AuthorPoint Tutorial

Hardware/Equipment Installation

Your computer at your presentation location must be able to connect to a device that audio or video. This portion of the tutorial goes over most possible devices that you can connect your computer to get video or audio, and goes step by step in how to connect them.

1. Connect your recording device to the computer. How this step is done depends on what recording device you would use, or whether you would need extra equipment to connect the device to the computer. You may choose a maximum of one microphone and one video recording device:
   
   1. Microphone: A microphone records sounds in the room, and turns it into audio. You may use a built-in microphone that some computers have, or use a separate wired or wireless microphone. If you’re using a separate microphone, connect the microphone to the computer’s microphone jack. For wireless microphones, connect the receiver to the microphone jack.
   2. Webcam: The webcam lets you record video and audio quickly, but video quality decreases. Most webcams provide the appropriate connectors to connect it through the USB ports on the computer.
   3. Video Camera/camcorder: A video camera also captures audio and video, and the quality is much better on the video camera than over the webcam. There are many ways to connect to a video camera to a computer, since there are different types and kinds of them. Depending on your equipment, please select one of the following methods:
      1. If your camcorder can connect to a USB connector
         connect one end to the camera, the other end for the computer.
      2. If your camera has a Firewire port
         check to see if your camera provided a Firewire cable. Most DV cameras will have a Firewire port.
         If you do not have this port, please go to option iii.
         
         You will check comprehensively if you have the appropriate equipment to connect your camera and computer via Firewire.
         
         The first component to check is the computer you will be using for recording. The computer must also have a Firewire port. Some computers have a Firewire port installed, including many Sony VAIO laptops. A port can either be a 4-pin or 6-pin connector.

         1. Ifyou have one of these ports, please note the pin number that this computer connects to.
            
            Then, we will check the pin number for the firewire wire that came with your camera. As with Firewire ports, there are two different kinds of Firewire wires, one for a 4 pin, and another for 6 pin. Identify the pin number for your Firewire connector.
            1. If the pin number on the computer port matches the pin number on your Firewire cable, connect the camera and computer using the provided connector.
            2. Otherwise, if you do not have a Firewire cable or the pins do not match, you need to obtain a cable that is compatible with the pin number for your computer, and use that cable to connect the camera to the computer.
               
         2. Otherwise, if you do not have a Firewire port on your computer, you must obtain a Firewire PCMCIA card for the computer you will be recording on.
            
            Then, you must install the card so that the computer may recognize it. Save any changes to your computer and turn off your computer. Push the PCMCIA card in the PCMCIA slot on your computer, and turn it back on.
            
            Once the card is set in the PCMCIA slot, turn on your computer. The computer will recognize the card and automatically install the proper drivers necessary to use it.
            
            If you do not have a Firewire cable, you will also need to obtain this. There are two kinds of Firewire cables, depending on whether it’s a 4 pin or 6 pin cable. This is irrelevant, since the Firewire PCMCIA card accommodates for both types of Firewire cables.
            
            Use any Firewire cable to connect the camera to the computer.
      3. Otherwise, if you camera does not connect through USB or Firewire
         please contact the Office of Instructional Resources for more assistance in connecting your camera to your computer.
2. If this is the first time connecting the recording computer to the audio/video devices, Windows will ask to install drivers. Allow Windows to install the necessary drivers.
3. The equipment is installed on the recording computer and you are ready to use AuthorPoint. If your recording computer already has AuthorPoint installed, please go to Recording a Presentation. Otherwise, AuthorPoint needs to be installed on your computer before you use it.