A few people sent this in, but credit goes to [chris tt] for providing all the necessary links. Here is the process for using the camera with windows. First you need to build a USB cable [pdf]. Next, plug in the camera and create an inf file using libUSB. Finally, grab the OPS program and start extracting the video. Here is the thread announcing the release. Congratulations to BillW, morcheeba, daBass and anyone else who helped contribute to the project.
UPDATE: MAKE:Blog has a chronology of how this latest development happened.
http://storecirculars.cvs.com/CVS/listing_detail.asp?listingid=-2096676215&storeid=2366968&offerid=&L1CatID=9789
theres the link to the camcorder
glad i helped, i made it easier to get it all installed now to, i call it “CVS Camcorder Quickinstall” check it out at http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=556
makes gotta new walkthrough..this one with a little bit of info for those of you running a mac
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/08/how_to_cvs_vide_1.html
I went in to buy one and those cvs bitches wouldnt give me my 30% employee discount. they’re always lookin for a way to make another buck. you you are right aobut it selling at a loss, they make up for it in the processing. 13 bucks for a 20 minute dvd. its a rip really. thanks for the nice hack, i’ll get crankin on it soon. i can also ship to people who cant find them, at a cheap price cause i’ll put my discount in. paypal only. just email me at a99lbscox@hotmail.com
Hey all, I’m the owner of the site referenced in the link “build a usb cable”. I discovered a few days ago that all of my bandwidth (1.5GB) for the entire month was sucked up in a couple of days, probably due to this article. I have removed the two sample photos (1MB by themselves) and purchased more bandwidth for the month from my web host provider. The site is back up at the original URL with another temporary link to the page in question. To answer a couple of questions that I quickly scanned here: Yes, M100 cables are still available where I originally got mine (eBay). Use the search string “Palm M100 cable”. There is also a PDF copy of my site that someone has posted at:
http://www.mrbill.net/cvscam/cvscamera-cable-howto.pdf
I assume that the cable will work for the camcorder, given that somebody here said that the pinouts are the same between the two. I have NOT seen or used the camcorder so I can’t personally say that it will work or not.
1Mb photos? well no wonder your bandwidth got leeched. Try resizing.
There is also another HOW TO posted using the Palm III cradle device and it looks pretty sweet the way you can just mount the camera with it. I searched ebay and you can find these there pretty easily as well.
http://www.i-hacked.com/content/view/182/94/
Wonder when hackaday will get on it? Perhaps do something to use the camera to record streaming video straight to the computer? Possiblities, possibilities…
btw i recieved my stickers yesterday in excellent condition, thank you if you still read this thread vince and eliot.
If you are comfortable with soldering you can add a mini USB connector to the camera, the same one that many digi cameras and mp3 players have. I have 4 cameras to add them to, my order should arrive early next week, $3 each or $2.50 if you get 6 or more. Here is the part number and link, it’s about 3/4 down the page. Good luck.
P/N: URB-2-1001
http://www.ntcdistributing.com/products/usbcon.htm
xaos: It’s TWO unretouched (i.e. not resized) photos, each one over 500KB, from the Dakota and my Canon A10 that I had posted to show the quality (or not) of a $10 digital camera. When I set up the site I never expected to get >3,000 hits all within two weeks!
jay: I had also thought about adding a mini-USB connector to my four cameras but I decided it was easier, though maybe not cheaper, to make three cables. The cameras don’t have to be opened or altered in any way and I don’t have to fool around with the fine-pitch leads of the mini connector (read: poor close-up vision with my contacts) or try to figure out how/where to mount them inside the cameras.
Oh ok, well then in that case, you gotta love the unexpected ;)
open question, and probably a dumb one…but if this is “CVS Camcorder download alpha” what will beta consist of?
Question: I got everything working correctly, but when I play the videos off of the camera, I only get audio and no video. I’m guessing that this is a codec issue. Can anyone tell me where to get a codec that will let me watch these videos and not just listen to them? Thanx
Is anyone looking at how to separate the camera and LCD so that it can be used as a security monitor ? put a cable between the two ?
Need a divx codec to work http://www.divx.com/divx/
Need a divx codec to work http://www.divx.com/divx/
The $30 CVS camcorder just got better. Apparently, with some judicious editing of the USP.BIN file, you can change the resolution and data rate of your video. Mine are now running 640×480 at 30fps. I only get ~10 minutes, it’s quality video. I also have a vanity serial number to top it off. There is a thread at the Camerahacking site that shows how to do it, or you can use a patching program one if the denizens created. It is very easy to do with ops 0.7.
Cheers!
Yeah, Now OPS is up to version .9 You can change all the USP.BIN settings right from there. No need to use a patcher program. Awesome.
I would love to have one of these but there is not a cvs within 200 miles of me. Is there anyone willing to help me out?
Mike@graphxking.com
I can help people out that don’t live near a CVS.
e-mail me at digitaldude22@earthlink.net
Hey, could a cut up USB extender cable work?????
I’m new at this,but I was wondering if it is possible for the display on the CVS camera to be used as a moniter for a pc?
I found someone on ebay selling a camcorder with a usb connection installed directly on it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/CVS-Digital-Camcorder-with-USB-cable-Firmware-3-4_W0QQitemZ7547675412QQcategoryZ64332QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
How do you unlock a camera with Version 3.6 Firmware. My 3.3 cam works fine, but the 3.6 version “says” it can’t open the camera ??? Thanks
here’s my page for making a 24 pin centronics connector-based cable
http://www.throughthekeyboard.com/cvscam.html
[Chris TT]
Check out my version of the usb connector installed on my CVS Cam
Great Site, and Great lil gadget ill say i saw a sweeeeeet project that this guy did he made a docking stand for the CVS cam like the docking stand for the ipod, awesome stuff see it here http://www.i-hacked.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=182, and i saw another guy did this and made a video on it seen here http://www.ourmedia.org/node/49095, youll need quick time player to view this video but apple right now has bundled itunes with it so go to google and get it there i cant remember the site i got mine off just put in quicktime 7 in google but dont go to apple, unless u want itunes :-) BTW i do have a digital camera/camcorder its by aiptek its a pretty good one ive burned video off it to a VCD and the sound is really grainy but it works, id like to get my hands on that JVC everio <--(i think this is what its called) one records dvd quality video on a hard drive no taped no discs or cards