TerraTec Cameo Convert User manual

English Manual (Hardware)
Version: 17.06.04

CE Declaration
We:
TerraTec Electronic GmbH, Herrenpfad 38, D-41334 Nettetal, Germany
hereby declare that the product:
Cameo Convert
to which this declaration refers is in compliance with the following standards or standardizing
documents:
1. EN 55022 Class B
2. EN 55024
3. EN 61558
The following are the stipulated operating and environmental conditions for said compliance:
residential, business and commercial environments and small-company environments.
This declaration is based on:
Test report(s) of the EMC testing laboratory
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and shall not be deemed as a warranty by the
seller. No warranties, express or implied, are made with regard to the quality, suitability or accuracy of this docu-
ment. The manufacturer reserves the right to change the contents of this document and/or the associated products
at any time without the provision of prior notice to specific persons or organizations. The manufacturer shall not be
held liable for damages of any kind arising from the use, or the inability to use this product or its documentation,
even if the possibility of such damage is known. The information in this document is subject to copyright. All rights
are reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the
express written permission of the copyright holders. Product and brand names contained in this document are used
for identification purposes only. All registered trademarks, product designations or brand names used in this do-
cument are the registered property of their respective owners.
©TerraTec®Electronic GmbH, 1994 - 2004. All rights reserved (17.06.04).
2 CameoConvert (English)

Contents
Preface ................................................................................................................................. 4
Scope of delivery .................................................................................................................. 4
Product description .............................................................................................................. 5
Connections ......................................................................................................................... 6
The front panel .................................................................................................................... 6
The rear panel ..................................................................................................................... 6
Getting started...................................................................................................................... 7
Options ................................................................................................................................7
Input signal.......................................................................................................................7
Audio settings...................................................................................................................7
Advanced settings ........................................................................................................... 8
Application examples ........................................................................................................... 9
Bridge between analog video device / TV and PC ............................................................. 9
Bridge between AV and DV camcorders............................................................................ 9
Appendix .............................................................................................................................10
Service at TerraTec. ............................................................................................................10
Broken?!............................................................................................................................. 11
General terms and conditions of service .........................................................................12
Glossary ............................................................................................................................. 13
CameoConvert (English) 3

Preface
Thank you for choosing a TerraTec product. We would like to congratulate you on your deci-
sion to buy this sophisticated piece of state-of-the-art technology. The Cameo Convert is a
professional product that forms a bridge between the worlds of analog and digital video.
We're convinced that the Cameo Convert will be both very useful and a lot of fun for you for a
long time to come.
The following is a brief overview of the features of your new Cameo Convert.
Scope of delivery
CAMEO CONVERT·
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S video cable
Composite cable
Stereo audio cable
Power supply unit
DV (IEEE-1394) cable (4-pin to 6-pin)
DV (IEEE-1394) cable (6-pin to 6-pin)
Scart/Composite adapter
Ulead VideoStudio 8
Hardware and software manual
Registration card with the serial number
Please fill out and return the registration card to us at your earliest convenience or register
online at http://www.terratec.net/register.htm. This is important for support
and hotline services.
4 CameoConvert (English)

Product description
CAMEO CONVERT is a bridge between worlds...
... analog or digital: the external converter transfers recordings from one medium to another in
the best possible quality. Connect your VCR, TV, analog camcorder or DVD player to your desk-
top or notebook PC, Mac or DV camcorder in a few simple steps.
From analog to digital (and back), please...
Would you like to digitize your analog videos, edit them on your PC or Mac and store them on
DVD or (S)VCD with the click of a mouse? Transfer digital videos to your VCR or TV? Or simply
set up a connection between your DVD player, VCR, camcorder, TV or computer to view, copy
and convert video material? It's all no problem with CAMEO CONVERT. It features suitable
connections for any purpose—from the lightning-fast FireWire™ port to analog video-in and
video-out (S video, composite) to audio inputs and outputs. It's everything you need to go
from analog to digital—and back, if necessary. Just what you need, whenever you need it.
It's all there: a full range of accessories
CAMEO CONVERT comes with a complete accessory package to cover all of your video transfer
needs. It includes suitable connector cables (two DV cables, S video cable, A/V cable, Scart-
composite adapter) and a powerful PC software package, including Ulead VideoStudio 8 for
professional video editing and archival on (S)VCD or DVD.
CameoConvert (English) 5

