Capture network video stream source with the CaptureCtrl

Hi,

is it possible to capture the video stream from a network source (RTSP for example) with the CaptureCtrl?
I would like to capture the video stream from an IP camera without using the ConvertCtrl.

The CaptureCtrl does not take a stream as a source. It only uses devices that are registered as DirectShow video source filters (or legacy capture drivers).

Does your IP camera have a driver that works as DirectShow capture filter? If not, you will not be able to use it with the Capture Control.

If the camera does not have such a driver, the ConvertCtrl is the proper control to use. Why exactly do you not want to use it?

I don't want to use it because of a previewing problem:
when i am converting the network stream (MJPEG video stream) to a file, if i don't recompress (in fact decompress from MJPEG and then recompress into any other format, even into MJPEG again...) the stream, then the preview is not working.

Hello Aniki,

Could you clarify exactly what you are testing? You note that your stream is MJPEG. Have you tried the ForceNoRecompressionPreview with the ConvertCtrl, or have you only tried changing different video compressors? Please note that if you use the ForceNoRecompressionPreview, there is no audio and there will be a performance hit since the data must both be converted and decoded at the same time.

If this is what you have already tried, my suggestion would be to look at using a DVR implementation or use a Player control as the preview. If you use a player control, this would use a second RTSP connection with the source device. This may or may not work for you. Alternatively, you can use one convert control to create the DVR file, and then another convert control to create the desired output. A play control could also be used simultaneously with the DVR file for a preview (if necessary).

Hello Walter,

Thanks for the answer.
Before we investigate deeper in this problem, i opened a second thread specific for this converter preview problem. It is probably more suitable to continue the discussion there since the question of this thread is already resolved: no streaming source possible for the Capture control.

Back to your suggestions:
You are talking about the ForceNoRecompressionPreview property of the ConvertCtrl but my ConvertCtrl doesn't have such a property. I am using the ActiveX component V17.5 in a VB6 project.
This property is also not present in the help (even in the dll help or .Net help).

However, this property is present in the online help for every platform.
Whats the problem with my version?

Ok, i downloaded the Multimedia SDK again and registered the new ltmm175.dll and it works.
I had the version 17.5.0.6 and the actual version is 17.5.0.25.

How can I know that an update is available?
Is it possible to only download the dll and the help files?

To determine if you have the latest version of the toolkit installed, you can run the utility we install at

"\Shortcuts\Multimedia\Check Setup Version"

This utility will let you know if you have the latest version installed and will allow you to download the latest setup if you do not have it installed. For Multimedia version 17.5, we do not provide updates as separate downloads. You have to download the main Multimedia setup in order to receive the updated assemblies.

Thanks,