H 264 files created by the Media Recorder can be used in EthoVision XT However if you use other hardware or cameras than the ones supplied by Noldus you need to check whether the time information in the video files is correct and you may need to set a Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software 65 66 custom aspect ratio Contact Noldus Technical Support for more information on how to do this We strongly recommend to run a test recording of about 2 T minutes and play it back in EthoVision XT before you start the actual recording see page 28 how to run the Media Recorder in normal mode With this test recording you can also determine the delay between the moment you click the start button of the Media Recorder and the actual start of recording To assess this delay make for example a video of a digital clock and compare the time the command Start Recording is given with the time at the first frame of the video TRACK FROM VIDEO FILES The MPEG 4 and H 264 files can be used to
63. t camera image E If you choose Picture in Picture while you are using the Picolo H 264 card the format of the output file is not H 264 but MPEG 4 DivX 44 Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder g Click OK The Media Recorder window now shows the selected cameras and settings and a preview of the videos 2 10 You can change the order of the video cameras by dragging and dropping rows Click the Refresh button after you have done this 4 3 Video format The Media Recorder can create video files in the following formats e MPEG 4 DivX Official name DivX 4 OpenDivX Audio encoding MPEG Audio MPEG 1 Layer 2 MP2 Container AVI The frequency is 44 1 kHz and the bit depth is 16 bit Approximate file size at least 0 5 GB hr These files can be used in The Observer XT 10 EthoVision XT 8 and FaceReader 4 e H 264 AVC1 Only available in combination with the H 264 encoding board and decoding software Official name H 264 Chapter 4 Working with the Media Recorder 45 46 MPEG 4 AVC Audio encoding MPEG Audio MPEG 1 Layer 2 MP2 Container MPEG The frequency is 44 1 kHz and the bit depth is 16 bit Approximate file size at least 0 6 GB hr These files can be used in The Observer XT 10 and higher EthoVision XT 8 and higher and FaceReader 4 and higher I If you choose Picture in Picture or Picture by Picture while you are using the Picolo H 2
64. t in order to remain competitive regarding price the manufacturers often economize on the underlying system architecture That means those computers are suitable for home use but not for running professional scientific software You should select a computer which is intended for professional use or labeled by the manufacturer as a workstation e Ifyou use an older desktop computer it should have at least a 2 7 GHz Quad Core processor and at least 4 GB of memory A laptop shoud have at least a 2 2 GHz Quad Core processor and at least 4 GB of memory e Westrongly recommend to run a test recording of about 2 minutes and play it back in EthoVision The Observer or FaceReader before you start the actual recording see page 34 how to run the Media Recorder in normal mode With this test recording you can also determine the delay between the moment you click the start button of the Media Recorder and the actual start of recording e For The Observer XT you need the Video module to be able to record and play back up to 2 video files simultaneous You need the additional Multiple videos module to play back up to 4 video files simultaneous e If you want to install the H 264 encoder card your computer recording the video must have a free PCI express slot If you want to record audio your computer also must have a free slot that can contain the audio bracket Furthermore the computer must have sufficient hard disk space to store the video files y
65. t your computer now Click Yes to finish the installation of the Picolo H 264 card drivers The computer now restarts Do not remove the installation CD before the entire installation procedure including installation of the Media Recorder is finished Chapter 3 Installation 29 30 3 6 When the computer is restarted the installation Wizard of the Media Recorder opens On computers with Windows 8 it may happen that it restarts with the Start window with tiles and you do not see the installation Wizard If that happens go to the desktop Continue with step 1 below Installing the Media Recorder software 1 After the setup prerequisites are installed the installation wizard continues with installing the Media Recorder program Follow the on screen instructions to install the software 2 When the License Agreement Window is shown choose accept the terms in the License Agreement 3 Optionally choose the location where the program is saved By default this is C Program Files Noldus Media Recorder 2 32 bit or C Program Files x86 Noldus Media Recorder 2 64 bit 4 Optionally choose Custom Setup in which you choose which features to be installed We recommend you choose Complete Setup 5 Click Install The Media Recorder program is now installed Notes e On computers with Windows 7 the installation adds Media Recorder 2 to the Start menu under All Programs Noldus Media Recorder 2 Al
66. talling the Media Recorder software 30 Connecting the video cameras eese 31 Chapter 3 Installation 3 1 Installing the Media Recorder 3 2 Y Do not insert your licence key before the installation is complete If you do so drivers are automatically installed which leads to incorrect functioning of the licence key Drivers of the licence key should be installed using the installation CD see below Installing the Media Recorder requires the following steps 1 2 Turn off automatic updates for device drivers see below Change the power saving settings of your computer see page page 21 Optionally install the H 264 encoder card see page page 23 Install the setup prerequisites see page page 27 and optionally the drivers for H 264 decoding see page page 28 Install the Media Recorder software see page page 30 Connect the video cameras see page page 31 Eg If you have a Picolo Diligent card we recommend you remove it before you install the H 264 encoder card Turn off automatic updates for device drivers Although the general recommendation from Microsoft to use automatic updates is good especially for security updates automatic updates of hardware device drives can sometimes give problems The Chapter 3 Installation procedure below describes how to specifically turn off the automatic updates only for device drivers If you or
