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Plextor Converter (PX-M402U or PX-TV402U) Setup Guide

This document is a step-by-step guide to take you through the connection and configuration process of your Plextor Converter (PX-M402U and PX-TV402U models) to insure it works at best with the Dartfish Software.

As a first note, the advantage of these converters over a standard DV Camera is mainly a better quality/size ratio, as it does an on-the-fly MPEG-2 compression. A full soccer match (90 minutes) in DV can take up to 20 gigabytes on your hard-drive, while the same match in MPEG-2 would take about 4 gigabytes, without any really noticeable difference in quality.

This kind of device is also needed if you have video sources on tape, and want to record them on your computer for use inside the Dartfish Software. In that case, you will use a VCR connected to the Plextor converter instead of a camera.

 

1) Drivers installation / Hardware connection:

  • Do not connect the device to the computer yet.
  • Insert the CD provided with the device called "Application CD-ROM".
  • Browse the CD, go to the "Driver" folder, and double-click "Plextor ConvertX PX-M402U.exe" or "Plextor ConvertX PX-TV402U.exe", depending on your device. Follow the procedure to the end.
  • When it's done, you can plug your camcorder/VCR to the Plextor device, plug the power cable, and then connect the Plextor device to the computer using the USB cable. Windows should detect it automatically. You are physically all set.

 

2) Configuration Process inside Dartfish Software:

  • Install and launch Dartfish Software.
  • Select "Tagging" module, click on "Tag Live".
  • Click "Capture Device" under the video area.
     
    SetupCaptureDevice
     
  • In the dropdown menu, select "Plextor ConvertX M402U A/V Capture".
  • Now, you must choose the video input you used to connect your camera/VCR to the Plextor.
     
    Composite-Svideo
     
  • Then, click on "Configure the device". You have three options:
    (Image Quality), (Capture Device Settings), (Video Settings)
     
    Configure
     
    1. Image Quality:
       
      ImageQuality
       
      These options can be kept at default values. But if you feel the need to, you can adjust your picture by using these 5 parameters? sliders. You can always restore the factory default by clicking the "Restore Default Parameters" button.
       
    2. Capture Device Settings:
       
      CaptureDeviceSettings
       
      Select the video standard of the source video you will be converting (e.g.: If you live in Europe and use a standard PAL camcorder, select PAL_B).
       
    3. Video Settings:
       
      VideoSettings
       
      Here you have the choice between two MPEG-2 profiles: High Quality and Good Quality. Select the Good Quality if filesize is a crucial factor for you. You will then be able to record about 50-60% more compared to High Quality for the same filesize, while still having a good picture quality.

You're all set! Click OK to close all the configuration dialogs opened. You are now ready to record MPEG-2 Video in the Dartfish Software thanks to your Plextor converter.

If everything went right, preview of video should be visible in the Dartfish Software interface.

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