Connections
The front panel
uvwxy z { |
u6-pin DV (FireWire™, IEEE1394) interface for DV In/Out
vThis LED is lit when the selected video source is DV *
wThis LED is lit when the selected video source is AV *
xThis LED is lit when 12-bit encoding is used for the sound *
yThis LED is lit when 16-bit encoding is used for the sound *
zS video (Y/C) input
{Composite video input (cinch)
|Stereo audio inputs (cinch)
The rear panel
def g h i j
dStereo audio outputs (cinch)
eComposite video output (cinch)
fS video (Y/C) output
gDevice settings (DIP switch) *
h6-pin DV (FireWire™, IEEE1394) interface for DV In/Out
iDC input (+5 VDC / 6 Watt)
jPower switch (on/off)
*These settings must be configured manually. This topic will be covered later under Settings.
6 CameoConvert (English)

Getting started
Please use the included power supply j. Simply switch the Cameo Convert on j. It's now
ready to use.
Options
Two buttons are located on the top of the unit.
Input signal
Press the “SOURCE” button to choose whether you would like to convert AV to DV (LED 
must be lit) or DV to AV (LED must be lit).
Caution: Please wait five seconds after pressing the SOURCE button before changing the op-
erating mode again.
Audio settings
Press “AUDIO” and choose whether the converter will use 12-bit or 16-bit encoding for the
sound. The LED must be lit for 12-bit encoding, LED for 16-bit.
CameoConvert (English) 7

Advanced settings
It's not necessary to change these settings in the everyday use of the Cameo Convert. Never-
theless, we would like to give you an overview of the functions of the individual DIP switches.
To access the DIP switches, carefully remove the cover g.
The DIP switches in detail
S1 ON
OFF
->
->
PAL
NTSC system
S2 ON
OFF
->
->
7.5 IRE (NTSC standard, except Japan)
0 IRE (NTSC standard, Japan)
S3 ON
OFF
->
->
automatic recognition of the video source
manual recognition of the video source
S4 & S5 These two switches let you adapt the Cameo Convert perfectly to suit your pur-
poses. They are not important in most cases, however, as the device's perform-
ance is very good with the default settings.
ON -> Default setting
ON S4
OFF -> Windows 2000
ON -> Windows ME / XP
S5
OFF S4
OFF -> Windows 2000, if many DV devices are connected
Caution:
you must restart the Cameo Convert after every change.
8 CameoConvert (English)

Application examples
Cameo Convert is compatible with DV (iLink, FireWire™ or IEEE-1394), Digital 8, Video 8, Hi8,
VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C and S-VHS-C formats. This results in a broad range of potential uses.
Bridge between analog video device / TV and PC
An especially interesting application is as a bridge between analog video devices and PCs,
permitting existing analog video material to be digitized, edited and stored on (S)VCD, DVD or
videotape.
Simply connect your analog video device to the video input or and the audio inputs .
Please use the appropriate cables (included) for this connection. Next, connect the DV in-
put/output to the FireWire™ port of your PC: Please also use the included DV cable
(IEEE1394 6-pin to 6-pin) for this connection. Switch the Cameo Convert on. Your PC will au-
tomatically recognize the Cameo Convert as a DV camcorder. The Cameo Convert will be listed
in your PC's Device Manager under “Imaging devices” as “MS DV camera and video recorder”.
To launch the Device Manager, press and hold the Windows key (with the Windows logo) and
press the Pause key. This will open the System Properties window. Under Windows 2000 or
XP, click the “Hardware” tab and then the “Device Manager” button. Press the SOURCE button
of the Cameo Convert once to select AV as the video source. The LED must light up.
Now launch your software. For more information on ULEAD VideoStudio 8, please see the o-
ther manual. To copy the edited video material from the software back to analog video tape or
preview the material on your TV, simply use the SOURCE button to set the source to DV. The 
LED will light and the effects you have applied will be shown on your TV in real time.
Bridge between AV and DV camcorders
Naturally, a computer is not necessary when using the Cameo Convert. It can also be used as
a bridge between digital and analog video equipment.
Your DV camcorder will have a socket labeled as “DV IN”, “DV IN / OUT” or “iLink™”. Connect
the smaller plug of the DV cable (IEEE1394 6-pin to 4-pin) to the socket on your DV camcorder
and the larger one to the Cameo Convert, or h. The connection of the analog video device
will naturally depend on its purpose. If you would like to copy from DV to AV, connect the ana-
log video device to the rear panel, or for the opposite direction to the front panel. Set the di-
rection by simply pressing the SOURCE button. The LED or will indicate the selected di-
rection. Finally, press Record or Play on the connected devices.
CameoConvert (English) 9

