Moonware Universal Source Filter (Directshow Filter)

Universal Source Filter
1

I’m pleased to present our new Directshow filter Moonware Universal Source Filter which allows connecting a network camera in any application such as:

  • Skype
  • Webex
  • Windows Media Encoder
  • Open Broadcaster (to stream live on Youtube)
  • Allows to use custom url mode in webcamXP / webcam 7
  • Plus all the applications which do not natively support network cameras…

The new filter supports the following type of streams:

  • JPEG
  • MJPEG
  • RTSP (TCP or UDP)
  • MPEG4 / H264 Streams over HTTP
  • Local Media Files
  • Audio Support (Most applications do not support Audio coming from a Video Capture Source Filter)

This new Directshow filter was initially developed for webcamXP / webcam 7 in order to support as many cameras as Netcam Studio and to reuse the fantastic decoding engine since it works so well in Netcam Studio. This was done successfully and for a few months the RTSP support in webcamXP and webcam 7 is also almost perfect so it was time to extend this so that it can be used in other applications as well.

This does not require to have webcamXP or Netcam Studio running, it’s totally independant.

The configuration screen is very simple and looks like this:

And once configured you should get the result directly in the application of your choice:

Moonware Ultimate Filter.jpg1755×995 392 KB

Only the free version is available at this stage which will display a small Moonware Studio logo in the corner (apart in webcamXP or webcam 7). It will soon be possible to buy a personal or developer license in order to remove this limitation of the free version.

The current package is 32-bit only but we can easily compile it in 64-bit so the 64-bit version will be released shortly as well.

It doesn’t include the templates so you need to know the url to access the streams.

Here are some examples, ensure that you define the type of stream accordingly while configuring:

http://user:password@hostname:port/image.jpg (JPEG)
http://user:password@hostname:port/live.mjpeg (MJPEG)
rtsp://user:password@hostname:port/live.sdp (RTSP TCP)
C:\Temp\big_buck_bunny_720p_stereo.avi (MPEG4)

Feel free to report in which applications it works or not (but do not use this topic to request help regarding how to configure it, please create a new topic for this if needed).

I am thinking about supporting ONVIF as well in the filter to connect the cameras. It would probably make sense…

Download:
Moonware Universal Source Filter v4.5 (32-bit)

4

How to use the filter:

Download and install the package.

Start Skype or the application in which you want to use the filter.

Moonware Unversal Source Filter will be displayed in the list of local video sources:

Pasted image802×617 101 KB

Click on Configure Webcam Settings if you use Skype to modify the settings for the video stream.

It will open this dialog so that you can setup your video source:

Click Ok, eventually reconnect the video source (needed if the resolution changes) and you’re done…

5

Hi,
First things first - thanks for a great piece of software. You cannot imagine how many hours of try and error I spent before I finally found this page!
Question - what happened to the Audio Out? Many cameras have dual audio, but these do not seem to be transferred through MUSF. Any chance to have virtual microphone and speakers on top of the virtual camera?
Przemek

6

Hi there!
Thanks for the kind words! Yes, we like it too :slight_smile:
MUSF, WebcamXP and Netcam Studio have never had an Audio out. Only Audio in for listening is available. Usually, the audio out features is with the use of their own apps. The streaming protocols are only one way so how to solve audio out I do not know. I will send this to our developers to get an answer.
Thanks,
Henrik
@Steve

7

Thanks for the quick reply! I can see [Audio Out] in the first screenshot above…
From a practical point of view, I just want to use camera’s microphone in Skype. Is it possible now (and I’m just ignorant) or would require some extra development in MUSF ?
Przemek.

8

Hehe, you are absolutely correct :slight_smile: In the installations I have with MUSF I have only the tabs for Config and About. I have never seen the last 3 tabs. I just tested in different programs and they all act the same. In Skype I only have the laptop microphone for the audio and not the MUSF. I am not sure if that is an old version on top. I have to forward this as well.

Update from above: “Audio Support (Most applications do not support Audio coming from a Video Capture Source Filter)”

Thanks,
Henrik
@Steve

9

Hi Henrik,

I do not understand this statement:

When I paste rtsp:// URL into VLC it plays video with audio, that means that my camera sends both.
My question was if MUSF can create two devices - one for video (as it is today), and one for audio that would read from rtsp://.
I am also dreaming to have virtual microphone driver to send audio to the camera but that is probably not possible with rtsp:// and requires manufacturer’s drivers. I will nag Foscam for these.

I keep my fingers crossed for your developers to release update soon :slight_smile:
Happy New Year!
Przemek.

10

Hi,
I contacted our programmers about the MUSF and audio. Video capture source filter is a special software with a special format of the audio output. All programs like Skype do not accept that audio format. Why, I do not know. Yes, your camera delivers real time video and audio in the compressed format h.264 in the streaming format rtsp.

The MUSF generates two outputs. One for video and one for audio. Both the video and audio is handled by for example NCS. The audio after NCS is handled by the computer. Another software/hardware can probably take that audio stream to another application. To send audio to the camera is something else and rtsp is not used since it is one-way. Usually http is used and some port (80). How that is done is up to each camera manufacturer.

-Henrik

11

Thanks! This is what I’ve been looking for!
Could you please upload the 64-bit version?
Thanks again

12

Hi,
There is only a 32bit available since a lot of used resources still are only in 32bit.
-Henrik

13

Hello there!
What is the latest version of MUSF? At this topic version is 4.5, but I’v found v5.4 at the forum. And how can I purchase MUSF to remove a logo?

14

Latest version is here webcamXP - Download
and you buy it here webcamXP - Order
-Henrik

15

I tried the filter and after a long hours of searching I was truly thankful that it works
I just have something that I need your support
the image I receive from filter is flipped
is there any clue ?

Thanks

16

Hi,
The filter itself do not flip the image. It depends on the application you use the filter in.
-Henrik

17

Hi, there

I think the Moonware source filter is great as far as Microsoft did not launch other OS than Windows 7. In windows 7 times, the default os primarily supported 32-bit system, but in windows 10, it is 64-bit even if it still supports 32-bit softwares.
The skype in windows 10 is 64-bit software, so does not include 32-bit directshow source filter. Moreover, the webcam property window in skype software does not show up where Stream Address is specified.
Finally, I want you to do start the 64-bit’s Moonware directshow source filter and test it on Windows 10 environment.
Thanks again for your great job…

18

Thanks for info. I tested on Skye and you are correct.
-Henrik

19

Hello, I’m trying to use moonware to create multiple virtual devices. I have created various instances of the filter and as I’ve read in this forum, in the computer register should be all the instances, but when I list the devices in the software that I use to get the images, only the first instance is shown. There is a way to manually create a copy in registry or did I forgot something to create the virtual devices?

Thanks,

Pedro

20

Hello. Windows 10 + the latest version of skype. When I click “configure camera” to add a link to the rtsp stream, nothing happens. What to do?