Video Capture Drivers

Because operating systems need to be flexible about what hardware can be connected to the computer, they use modular programs called device drivers to interface with the hardware. Device drivers therefore are small programs that allow the operating system to access external devices and vice versa. That way, as long as the driver connects to the hardware and to the operating system properly, almost any hardware device can be connected.

In the case of video capture drivers, the device driver connects the operating system to the video capture device. This device can be a card in a slot, or a USB or Firewire device. When the hardware is connected and the system recognizes it, the driver tells the operating system how the device works.

Just a few common testing issues cause almost all video capture driver problems. This means that while the manufacturer was preparing the software that interfaces the video capture device with the operating system, the process to verify proper operation was inadequate. So anytime a video capture device doesn’t work properly, it’s usually the manufacturer’s fault.

The most common problems with video capture problems are:

• Plug and Play: Installation / uninstall doesn’t work correctly. Sometimes driver doesn’t handle the physical connection of hardware while the system is running or after a cold or warm boot.

• Power Management: Device interferes with power management functioning. For example, a windows system going into a reduced power state may have a driver that does not properly place the hardware device in an equivalent state, causing operational failure or system crash.

• Switching between users, Alt + Tab switching, and warm resolution changes crash the driver. For example if the driver doesn’t respond to user change notifications, it won’t be able to change resolutions according to the new user preference, causing display distortions or lockup.

• Hardware devices: Driver doesn’t handle resource conflicts well. The driver needs to appropriately negotiate resources among multiple devices on the same bus. If it doesn’t poor performance or system failure may result.

• Some drivers aren’t tested thoroughly in multi processor and 64 bit systems

Manufacturers should have a variety of driver development tools available for each operating system. These tools should be used to debug the common failure points before a driver is released. Depending on the problem at hand, the driver or the hardware (or both) may need to be reworked prior to product release.

Customer options with troubleshooting video capture device drivers are limited. Generally, they can verify that the driver is installed, check for conflicts with other devices, and install updated drivers if available from the manufacturer. After those options are exhausted, users should contact the manufacturer’s technical support and follow their recommended guidelines.