67. ter Never install driver software from Windows Update V Replace generic device icons with enhanced icons Why should I have Windows do this automatically _Bsvecnnge 5 Click Save Changes Windows 8 1 Open the Start window with tiles and type Settings 2 Click the Settings tile 3 Click Change Device Installation Settings settings k am Change device installation 4 To the question Do you want Windows to download driver software and realistic icons for your devices select No let me choose what to do and then 5 Select Never install driver software from Windows Update Chapter 3 Installation 6 Also deselect the checkbox in front of Automatically get the device app and info provided by your device manufacturer Do you want Windows to download driver software and realistic icons for your devices O Yes do this automatically recommended No let me choose what to do Always install the best driver software from Windows Update Never install driver software from Windows Update Why should have Windows do this automatically PJ Save Changes Cancel 7 Click Save Changes 3 3 Changes to the power saving settings of your computer Certain power saving options of your computer can interfere with correct functioning of the Media Recorder When these power saving options are not switched off synchronization problems can occur in the video
68. thovision XT 8 and FaceReader 4 or higher versions of these programs For use with The Observer XT and FaceReader you can record up to 4 high quality video files simultaneously For use with EthoVision XT you can record up to 6 high quality videos simultaneously MPEG 4 DIVX MPEG 4 can achieve a high rate of compression with good quality because it separately codes the background which does not change much from frame to frame from the moving parts of the video MPEG 4 is in fact best seen as a collection of definitions rather than one fixed file format and there are many different implementations of MPEG 4 MPEG 4 has a higher compression rate than for example MPEG 2 and it can have much higher resolution with the Media Recorder upto 1920 x 1080 pixels The Media Recorder creates MPEG 4 DivX video files DivX is an implementation of MPEG 4 which has both high quality and good compression The audio format is MPEG 1 Layer 2 MP2 The container with these video and audio streams is AVI format H 264 Avc H 264 AVC is a type of MPEG 4 and is also known under the names H 264 AVC AVC H 264 H 264 MPEG 4 AVC MPEG 4 H 264 AVC MPEG 4 Part 10 or x 264 It creates good video quality and uses previously encoded pictures as references in a much more flexible way than in other standards allowing the use of up to 16 reference frames Because H 264 encoding and decoding requires significant computing power software implementation is typically sl
69. ved This screen is very similar to the screen when the Media Recorder cannot find the video source If you hear no sound on your recording this could be because The speakers of your computer are not plugged in turned off or their volume is low Your microphone is plugged into an audio channel that does not correspond to the video input channel The Windows volume control is muted or turned low You have selected Line in for your audio device instead of Microphone You do not have an audio source connected If you have multiple videos that do not seem to be synchronized use the offset function in The Observer XT to synchronize If you send commands with The Observer XT to start and stop recording the videos are automatically synchronized Appendix A Troubleshooting 84 If you miss frames at the beginning of your video when you sent commands to the Media Recorder with EthoVision this is because of a delay in starting the actual recording with The Media Recorder To assess this delay make for example a video of a digital clock and compare the time the command Start Recording is given with the time at the first frame of the video A 2 Help Menu The Media Recorder s Help menu contains the following options Help topics Opens the Reference Manual of The Media Recorder You can search and find help topics Noldus Online If your computer is connected to the Internet you can choose this option to
70. you open the Background Image of the open field in an Chapter 6 Using the Media Recorder with Noldus software image editing program and draw a rectangle around the open field the ratio of width height does not equal 1 but is 0 8 This means that you need to adjust the aspect ratio of the Background Image using this ratio in the Adjust Aspect Ratio window in the Custom field divide the width of the image box on the right by o 8 Do not change the height In principle you can create an MPEG 4 file from many E different digital cameras However for accurate tracking the quality of the digital camera is essential EthoVision XT has extensively been tested with the FireWire cameras Med Associates Basler Type A602F The Imaging Source DMK2z1AF04 monochrome and DFK31AFo3 color and the GigE camera Basler AC1300 3ogm Analog cameras In the Adjust Aspect Ratio window choose Noldus Recorder and click the dropdown list Adjust Aspect Ratio By default the aspect ratio from the video file is used Override the default if necessary Diligent controlled by EthoVision or video file with aspect ratio Noldus Recorder Euresys PICOLO DILIGENT NTSC Custom Euresys PICOLO DILIGENT PAL Euresys PICOLO DILIGENT PLUS PCIe NTSC Euresys PICOLO DILIGENT PLUS PCIe PAL Tip Film a CD and check if a 3Euresys PICOLO U4 H 264 NTSC If adjusted correctly the Euresys PICOLO U4H 264 PAL Media Recorder DV NTSC M

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