SpigotVDIG™ is a QuickTime™ Video Digitizing Extension (vdig) for the SuperMac VideoSpigot™ products. It allows you to put digital video on your desktop when using MovieRecorder and DIVA™ VideoShop™, and makes your VideoSpigot product fully QuickTime compatible!
NOTE: MovieRecorder and DIVA™ VideoShop™ have been the primary applications used in our evaluation testing. Other applications such as Grab Guy and other frame-by-frame applications have not been thoroughly tested because they will do not fit software application standards released by Apple to the public.
Below is all the information you will need to install and use the SpigotVDIG. We hope you enjoy digitizing!
Minimum Configuration:
You will need one of each of the following items in order to use the SpigotVDIG.
•Macintosh: II, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx, IIsi, LC, LCII, Quadra 700, or Quadra 900
•RAM: 4Mb (requirement for using QuickTime digitizing applications)
•VideoSpigot Hardware: VideoSpigot LC, VideoSpigot si, or VideoSpigot NuBus
•System Requirements: 6.0.7, 7.0, or 7.0.1
•QuickTime 1.0
•A QuickTime video digitizing application such as MovieRecorder or VideoShop
*NOTE: If you are using ScreenPlay, you do not need to use the SpigotVDIG. SpigotVDIG is only required if wish to digitize video with applications other than ScreenPlay.
Installation:
SpigotVDIG is a standard System Extension (INIT) that is specifically designed to work with QuickTime. If you are using System 6.0.7, simply put SpigotVDIG in the System Folder of your startup disk. If you are using System 7.0 or 7.0.1, put SpigotVDIG in the Extensions folder. In addition, make sure that QuickTime 1.0 is installed.
Startup:
If SpigotVDIG is correctly installed in your system, it will display its icon along the bottom of your screen during startup. If the icon has an 'X' through it, it means that SpigotVDIG did not load. The most common reasons for this are that either the VideoSpigot hardware or QuickTime is missing - check your configuration and try again! To manually disable the SpigotVDIG while your Macintosh is booting, hold down the mouse button.
*NOTE: SpigotVDIG uses approximately 300K of system memory when installed. If you are not going to use the SpigotVDIG, you may want to disable it so that that memory is available for use by your application software.
That's all there is to it! You are now ready to start digitizing. The section below contains information about the capabilities and use of the SpigotVDIG.
Video Standards:
When using the SpigotVDIG, you will be able to digitize video in NTSC, PAL, and SECAM modes. However, if you are using SECAM mode, please refer to the technical information at the end of this ReadMe to find out how to alter the SpigotVDIG to ensure compatiblity with SECAM video.
Video Sizes:
The VideoSpigot hardware and SpigotVDIG are optimized to work with video at the following sizes:
•NTSC: 160x120, 240x180, and 320x240
•PAL and SECAM: 192x144 and 384x288
The SpigotVDIG can stretch or shrink video to virtually any other size (from 80x60 to 768x576), but overall performance and quality will be less than when using one of the above sizes. To help you achieve optimal performance with maximum ease-of-use, the SpigotVDIG gives you faster video with sizes at or slightly bigger than the above sizes - if you choose a size that is slightly bigger, there will be a black border around the digitized frames to compensate for the difference in size.
Resizing in MovieRecorder:
•160x120 or 192x144 - select the "Quarter Size" option from the "Resize" menu.
•240x180 - resize the window manually
•320x240 or 384x288 - select the "Half Size" option from the "Resize" menu.
Resizing with VideoShop:
•VideoShop 1.0 does not have any default size controls. When previewing video, resize the window while holding down the option key to set video to an exact size. Once the size is set, VideoShop will remember it.
Video Depths:
The VideoSpigot hardware and SpigotVDIG are optimized to work in Millions (32-bit), Thousands (16-bit), and 256 Colors or Grays (8-bit). The SpigotVDIG can dither video to any other depth, but overall quality and performance will be less than when using an optimal depth.
Video Display:
The SpigotVDIG can display frames of video on any Macintosh graphics adapter, including internal video on the IIci, IIsi, LC, LCII and Quadras.
Cropping:
The SpigotVDIG has full support for cropping video with QuickTime applications such as MovieRecorder and VideoShop. To crop to a specific size in VideoShop, hold down the option key while outlining the cropping area.
