Like many camcorders released around 2009 -- and in the same price range -- the Samsung HMX-R10 camcorder does not offer webcam features. However, that does not mean you cannot use the HMX-R10 to stream video from the camera to your PC or to use it in video chat applications as you would a regular webcam. To use the Samsung HMX-R10 as a webcam, though, you must install a video capture device and route the camcorder through it before you can use it in streaming or chat applications.
Instructions
1. Connect the USB cable for the external capture device to a free port on the computer. Wait for Windows to detect the new device and prompt you for the installation disc. Insert the driver installation disc for the USB video capture device into the optical drive of your computer. Click the "OK" or "Continue" button. Wait for Windows to install the drivers for the USC capture box on your computer. Restart the computer if prompted.
2. Click "Start," then "Open." Double-click the driver letter of the CD/DVD drive containing the USB capture device software. Click the "Setup.exe" or "Install.exe" file in the folder window of the optical drive. The software installation wizard for the video capture utility appears on the screen. Follow the prompts to install the capture program for the device -- not the driver -- on your computer. Again, restart your PC if prompted.
3. Remove the media card from the Samsung HMX-R10 camcorder. Connect the RCA video cable to the Samsung video camera and the RCA input port on the USB video capture device. Power on the Samsung camcorder.
4. Launch the video capture program you installed earlier. Click the "Tools," "Options" or other similarly named menu bar option. Click "Video Settings" or "Camera Settings," then choose the detected Samsung in the list. Depending on the capture software you use, the actual name of the camcorder might not appear in the list. If you don't see a reference to your Samsung HMX-R10 camera, simply select the "Attached camcorder," "Camcorder detected" or other similar device option. Click "OK" or "Save" to save the settings in the capture program.
5. Click the "Preview" or "Stream" button on the capture program toolbar. The capture program activates the camera and displays the stream from the Samsung camcorder in the preview window. Minimize the video capture program to the Windows Taskbar.
6. Start a video chat program. Click the "Preferences," "Settings" or "Tools" menu bar option. Click the "Video" or "Webcam" settings link. Select the "USB Video Device," "USB Capture Device" or other similarly named device option as your default webcam. Save the webcam settings in the video chat program.
7. Position the Samsung camcorder so that your face is visible in the preview window of the video chat program. Use the camcorder with the video chat program as you would a standard webcam.
Tags: capture program, video capture, video chat, chat program, Samsung HMX-R10, video chat program