Appendix
Service at TerraTec.
“Rien ne va plus—Nothing's working” can happen to the best systems. If this happens to you,
the TerraTec team is happy to offer its service and support.
Your first move should be to check our website http://www.terratec.com/ for current answers
to frequently asked questions and the latest drivers.
If these options do not provide the necessary help, please contact our phone helpline or con-
tact us online at http://supporten.terratec.net/. In either case, please have the following in-
formation handy:
your registration number,·
·
·
·
this documentation,
the manual of your motherboard, and
a screen shot of your BIOS configuration (if possible).
In addition, it would be helpful to our technicians if you are at your computer during the pho-
ne call so that you can carry out our tips and tricks directly. Please do not forget to write down
the name of the respective support technician if you contact our Support Team. You will need
this name if a defect is present and your card needs to be mailed to us.
10 CameoConvert (English)

Broken?!
Before you send the device back, be sure to contact us! Make a note of the name of your sup-
port contact and follow these simple instructions:
Please fill out the service request form provided with your CameoConvert clearly and
completely. The more clearly and detailed you describe the problem, the faster we will be
able to help. Cards sent in without a description of the problem cannot be processed and
will be returned to you at your expense.
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Be sure to include a copy of your purchase receipt (not the original) with the package. If
we do not receive a copy of a receipt, we will assume that the warranty for the product has
expired and will bill you for the repair.
Please use a sufficiently strong and padded mailing package. Remember that the card is a
sensitive electronic component.
Be sure to include enough postage—we will cover for the postage for the return to you.
CameoConvert (English) 11

General terms and conditions of service
1. General
By purchasing and receiving the goods, you accept our general terms and conditions of
service.
2. Proof of guarantee
You will require a copy of the purchase receipt or delivery slip as proof of warranty. If you
do not supply proof of warranty, we will charge for repairing the goods.
3. Description of problem
Shipments that do not include a description of the fault or an insufficient description ('de-
fective' or 'for repair' is insufficient) will be returned for a processing fee, because this
makes repair more difficult and could have been avoided.
4. Invalid returns
In the event of an unfounded complaint (no fault could be detected, probable operating
error), we will return the goods and a processing fee will be charged.
5. Packaging
If possible, please use the original packaging for return shipment. Any warranty claim will
be jeopardized by improper packaging. The warranty will not apply to damage caused by
improper packaging.
6. Foreign manufactured products
Devices that are not manufactured or distributed by TerraTec Electronic GmbH will be re-
turned and a processing fee will be charged.
7. Repairs liable to your expense
Repairs out of the warranty period are liable to your expense.
8. Transportation costs
The dispatcher pays all costs associated with shipping and insurance for the goods for re-
pair to TerraTec Electronic GmbH. If the goods are covered by warranty, TerraTec Electronic
GmbH will pay the shipping costs for returning repaired goods. COD shipments will not be
accepted for organizational reasons.
9. Final regulation
TerraTec Electronic GmbH reserves the right to change or supplement the general terms
and conditions of service at any time.
Otherwise the General Terms and Conditions of Business of TerraTec Electronic GmbH are
considered to be accepted.
12 CameoConvert (English)

