Video Capture SDK .NET vs Datastead TVideoGrabber

using VisioForge.Core.VideoCapture;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.VideoCapture;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.Output;

// Create the capture engine
var capture = new VideoCaptureCore();

// Set video source (first available webcam)
var devices = capture.Video_CaptureDevices();
capture.Video_CaptureDevice = new VideoCaptureSource(devices[0].Name);

// Set audio source
var audioDevices = capture.Audio_CaptureDevices();
capture.Audio_CaptureDevice = new AudioCaptureSource(audioDevices[0].Name);
capture.Audio_RecordAudio = true;

// Configure MP4 output with H.264 + AAC
capture.Output_Format = new MP4Output
{
    Video = new MP4OutputH264Settings
    {
        Bitrate = 4000,
        Profile = H264Profile.ProfileMain
    }
};
capture.Output_Filename = "recording.mp4";

// Capture mode records to file while showing preview
capture.Mode = VideoCaptureMode.VideoCapture;

// Start recording with preview
await capture.StartAsync();

// TVideoGrabber — property-based approach
var grabber = new TVideoGrabber();

// Select video device by index
grabber.VideoDevice = 0;

// Select audio device by index
grabber.AudioDevice = 0;

// Set recording mode
grabber.RecordingMethod = TRecordingMethod.rmMP4;

// Set output filename
grabber.RecordingFileName = "recording.mp4";

// Set video bitrate
grabber.VideoBitrate = 4000000;

// Set audio bitrate
grabber.AudioBitrate = 192000;

// Start capture and recording
grabber.StartPreview();
grabber.StartRecording();

// Note: Properties set before starting
// No async/await — synchronous calls
// Single output only

using VisioForge.Core.VideoCapture;
using VisioForge.Core.ONVIFX;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.VideoCapture;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.Output;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.FFMPEGEXE;

var capture = new VideoCaptureCore();

// Connect to ONVIF IP camera
capture.IP_Camera_Source = new IPCameraSourceSettings
{
    URL = new Uri("rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/stream"),
    Login = "admin",
    Password = "password",
    Type = IPSourceEngine.Auto_FFMPEG
};
capture.Mode = VideoCaptureMode.IPCapture;

// ONVIF PTZ control via ONVIFClientX
var onvif = new ONVIFClientX();
await onvif.ConnectAsync(
    "http://192.168.1.100/onvif/device_service", "admin", "password");
var profiles = await onvif.GetProfilesAsync();
var token = profiles[0].token;

// pan, tilt, zoom speeds in range -1..1
await onvif.ContinuousMoveAsync(-0.5f, 0.5f, 0.0f);
await onvif.StopMoveAsync(token, panTilt: true, zoom: true);
await onvif.GoToPresetAsync(token, "1", 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);

// Record while controlling PTZ
capture.Output_Format = new MP4Output();
capture.Output_Filename = "camera_feed.mp4";

// Simultaneously stream to RTMP
capture.Network_Streaming_Enabled = true;
capture.Network_Streaming_Format = NetworkStreamingFormat.RTMP_FFMPEG_EXE;
capture.Network_Streaming_Output = new FFMPEGEXEOutput { OutputMuxer = OutputMuxer.FLV };
capture.Network_Streaming_URL = "rtmp://stream.example.com/live";

await capture.StartAsync();

// TVideoGrabber — ONVIF PTZ support
var grabber = new TVideoGrabber();

// Set IP camera URL
grabber.IPCameraURL = "rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/stream";
grabber.IPCameraLogin = "admin";
grabber.IPCameraPassword = "password";

// ONVIF PTZ — built-in support
grabber.ONVIF_PTZ_Move(
    ePTZ_Direction.Left, 50);
grabber.ONVIF_PTZ_Zoom(
    ePTZ_ZoomDirection.In, 30);
grabber.ONVIF_PTZ_GotoPreset("entrance");

// Record to file
grabber.RecordingMethod = TRecordingMethod.rmMP4;
grabber.RecordingFileName = "camera_feed.mp4";

grabber.StartPreview();
grabber.StartRecording();

