User Manual

STREAM User Manual
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Sharpening is most appropriate in lighting conditions that create a flat look to the frame because of lower
than normal contrast. Gray overcast skies, deep shade, or indoors with indirect lighting can create this
kind of situation.
Sharpening does not affect video compression, so the video file size will be roughly the same with
sharpening turned on or turned off.
Sharpening should be turned off if you intend to edit the video on a computer after shooting because the
adjustments made to the images by the sharpening process may interact poorly with other effects applied
in later editing.
Image Quality / Data Rate
When captured video is saved to the Micro SDHC card, the video data is compressed in order to
significantly reduce the required amount of space on the card. The more that digital video is compressed
the more likely it is that on playback a viewer may notice some loss of fine detail, general sharpness, or
other effects.
Whether or not higher compression produces any noticeable effects depends upon on number of factors:
what is being shot, lighting conditions, rapidity of movement, and other things. In addition, compression
effects are much less likely to be noticed if the video is played back in a smaller format. If you play back
your video in a window on a personal computer or downsize it for uploading to YouTube or some other
sharing site, higher compression is much less of a consideration than if your target is play back on a large,
full resolution HD television screen.
Higher compression is really only a consideration if you are shooting video that may overrun the capacity
of your Micro SDHC card or the bandwidth of your Wi-Fi or streaming connection.
The best way to determine what is for you the best tradeoff between file sizes and picture quality is to try
it and see. Record some video at the default data rates and then some similar video using higher or lower
data rates. This testing will give the most reliable results if you do it under conditions that are like the
conditions where you do most of your shooting.
Micro SDHC card choices
The STREAM captures high quality HD video and is capable of recording at a high bit rate. Because of this we
recommend a Class 10 Micro SDHC card classes for use in the STREAM. The class of a Micro SDHC card should
be printed on the card label, and should be on the Micro SDHC card’s packaging or catalog description.
The Micro SDHC card class is normally displayed like this:
• For recording video at Image Quality levels up to 12 Mbits/sec, use Class 10 or higher Micro SDHC
cards. The card class does not guarantee a minimum throughput rate, so as the card gets full if you
are dropping frames, you may want to switch to a faster card. Each vendor’s performance may vary so
when in doubt, go with well-known card brands (such as Sandisk) and higher card class capability.
• Lower resolution recordings with lower data rates may use Class 6 cards, however, if you are having
issues with dropped frames, be sure to use a class 10 card and be sure to use the format functionality
in the STREAM.
The STREAM has been tested with Micro SDHC cards from SanDisk and Lexar. Other brands with the
appropriate class level should work as well, but have not been verified in this device. The STREAM has more
streaming capabilities, and if you are continue to have an issue with frames dropping, consider turning off
your simultaneous streaming video when recording at more challenging data rates.