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This is a reconstruction of original Radius support documentation. All links on this page are now defunct. For more information, refer to the document Vintage Radius Documents.
December 13, 1995
This document contains some additional Q&As that are relevant for the VideoSpigot (LC, si, & NuBus), Spigot II Tape, and SpigotPower AV products.
Q: What is a Spigot and what are the Spigot products?
A: Presently there are three Spigot products: VideoSpigot (VideoSpigot NuBus, VideoSpigot si and VideoSpigot LC), Spigot II Tape, and SpigotPower AV. Please request via fax the Radius Digital Video Product Comparison Chart (ID#1280) from 1-800-332-9225 for additional comparative information.
The VideoSpigot si was a VideoSpigot for the PDS slot in a Macintosh IIsi; it included a ZeroSlot adapter for use with the IIsi's expansion slot. The VideoSpigot Pro si was a VideoSpigot si card bundled with the ZeroSlot adapter and a Spectrum/8•24 PDQ si graphics card for enhanced graphics capabilities. These products were designed to work on the Macintosh IIsi only and were discontinued in December, 1993. If you have one of these boards you may not use it in a different model computer. Be sure to check the ROM on the board to determine if it is really a VideoSpigot si product. If you are using Apple's IIsi NuBus adapter and are using VideoSpigot, it is most likely the regular NuBus version of the VideoSpigot. In this case, you could still use the VideoSpigot NuBus in another full-sized NuBus Macintosh (except the Centris/Quadra 610, 660av, 840av or Power Macintosh 6100). The VideoSpigot for Windows product was a product developed by SuperMac and sold to Creative Labs in November of 1992. It is neither owned nor supported by Radius, nor was it supported by SuperMac. SuperMac also sold VideoSpigot NuBus in bundled configurations which have since been discontinued: VideoSpigot Pro (included Spectrum/8•24 PDQ card), Spigot & Sound (included MacRecorder), and Spigot & Sound Pro (included MacRecorder and the Spectrum/8•24 PDQ card).
Q: Which Spigot products support still-frame capture?
A: The VideoSpigot card was optimized to capture simple motion video, not full-size still images. With a VideoSpigot the best solution is to only capture stills at smaller frame sizes. Spigot II Tape (thousands of colors) and the SpigotPower AV (millions of colors) offer still capture at full screen (640x480) sizes. Please note however, that the image is captured at 72 dpi (dots per inch), which may not have sufficient quality for publishing applications.
Q: I notice that there are red pixels scattered throughout all the frames in a movie I digitized with a Spigot product. What's wrong?
A: What you're seeing is probably video "noise" in your captured movie, possibly due to static, tracking errors on your tape, or signal interference due to a bad cable. This noise is being misinterpreted by the Spigot as color information as it digitizes the incoming signal. If this appears in all your movies, you may need to replace the cable used between the Spigot and the video source.
Q: Is there a VDIG (video digitizing extension) available for any Spigot products?
A: The VideoSpigot initially included VDIG 1.0, which added functionality with other QuickTime compatible products for use under QuickTime 1.0. VDIG 1.5 beta exists for use with QuickTime 1.5, however a final version was never developed. If you require a VDIG, consider using a higher-end product like Spigot II Tape, SpigotPower AV, or VideoVision Studio, which include a VDIG.
Q: Which Spigot products are compatible with QuickTime 2.0?
A: At the time of this update, there is one Spigot product that is compatible with QuickTime 2.0: SpigotPower AV, when used with Quadra 840av and Centris/Quadra 660av computers. Until further Spigot software updates are released, we recommend the use of QuickTime 1.6.1 or 1.6.2 for use with all other Spigot products.
Q: When I try to capture video, the capture window does not show video. What is happening?
A: If no video is showing in the video capture window, move the mouse cursor across the capture window. If the mouse cursor jitters, then the video product is functioning correctly and the cable connects are not connected properly. You should check the cable connections to solve the problem.
Q: What is the difference between VideoSpigot, Spigot II Tape, and SpigotPower AV?
A: Please request via fax the Radius Digital Video Product Comparison Chart for this type of information (and more). Its document ID # is 1280.
Q: Which Spigot products are compatible with System 7.5 and later?
A: At the time of this update, one Spigot product is compatible with System 7.5 and later: SpigotPower AV. All other Spigot products are currently not compatible with System 7.5 and later.
Q: How do I record audio with Spigot products?
A: All Spigot products support simultaneous audio capture from either built-in audio or third party audio devices, such as MacRecorder. If the Macintosh has sound or line input jacks, you can connect it to an audio source and capture sound with video. As you play back the captured video, the audio plays back through your Macintosh sound system. The manuals supplied with your Macintosh describe how to connect various audio sources to your Macintosh model. The audio source is often the same piece of equipment as your video source - a VCR or camcorder, for example. To capture sound that was recorded with a segment of videotape, connect an audio cable between the audio out ports on your VCR and the sound or line input jacks on your Macintosh. Most Macintosh sound input jacks accept a mini-plug connector. For improved sound quality from a Macintosh IIci, IIvx, Performa 600, Centris 650, Quadra 650, Quadra 700, or Quadra 800, use an attenuator. The attenuator has a mini-plug at one end and jacks that accept RCA connectors, standard on audio cables, at the other. (Audio cables and attenuators are available at consumer electronics stores). If your Macintosh has line input jacks, you can connect stereo RCA-to-stereo RCA cables directly between your audio source and the Macintosh. The Quadra 950, for example, has line input jacks. Newer AV and Power Macintoshes also have mini-plug connections.
Q: Do all Spigot products record in thousands of colors or more?
A: Yes, regardless of the colors which are displayed on your Macintosh, the information is being captured in thousands of colors or better. (VideoSpigot in millions, Spigot II Tape in thousands and Spigot Power AV in millions). Your movies will dither down if necessary if your Macintosh is not equipped to display thousands or millions of colors.
Q: Which Spigot products allow me to use Adobe Premiere™ to edit movies ?
A: All Spigot products support this feature. With VideoSpigot and Spigot II Tape, the best way to do this is to use ScreenPlay to capture the movie, then save it with minimal compression in "Spigot Rough" format. For VideoSpigot, as long as you have the VideoSpigot Extension v1.0 installed, you can then open the movie within Premiere. The Spigot II Tape extension performs this function as well. The appropriate extensions allow applications other than ScreenPlay to recognize and open "Spigot Rough" data format. Because ScreenPlay capture performance is far superior to that of the VDIG, use of the VDIG is not recommended. With Spigot II Tape it is best to use ScreenPlay II to output a 320x240 to tape at 640x480 using SpigotZoom after editing a movie in Premiere. SpigotPower AV supports capturing, editing and printing to tape directly from within Premiere.
Q: I read that I can get full motion capture at 320x240, but I'm not seeing that happen. Why not?
A: Most likely one of three things is happening. It is possible that your Spigot product is not capable of capturing at that rate. (Please see the Spigot Product Reference Chart to see if your Spigot product is capable of capturing at this rate. A frame rate of 30fps is possible at 320x240 when using the Spigot II Tape or SpigotPower AV.) It is also possible that your computer or hard drive is not fast enough to capture at this rate. Also, check to make sure that your System's extensions or control panel devices are not slowing overall system performance.
Q: When I try to capture video, the capture window continually displays images in black and white. What is happening?
A: If the video capture window displays color images in black and white check the length of the cable and replace with a shorter cable.