Encoding with RT-MAC on os x

[meinnit]

HI, I have just started using mac (os x). I was hoping to be able to use my rt-mac breakout box to capture live video and then stream live on the net. In the past I have used VLC on linux which was great but vlc doesnt have capture for mac yet. The problem I have is that i cant see how to get any streaming software (quicktime broadcaster, wirecast) to recognise the rt-mac as a capture device. Am i barking up the wrong tree? maybe the rt-mac is just for final cut pro? is there a setting somewhere (video out?) that i need to use to all allow the rt-mac to encode/stream whatever the language is?!?
still very new to all this so please go easy on the tekky langauge!
thanks
rob

[redwudz]

You will likely get more replies to Mac specific questions in our Mac Forum. Moving you.

And welcome to our forums.

[meinnit]

cool thanks

[lordsmurf]

Does the RTmac work at all in OS X, or was it only for OS9?
Isn't the RTmac a DV-only device?

[meinnit]

hey thanks for swift reply
yeah the rt works great for live capture (composite or s video) within final cut pro.

[dnix71]

Apple has limited what is recognized by the system as a capture device to mostly firewire cameras and not much else. A lot of Macs didn't come with USB 2.0 and the keyboard/mouse are usb for everything after the beige G3, so only firewire had the bandwidth to do it.

MacAlly made a usb camera and hacked drivers to force it to work in iChat and Yahoo Chat. The IceCam costs about $30 and the software download to make it work on a Mac is $5 if you give the serial number on the camera.

I had one and gave it to a friend so his wife and daughter could see his face when chatting. There is a protective piece of film over the lens that you have to peel off and a focus ring to adjust, but other than that it's plug and play.

The Icecam works in Windows without the hacked drivers. There is a review here:
http://www.pmug.org/reviews/hardware/icecam/icecam.html

The Icecam can be used to save video to hd without using the hacked drivers.

If you can still find an old iSight firewire camera you can web stream with it:

http://www.oreillynet.com/mac/blog/2003/06/want_to_do_more_with_an_isight.html

This firewire camera is the successor to the Pyro and cost $110 :
http://www.cwol.com/firewire-cameras/fire-i-webcam-unibrain.htm

This firewire camera also works with QT on a mac:
http://shinza.com/product_info.php?products_id=61

[meinnit]

wow thank you thats helpful. Looks like i need to start to convert my analogue in to DV. the video we are wanting to capture comes from a number of cameras and then through a switching device (analogue) the source is in another building to to where the mac sits (50m away). So.. I'm thinking maybe send the analogue signal to a converter then firewire into the mac? maybe that will open up my options.