Glossary
AVI—A Windows video format.
Bit rate—The bit rate indicates the volume of the data stream per second. A higher bit rate
results in higher quality. A distinction is made between constant bit rates (e.g. for -> VCD) and
variable bit rates, e.g. for -> SVCD and -> DVD. Unlike constant bit rates, variable bit rates ad-
just the size of the data stream according to the video material.
Blue screen—A variation of -> Chroma keying
Capture—Recording.
Chroma keying—Chroma keying uses a surface with a single color in front of which an actor,
for example, is filmed.This color area is then made transparent during subsequent editing and
can be replaced by a different background.
Chrominance—Chrominance refers to the color signal in -> YUV, which is comprised of two
color components: U, the balance between red and cyan, and V, the balance between yellow
and blue.
Clip—A short piece of video material.
Composite video—Composite video is a transmission method common in the consumer sec-
tor that is generally realized using cinch connectors and which is frequently used, for exam-
ple, on TVs.In this process, all signals (chrominance and luminance) share a single cable. The
quality of composite video is lower than that of -> S video, in which chrominance and lumi-
nance are transferred separately.
CPU—Central processing unit. The part of your computer (processor, e.g. Pentium or Athlon),
that does the actual computing.
D8—Digital 8 is the successor to the Hi8 and VHS-C camcorder formats. Hi8 or D8 cassettes
are still used, but the video data is recorded digitally in DV format.
Data throughput—see Data transfer rate
Data transfer rate—The data transfer rate describes the speed at which a hard drive can read
or write data over a sustained period. The data transfer rate is usually measured in seconds,
e.g. 7 Mbps.
Device control—In DV terms, this refers to the ability to control your camcorder from your PC.
CameoConvert (English) 13

DirectDraw—DirectDraw is a graphics standard initiated by Microsoft. Its features include the
capability to write graphics data directly to the memory of the graphics board for the fluid
display of video material.
Dropped frames—These are individual images missing from the video data stream, usually
due to a slow hard drive.
DV—DV stands for Digital Video. The DV standard uses a compression rate of 5:1. This corre-
sponds to a data rate of 3.125 Mbps, which can be handled by virtually any modern hard
drive. The quality of the DV standard is very high; it is therefore frequently used in profes-
sional productions. A number of different cassette types exist in the DV sector, which vary in
size and maximum playing time, but which are compatible with one another in terms of video
data. MiniDV is designed for the consumer sector and supports playing times of up to one
hour. The DV format used in the professional sector supports playing times of up to three
hours.
DV-In—Usually, the DV jack of a camcorder can transport video data in both directions— to
and from the camcorder. Many camcorders in Europe do not feature DV-In, however.
Also see -> Enabling.
Enabling—Due to European import duties, imported digital video recorders are more expen-
sive than imported digital video playback devices. For this reason, manufacturers of camcor-
ders have begun to modify their products for the European market and to disable the digital
input -> DV-In. Needless to say, clever developers found a way around this restriction very
quickly. This is known as “enabling”. Enabling the DV camcorder is a precondition for sending
video material back to the camcorder. Enablers are available for almost all camcorders and
can be purchased freely.
Fading—Fades are soft transitions, often involving special effects, from one clip to the next.
Fields—Rather than displaying 25 frames per second (as per the PAL standard), 50 fields are
displayed per second to reduce TV display flicker. These fields consist of either the odd-
numbered rows (these are sent first) or the even rows of the image being displayed.
FireWire™—Apple's name for -> IEEE 1394
Frame rate—The number of frames within a given period of time. The frame rate is frequently
stated in frames per second (FPS).
Hi8—Analog video recording system that separates color and brightness information, thus
offering quality better than that of VHS-C, for example.
Hosiden connector—a small connector with four conductors used for -> S video signals.
14 CameoConvert (English)

IEEE 1394—This is a universal bus system originally developed by Apple for digital data com-
munications. The devices are connected by cables with a maximum length of 4.5 m. The sys-
tem supports transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps. However, a standard has not been established
for video data due to the lack of specifications for the format of video data using this bus.
Sony got down to brass tacks and closed this gap by installing FireWire™ sockets in its digital
camcorders and developing its own protocol. Thanks to FireWire™ and the Sony protocol, the
dream of loss-free video editing has finally come true.
iLink—Sony's name for -> IEEE 1394
Interlacing—see Fields
Linear editing—The origins of linear video editing date back to analog video. The original vi-
deo data is generally present in the same sequence as the edited video clips. A simple form of
linear video editing would be to copy material from an analog video camera to a VCR and dis-
card a number of clips in the process. However, if you would like to insert a new clip in the
middle, it would be necessary to copy all of the following clips again.
Luma keying—Unlike chroma keying, the transparency of the video is determined on the basis
of brightness in luma keying.
Luminance—Luminance refers to brightness in -> YUV. (Y)
Main memory—see RAM
MiniDVD—This is a process in which -> DVD data, including the DVD directory structure and
navigation menu, is burned onto a blank conventional CD. Many of the currently-available
DVD players can play MiniDVDs. Due to their lower capacity, MiniDVDs can only store around
18 minutes of video data. If you do not own a DVD burner, we recommend recording video
material on -> SVCD.
MiniDV—The consumer version of the DV format. Also see –> DV.
MJPEG—Motion JPEG is a compression process in which every single frame in the video data
stream is compressed individually.
MPEG—The Motion Picture Experts Group is a consortium of leading manufacturers and de-
velopers of video technology that determines new standards such as MPEG-1 or MPEG-2.
Nonlinear editing—Unlike -> linear editing, individual clips can be edited without affecting
subsequent clips. For example, with nonlinear editing, you can shorten or remove a clip at the
beginning of a video project without having to edit the following clips as a result.
CameoConvert (English) 15

