VideoFOCUS Quick Capture

Posted on by Jeff Hunter

The new screen capture component for VideoFOCUS.

Direct file import is always the first thing to try when bringing media into VideoFOCUS even if it is proprietary video, but screen capture is the goto approach when the media simply will not yield to any of the VideoFOCUS direct import strategies.

VideoFOCUS has featured an integrated screen capture component since early versions of the application. The original implementation has evolved over the years guided by user feedback and forensic requirements and has served well; but now there are new and significantly different capabilities in the Windows 10 OS that allow for a suitable GPU to do direct screen content encoding which is a game changer for the screen capture of HD+ sized video, a format that is becoming prevalent in the security domain.

Capability and performance to support high resolution media and straightforward workflow are driving themes in our vision for VideoFOCUS. With that in mind we created QuickCapture as a new screen capture that would leverage the new Windows 10 capabilities and streamline the whole capture UI experience down to one dialog. Of course it was also an opportunity to add in other improvements that will help make screen capture as useful as possible:

  • Full 4K MP4 capture (with suitable GPU).
  • Capture up to monitor frame rate with zero frame drop (MP4 with suitable GPU).
  • Significantly improved capture performance for non GPU assisted systems.
  • Capture from any screen including scaled and unscaled HDPI displays.
  • Direct selection and adjustment of capture location on any screen.
  • Automatic magnified visualization for precise pixel boundary selection.
  • Fixed dimension capture configuration options.
  • Uncompressed video and loop back audio capture options.
  • Efficient still image screen snapshot capability.
  • Frame label record of frame drop locations in captured video.

For a quick visual of how the new screen capture is used check out the short video above and for a more detailed description visit the VideoFOCUS 10.0 release document.

New ways to import files into VideoFOCUS

Posted on by Jeff Hunter

open-withVideoFOCUS 6.0.5 adds new ways that media files can be imported so it is a good time to review the options for import in VideoFOCUS. Files can be imported in the following ways:

  • The Import Media dialog;
  • Drag and drop;
  • The system “open with” (new);
  • Open from within DVR Examiner (new), and;
  • Drop on the VideoFOCUS app icon (new).

First I should mention that VideoFOCUS uses a number of stages when trying to import a file. These include examining the file to see if it is a supported proprietary DVR format, a standard audio or video file, a raw encoded video stream, an image sequence, or an individual image. No matter which way you choose to import, all of the appropriate stages are attempted to maximize the chances of a successful import.

To use “open with” to import a file, simply right click on the desired file’s icon wherever it appears and choose the open with action in the popup menu. If VideoFOCUS is not showing, select “choose another app”, then select VideoFOCUS from the list. VideoFOCUS does not automatically claim any file associations but the Windows OS may offer to make VideoFOCUS the default for the file type chosen, so be sure to adjust the checkbox setting as desired.

For those using the DME Forensics’ DVR Examiner product we are also pleased to announce that in their latest release, VideoFOCUS is now an option for opening media files directly from within DVR Examiner.

“Open with” support also brings the ability to drop a file onto the VideoFOCUS desktop shortcut and have it open in VideoFOCUS. Just like “open with” and open from DVR Examiner, if VideoFOCUS is already running, the file will be imported into the currently selected VideoFOCUS case. If VideoFOCUS is not already running, then it will be started and the file will be imported into whichever case was last selected.

Alternatively, if you have one or more files of a single type that you wish to import, drag and drop is often the quickest way to import. Open VideoFOCUS so that the main window is visible, select the files, and if they are audio or video simply drag them into the left hand sessions area. If they are images, dragging them into the sessions area will cause VideoFOCUS to prompt you for a frame rate, and then a video session will be created with that frame rate and the images organized in alphabetical order; if you wish for the images to be treated separately by VideoFOCUS, drag them to the stills area instead.

And finally, the Import Media dialog under the VideoFOCUS file menu can be used to try to import any media into VideoFOCUS and also offers the most control during the import process. The import dialog is also the way to import files that are a mixture of images and video and audio in one action. When there are multiple import options available for a selected file, the  Options button will be enabled; Options can be used to force a transcode or change the aspect ratio or interlace type prior to import. Remember to change the “Files of type” filter to “All Files” if you cannot see the file you are trying to open.

All of these capabilities are available in VideoFOCUS Pro, VFSource, and VFCapture version 6.0.5 or later.