FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PocketCam Classic - For Windows 98SE /ME /2000


Q: What are the items that should be included in my package?

A: Your package should include the following:

  • PocketCam Classic

  • Two CD’s (PocketCam  [includes supplementary programs and camera driver] and Ulead Video Studio)

  • USB cable

  • Installation guide

  • Tripod  

Q: My PocketCam was missing some of the accessories when I purchased it, how can I replace them?

A: If you are missing any items, we suggest you return it to the purchase location for a complete package. If you are unable to exchange your camera, then please contact Technical Support for assistance. 

Q: What is the resolution of my PocketCam and how many pictures can I take?

A:  The following are the Specifications for the PocketCam Classic: 

 Sensor Type:  

  • 24 bit Color VGA (640 x 480) CMOS Image Sensor

Image Performance for Video Stream:  

  • 3 fps for VGA (640 x 480)

  • 9 fps for QVGA (320 x 240)

Memory and Images:  

  • Built in 8 MB of SDRAM *Note:  8 Megabytes = 64 Megabits

  • 26 pictures for VGA (High Resolution)

  • XGA software interpolated (1024 x 768)

  • 107 pictures for QVGA (Low Resolution) 

  • VGA software interpolated (640 x 480)

    
Q: What are my computer system requirements to run the PocketCam Classic?

The requirements are:

  • Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP

  • Pentium 200 MHz (or equivalent) processor or higher

  • 32 MB of RAM (64 MB recommended)

  • Video card with 2 MB of RAM for a minimum of 16-bit (high color) display

  • 4x speed CD-ROM 

  • An available USB port.

Q: What do the letters on the Screen Display stand for?

A:  Please consult the following list for information:

  • Ct = Continuous Mode (video)

  • St = Self Timer (for pictures only)

  • CL = Clear all that is stored

  • Hr = High Resolution (VGA Mode)

  • Lr = Low Resolution (QVGA Mode)


Q: I do not have a USB port on my computer, is there an adapter?

A: The camera requires direct power from the USB port; the camera will not work with any adapters.  Your best option is to install a USB PCI card.  This will provide you with 2 USB ports.  We recommend that you check with your computer manufacturer for compatibility. You can also contact a local computer repair store and have them help you. 

Q: Will the PocketCam Classic work with Windows 95?

A: No, the driver is only compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP.

Q: Is this camera compatible with Windows NT?

 A: No. The PocketCam Classic requires a USB power connection and Windows NT does not support USB.

Q: Is this driver compatible with Macintosh computers?

A: No, the PocketCam is only compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP.  We do not have any Macintosh drivers for this camera or any of our cameras.  You may be able to install the camera on your system if you were to install third party software, such as Virtual PC, which allows you to run Windows on a Macintosh computer.  Please note that although we have had users confirm that the PocketCam will work with Virtual PC’s Windows 98, we cannot offer support for Macintosh users, nor can we guarantee that it will work.

Q: Will this camera work with my existing imaging (scanners/other cameras) devices?

 A: If you are unable to use the PocketCam or your existing camera or scanner properly, uninstall both devices, and then reinstall the PocketCam first. We recommend that our camera be installed first to avoid any driver conflicts. For troubleshooting steps, refer to the following instructions according to operating system.

Follow these steps to refer to the Device Manager for Windows 98 and Windows ME:

  • Go to your start button

  • Choose settings

  • Select control panel

  • Open up system

  • Go to the device manager’s tab

  • If the camera is installed correctly, you should have an icon called imaging device.  Also, when you click the plus sign it should list your camera.


Follow these steps to refer to the Device Manager for Windows 2000:

  • Go to your start button

  • Choose settings

  • Select control panel

  • Open up system

  • Go to the hardware tab

  • Click on device manager

  • If the camera is installed correctly, you should have an icon called imaging.  Also, when you click the plus sign it should list your camera.

Follow these steps to refer to Multimedia properties for Windows 98 and ME:

  • Go to your start button

  • Choose settings

  • Select control panel

  • Open multimedia, for Windows ME it would be sounds and multimedia  

  • Go to the devices tab

  • Scroll down to video capture devices

  • Click the plus sign.  

  • This will give a listing of all of the active video capture devices.

Follow these steps to refer to Multimedia properties for Windows 2000:

  • Go to your start button

  • Choose settings

  • Select control panel

  • Choose sounds and multimedia

  • Go to the hardware tab

  • Double click legacy video capture devices

  • Go to the properties tab. 

  • Here it will give a listing of all of the active video capture devices.

Q: Where is the CD-Key that I need to install for the Video Live Mail, and the Video Kanoid programs?

A: Both of the CD-Keys are printed on the outer edge of the PocketCam installation CD that was provided in your package. All programs should be listed, please refer to the program you are trying to install. Right after the name of the program it should list any Key you need. 