// Note: No streaming capability
// Cannot simultaneously record + stream
// PTZ control is a strong point
// Windows only

using VisioForge.Core.VideoCapture;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.VideoCapture;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.Output;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.FFMPEGEXE;

var capture = new VideoCaptureCore();

// Set webcam source
var devices = capture.Video_CaptureDevices();
capture.Video_CaptureDevice = new VideoCaptureSource(devices[0].Name);
capture.Mode = VideoCaptureMode.VideoCapture;

// Output 1: High-quality local MP4 recording
capture.Output_Format = new MP4Output
{
    Video = new MP4OutputH264Settings
    {
        Bitrate = 8000,
        Profile = H264Profile.ProfileHigh
    }
};
capture.Output_Filename = "archive.mp4";

// Output 2: Stream the same source to YouTube via RTMP
capture.Network_Streaming_Enabled = true;
capture.Network_Streaming_Audio_Enabled = true;
capture.Network_Streaming_Format = NetworkStreamingFormat.RTMP_FFMPEG_EXE;
capture.Network_Streaming_Output = new FFMPEGEXEOutput { OutputMuxer = OutputMuxer.FLV };
capture.Network_Streaming_URL = "rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/YOUR_KEY";

// File recording and RTMP stream run simultaneously
await capture.StartAsync();

// Roll over to a second file on demand (split recording)
await capture.SeparateCapture_StartAsync("archive_part2.mp4");

// TVideoGrabber — single output only
var grabber = new TVideoGrabber();

// Select video device
grabber.VideoDevice = 0;

// Can only record to ONE file at a time
grabber.RecordingMethod = TRecordingMethod.rmMP4;
grabber.RecordingFileName = "archive.mp4";
grabber.VideoBitrate = 8000000;

grabber.StartPreview();
grabber.StartRecording();

// LIMITATIONS:
// - Cannot stream while recording
// - Cannot record multiple files simultaneously
// - No RTMP/SRT/HLS streaming support
// - No additional outputs at different resolutions
// - To stream, you would need a separate tool
//   alongside TVideoGrabber
//
// Multi-output and streaming are simply
// not available in TVideoGrabber at any
// price point.

using VisioForge.Core.VideoCapture;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.VideoCapture;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.VideoProcessing;
using VisioForge.Core.Types.Output;

var capture = new VideoCaptureCore();

// Set video source
var devices = capture.Video_CaptureDevices();
capture.Video_CaptureDevice = new VideoCaptureSource(devices[0].Name);

// Enable motion detection with highlight overlay
capture.Motion_Detection = new MotionDetectionSettings
{
    Enabled = true,
    Highlight_Enabled = true,
    Highlight_Color = MotionCHLColor.Red,
    Matrix_Width = 8,
    Matrix_Height = 8
};

// Motion event handler (Level is 0-100)
capture.OnMotion += async (s, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Motion at {DateTime.Now}: Level={e.Level}");

    // Roll a timestamped file on motion
    await capture.SeparateCapture_StartAsync(
        $"motion_{DateTime.Now:yyyyMMdd_HHmmss}.mp4");
};

// Configure output (preview + capture)
capture.Output_Format = new MP4Output
{
    Video = new MP4OutputH264Settings { Bitrate = 4000 }
};
capture.Output_Filename = "capture.mp4";
capture.Mode = VideoCaptureMode.VideoCapture;

// Apply detection settings and start
capture.MotionDetection_Update();
await capture.StartAsync();

// TVideoGrabber — motion detection
var grabber = new TVideoGrabber();

// Select video device
grabber.VideoDevice = 0;

// Enable motion detection
grabber.MotionDetection_Enabled = true;
grabber.MotionDetection_Sensitivity = 70;

// Motion event
grabber.OnMotionDetected += (s, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine(
        $"Motion detected at {DateTime.Now}");
};

// Set recording format
grabber.RecordingMethod = TRecordingMethod.rmMP4;
grabber.RecordingFileName = "motion.mp4";

grabber.StartPreview();

// Note: TVideoGrabber does support
// basic motion detection — this is
// a shared capability.
// However, no motion highlight overlay,
// no hardware encoding toggle,
// no dynamic filename switching,
// no simultaneous stream on motion.