Analog Video Controls:
The SpigotVDIG supports settings for hue, saturation and sharpness. (Changes to hue are very noticeable, while changes to saturation and sharpness are more subtle.) When using MovieRecorder, you will be able to adjust all three. When using VideoShop 1.0, you will have control over hue and saturation.
*NOTE: These analog controls do not generally apply to the SECAM video standard, and therefore do not function in that mode.
Performance Tips:
The following tips should help you achieve maximum performance when digitizing video:
•If you don't need to digitize audio, turn audio digitizing off within your QuickTime application. This should improve performance of video.
•Digitizing to RAM is faster than digitizing to disk. If your machine has a lot of memory and you are sampling shorter clips, you can optimize performance by recording directly to memory.
•Make sure you do not have any open Control Panels or Desk Accessories. These windows take time away from the digitizing process.
The Beta Process:
A lot of work has gone into SpigotVDIG to make it as reliable as possible. However, it is still in development and considered to be beta software. If you have any feature requests, questions, comments, or bugs - we want to hear from you! Your input will help to make SpigotVDIG a better product. Refer below for information about how to contact SuperMac.
Known Problems:
•Do not run ScreenPlay and another QuickTime digitizing application at the same time - this may cause a crash. However, if you use them separately, everything should work correctly.
•If you encounter any problems with video being displayed at a size or position other than the one you specified, resize the window and try again. Also, check the memory allocation for the digitizing application you are using. If you suspect that you are running low on memory, increase the size of the application memory partition in the Get Info window in the Finder.
•If you have multiple screens and video appears to have the wrong colors when used on a screen that is not the main screen (the one with the menubar), try quitting and relaunching the application. If the problem persists, move the menubar to the screen that you will be using for digitizing.
•On the LCII, video sizes beyond 160x120 or 192x144 may not display any video.
•High-quality, full-frame grabbing is not yet implemented.
Developer Information:
If you are a developer and are working on a QuickTime video digitizing application, we would be happy to work with you throughout your development cycle to ensure compatibility with SuperMac products. Contact Jim Center in our Product Management Department for more information.
Technical Information:
Altering SpigotVDIG for use with SECAM:
The VideoSpigot hardware and SpigotVDIG are capable of auto-sensing input signal combinations of either NTSC and PAL or NTSC and SECAM. If you are using NTSC or PAL, no other modifications are necessary to digitize video. However, if you are using SECAM mode, and your QuickTime application software does not have a control for setting the video standard, then you will need to make a change to the SpigotVDIG with Apple's ResEdit software. For example, Apple's MovieRecorder software has a video standard control, while VideoShop 1.0 does not. Here's how to alter the SpigotVDIG to make it auto-sense SECAM video instead of PAL:
1. Open the SpigotVDIG with ResEdit.
2. Locate the 'SECM' resource.
3. Open the 'SECM' resource and change the 00 value to 01.
4. Save the file and quit.
How to Contact SuperMac:
You can reach SuperMac Technical Support at (408) 245-0646, Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., U.S.A. Pacific time. You can also send technical support questions by fax to (408) 732-2696.
The SuperMac electronic bulletin board has the latest information about other SuperMac
products and the latest software updates. Post questions about SuperMac software
and hardware products on the bulletin board and pass along tips and shortcuts
that you have found while using the products.
The bulletin board supports 300/1200/2400/9600 baud, and it is on line 24 hours a
day. Set your modem to 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and full duplex
(8-N-1-FULL). Contact the bulletin board at (408) 773-4500.
SuperMac Technical Support can also be reached through these on-line services:
On-line Service Addresses:
AppleLink® SMT.TECH
CompuServe® 76004,2330
GEnie™ SUPERMAC
America Online SuperMac
CONNECT® SUPERMAC
MCI Mail® SuperMac
Internet SMT.TECH@applelink.com or 76004,2330@compuserve.com
Other AppleLink addresses for contacting specific departments within SuperMac:
Product Management: SMT.PRODMGMT
Engineering: SMT.ENGR
Beta Testing: SMT.BETA
Product Marketing: SMT.PRODMKTG
Sales: SMT.SALES
UK Operations: SMT.UK
SpigotVDIG and VideoSpigot are trademarks of SuperMac Technology
QuickTime is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
DIVA and VideoShop are trademarks of Digital Video Applications Corporation