Q: When I connect my camera to the computer, I get an error that says "Video Device is not attached", what do I do to fix this?

Follow these steps for Windows 98 and ME:

  • Go into your Control Panel and into Multimedia. 

  • Click on the Devices tab. 

  • Find Video Capture Devices and expand it by clicking the "+" next to it.

  • You should see all video capture devices there.

  • Look at the properties of each device. For all devices other than our camera, choose "Do not use this video capture device" and place a check in the "Do not map through this device" box.

  • Then click OK. You may need to restart your PC.

  • Once the PC has restarted (if necessary), try using the camera again. If the devices were properly disabled, you should be working fine.  

Follow these steps for Windows 2000:

  • Open your Control Panel.

  • Double click on Sounds and Multimedia.

  • Click on the hardware tab and select legacy video capture devices.

  • Click on the properties button and then click on the properties tab.

  • You should see the available capture devices.

  • Look at the properties of each device. For all devices other than our camera, choose "Do not use this video capture device" and place a check in the "Do not map through this device" box.

  • Then click OK. You may need to restart your PC.

  • Once the PC has restarted (if necessary), try using the camera again. If the devices were properly disabled, your camera should be working fine. 

Q: When I record my video from the PocketCam Manager I do not get any sound.  

A: The PocketCam Manager does not have a sound recording feature.  However, if you have a microphone, you can accomplish this using Video Live Mail or Ulead Video Studio.

Q:  Why am I receiving the error “No images to download”?

A:  This could happen for a couple of reasons.
Follow these steps the to troubleshoot the problem:

Make sure that pictures have been taken on the PocketCam. Verify that the camera is properly connected to the supplied USB cord in accordance with the installation guide. Try downloading your images through the Imaging program.  

Follow these steps to download your images through Windows Imaging:

  • Go to your start button  

  • Select Programs

  • Choose Accessories

  • Then Imaging

  • Go to file Select Scanner

  • Choose the Aiptek PocketCam Manager

  • Click OK

  • Go back to file

  • Then scan new

(If you’re not able to download your pictures from this program, continue with troubleshooting.) 

When the camera is plugged into the USB port, the camera should beep twice. The PocketCam should stay on and display the numbers of pictures.  If the camera does not beep twice or remain on, go to the Device Manager to verify that your USB Controllers are installed and functioning properly.  

Follow these steps to check the status of you USB and IRQ steering in Device Manager:

  • Go to your start button

  • Select Settings

  • Then Control Panel

  • Double click System

  • Go to the Device Manager’s tab  

Note: If your USB is working properly, you will see “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” listed as your last item.  Also, in this same section, you can check the status of you IRQ steering. If the IRQ steering is disabled, then the camera will not function. Continue below.

  • Right above the Universal Serial Bus Controller is System Devices

  • Click on the plus sign

  • Double click PCI bus

  • Go to the IRQ steering tab 

  • If it’s working properly, this is what the status should read: IRQ steering is enabled. If it says disabled contact computer manufacture to enable your IRQ steering.

If you have verified that the camera has been properly connected to the computer and the USB ports are enabled and functioning, contact Technical Support for further troubleshooting  

Q:  When I attempt to double click on an image to view I receive this error message.
Error in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SHIMGVW.DLL Missing entry: IMAGEVIEW_FULLSCREEN.  How do I resolve this error?

A:  This occurs because the PocketCam Manager cannot properly interface with the Image Preview function of Windows ME.  To work around the error, you must change the default bitmap viewing and editing application.  

  • Go to the desktop

  • Open the PocketCam Manager Album folder

  • Open the Demo Album folder 

  • Right click on one of the bitmap images shown there.

  • Choose Open With

  • Click on Choose Program

  • Choose Paint or Kodaking from the list (if you do not have a default image editing program, please contact you computer manufacturer)

  • Check the box that states:  Always use this program to open these files, and click OK. 

  • Once you completed the steps above, you should be able to open your pictures from the PocketCam Manager.  

Q: My picture quality is grainy.

A: Generally, this happens when there is insufficient lighting or battery life is low.  First, try taking snapshots in a brighter environment such as outdoors.  If this does not resolve the problem, replace the batteries.  You can also select any picture in the photo album, and use the Image Processing feature in the PocketCam Manager to adjust the image quality.

Q: When I try to take a picture the camera makes a low beep and does not count down, why is this?

A: The low beep is an indication that there is insufficient lighting. The camera will not take the picture and count down until there is proper lighting.

Q: Is there a flash I can add onto my PocketCam, if not how can I take pictures in poor lighting?

A: We do not offer, nor are we aware of any accessory flash for the PocketCam. It is possible to force the camera to take pictures regardless of the lighting, by using the Continuous Mode (Ct). Generally the image quality in poor lighting will suffer dramatically, therefore we do not recommend using this mode.  