NTSC—NTSC is a video standard used in the USA and Japan. NTSC has a higher frame rate
than PAL (30 frames or 60 -> fields per second), but a lower resolution (525 rows, with 480
visible). Color depiction in NTSC is realized in -> YIQ.
PAL—This is the most common video standard in Europe. PAL displays 25 frames (or 50 ->
fields) per second and has a resolution of 625 rows, of which 576 are visible. Color depiction
in PAL is realized in -> YUV.
Preview—The preview offers you a quick overview of your work. The final quality is normally
considerably higher than that of the preview.
RAM—Random Access Memory is the main memory of your PC. Since video editing with ef-
fects is very memory-intensive, the old rule applies: you can never have enough RAM!
Rendering—this refers to the processing of video or audio clips after an editing operation has
been completed, for example after the application of an effect or filter.
RGB color space—In the RGB color space, each visible pixel is made up of the three compo-
nents R(ed), G(reen) and B(lue). To achieve the natural display of colors on a computer, each
of these components must have at least 256 values. This corresponds to exactly one byte for
each color component. A single complete video image would thus require 768 pixels x 576
pixels x 3 bytes = 1,327,104 bytes. This corresponds to around 1.2 MB per frame! One second
of video in the RGB color space would therefore require around 31.6 MB of storage space.
Using this process, a 2 GB hard drive would have a video capacity of around one minute. No
current hard drive can deliver this volume of data in real time, but a number of options are
available to reduce the data volume of the video signal substantially through transformation
to a different color space (usually YUV) and compression (usually MJPEG).
S video—Unlike -> composite video, chrominance and luminance are transmitted separately in
S video, resulting in higher quality.
Saturation—Describes the ratio of color in the picture.
SECAM—SECAM is the third video standard like PAL and NTSC. Today it is used only in France
and a number of Eastern countries. East Germany, for example, also once used the SECAM
standard.
Storyboard—Unlike the -> timeline, the storyboard offers a thematic overview of your video
project. Individual scenes can be identified easily, but it does not deliver a sense of the actual
length of the project.
SVCD—Abbreviation for Super Video CD. SVCDs are similar to -> VCDs, but they have a great
advantage in that their data is in MPEG-2 format with a -> variable bit rate. In addition, the
resolution of 480 x 576 pixels is higher than that of the VCD. An SVCD generally can contain
16 CameoConvert (English)

CameoConvert (English) 17
45-50 minutes of video material. The bit rate (audio and video) of an SVCD may not exceed
2.6 Mbps. SVCDs can be viewed using many standalone DVD players.
Timeline—The timeline is the time axis upon which you position and edit your video clips.
Transition—see Fading
Trimming—This refers to adjusting the length of a video clip at the beginning and/or end.
VCD—Abbreviation for Video CD. The Video CD has a PAL resolution of 352 X 288 pixels and
stores audio and video data in MPEG-1 format. VCDs use a constant -> bit rate of 1.15 Mbps for
video and 224 kbps for audio data. VCDs can be viewed in virtually any DVD player.
Video filter—Video filters let you influence your video material in a wide range of ways. For
example, you can manipulate the colors of your video film or use complex filters to degrade
your new, top-quality film to look like an old, silent movie.
Video for Windows—This is an old, but still commonly used, video concept for Windows.
YIQ—YIQ is a color space related to -> YUV. It is also characterized by a brightness component
-> luminance (Y), but also by different color components, I (cyan-orange balance) and Q (ma-
genta-green balance). YIQ is used -> for NTSC, for example.
YUV—YUV is the designation for a color space characterized by a brightness component ->
luminance (Y) and two color components -> chrominance (U, V).