Osprey Programming Interface (OPI) OPI is an application-programming interface for cross-platform multimedia programming using the Osprey streaming capture cards. The OPI API provide a mechanism for accessing card specific capabilities in a platform independant way, and serves as the framework for producing platform and hardward independent applications.

OPI is not the only interface for programming the Osprey multimedia cards under a single OS platform. Developers who are implementing applications under a single OS platform are strongly encouraged to use the supported video and audio standard interfaces such as Video for Windows on the Windows platform. OPI may be the solution for cross-platform multimedia development or the solution for any card functionality that is not supported by industry standard video capture or standards-based interfaces suited to MPEG such as DirectShow.

The OPI API is a collection of C++ classes. OPI represents a device by an instance of a generic class with derived classes providing for specific capabilities of devices. OPI provides the ability to query devices about the capabilities they provide. Through OPI, programmers conceptually define how to process audio and video data. OPI will map the conceptual view to actual hardware and software modules. A C interface to OPI has been added into our current release. Future releases of OPI may include interfaces for other programming software and platform specific languages.

DirectShow Software Development Kit

Osprey Video has developed a DirectShow Software Development Kit (ODSDK) that can be used for DirectShow based application development. The ODSDK provides DirectShow filters for both the MPEG encoding and MPEG decoding functionality as well as for the Osprey-2000's audio/video capture functionality. Using the information provided in the OSDSK Developer's Manual OEM's and System Integrators can write custom software applications that can fully utilize the Osprey-2000 hardware MPEG encoder and MPEG decoder with software and applications developed specifically for Microsoft’s DirectShow Filter Graph interface model.

Video for Windows (VFW)

The Video Capture is installed with the Microsoft® DirectShow® run time. If you have video capture hardware that uses Video For Windows such as the Ospey-2000, this filter is available in the Filter Graph Editor when you choose Insert Filters from the Graph menu, under the Video Capture Sources.

Unlike ordinary DirectShow filters, special category filters, such as Video Capture Source filters, can work with more than one device. When DirectShow is installed, it will look for devices installed on your computer that work with the special category filter and list the options in that category. For example, in the Video Capture Source filter category, DirectShow will list all the video capture cards installed on the system. You then need to choose which device to use.