Q: How do I enhance my pictures to XGA (1024 x 768) resolution?

Follow the steps below:

  • Open the PocketCam Manager

  • Click on the Settings button.

  • Click on the picture tab.

  • You will see two options:                                                                                             

    Original Resolution     (640 x 480)                                                                                 
    Enhanced Resolution     (1024 x 768)

  • Select Enhanced and click OK. Then upload your pictures.

Note: Once you select a Resolution, all pictures that you upload will remain in that resolution until it is changed. 

Q: Why does the PocketCam manager close when I try to get a Live View?

A. Please make sure you meet all requirements for your system. If you have a TV/Tuner card and do not want to disable it, then please try using another program like Netmeeting or Imaging for Windows. Those programs will allow you to use the camera as a camcorder. 

Q: Why can’t I send email directly from the PocketCam manager?

A:  Some Internet providers’ email format, such as AOL, is incompatible with the PocketCam manager mail feature. After downloading and transferring the pictures to album, you will find your pictures in a newly created Aiptek PocketCam Manager albums folder on your desktop. In this folder, you will find your Demo Albums, and any other albums that you created in the PocketCam Manager.  To send pictures in your email, you can open your default email editing program, and send a picture as an attachment.  We recommend that you save a picture in .jpeg format, which is needed to compress the file size, in order for you to upload to the Internet.   

Q: Why can't I get the email function from Video Live Mail to work?

A: There are several reasons why Video Live Mail may not work. You should contact your Internet Service Provider to configure the email functions for Video Live Mail.  The alternative is to send your pictures and video as attachments. Virtually every email provider supports this option. We suggest you convert your pictures into .jpeg before sending them. To convert a picture from .bmp to .jpeg format, see the following.

Q: How do I save my images as .jpeg?

A: When you download the pictures from your PocketCam, the pictures are loaded into the PocketCam Manager in a bitmap (.bmp) format.  Bitmap format is universal, but the file size is too large to send through email, or publish on the Internet.  The PocketCam Manager lets you compress the picture's file size by converting it to .jpeg.  Jpeg format is normally used on the Internet and email because of its small file size.  

Follow these steps to convert the image from .bmp to .jpeg:

  • Select an image from the album window side by clicking it once

  • Right click on the picture 

  • Choose Save As

  • From the Save As window, specify a file name and location to save the image to.

  • In the file type field, from the drop-down arrow list choose .jpeg format.

  • Click on save  

Q: Why is the LCD display on my PocketCam flashing?

A: When this occurs, the PocketCam’s batteries need to be replaced.  Also, to prevent losing your pictures, it is suggested that you download the stored images on the PocketCam as soon as possible.  

Q:  When I create .avi files, the file size is zero bytes, and they do not play in Media Player, how can I resolve this?

A:  This happens when your Video Compression Codecs are not installed properly.  You will need your Windows 98/ME CD, or the .cab files to solve the problem.  

  • Click on Start, and select Settings

  • Go to Control Panel

  • Then to Add/Remove programs 

  • Choose Windows Setup 

  • Locate Multimedia

  • Click on Details

  • Place a check in Video Compression and click OK

  • Click OK again

  • If prompted, specify the location of your Windows 98/ME CD, i.e. D:\Win98, or the .cab files, i.e. C:\Windows\Options\Cabs.  Once this is complete, run the avi creator from the PocketCam Manager, and you should be able to view your movies.  

Q: How long will my batteries last?

A. The average battery life of the camera is approximately 1 1/2-2 weeks. When the LCD display turns off, the camera enters standby mode; the camera does not actually power off. In order for the memory to function, whether you have pictures stored in the camera or not, the RAM must have a constant current of power. We recommend that you do not store the pictures on the camera longer than necessary. Download your pictures as soon as possible. Note: When the batteries are removed, all stored pictures will be lost. 

Q:  When I double click on an image to view, nothing happens.

A:  This means that you have no image editing program set as a default to open .bmp images.   

  • First transfer your pictures into the demo album

  • Close the program and proceed to the desktop  

  • Double-click on the Aiptek PocketCam manager album folder

  • Choose the Demo Album

  • Left click an image

  • Hold the shift key on your keyboard, then right click on the image that you selected  

  • Choose open with, or (for Windows ME, choose open with, then choose program)  

  • Select the program you want to use to open .bmp images, such as MS Paint, Ulead Photo Express or Kodaking (Imaging)

  • Make sure to put a check in the box that reads, “Always use this program to open these files.”  

  • Click OK, this will open all .bmp files in the program that you selected

Note:  We do suggest running Disk Defragmenter on your computer if you use the camera frequently.  Simply go to “Start”, “Programs”, “Accessories”, “System Tools”, and click on “Disk Defragmenter”.