There may be instances when counsel, opposing counsel, or the court have requested that the on-screen display of demonstratives, exhibits with live mark-ups, or other types of visual information be recorded digitally. If this is requested, a device known as a “video capture device” can be added to the courtroom equipment setup. Video capture devices typically have a USB connection, a video input, and a video output. A laptop with screen capture software is typically connected to the USB port of the device and controls what is being captured. There are two configurations of USB capture devices. One with pass-through video and one that requires a video splitter to split the stream to the device. The pass-through is inserted in between the video feed from the courtroom system and the video feed out to the courtroom displays using the video in and video out on the device. The configuration without pass-through has the courtroom feed running into a splitter before the device, with one feed going out to a courtroom display and one feed going out to the device. Splitting the feed prior to the device may be more desirable as there will be no potential interference or additional on screen display elements from the capture device.
There are many considerations to pay attention to when choosing a capture device. The first consideration is video input and output type. Video is carried across a wide range of cable/connection types, including common connectors such as HDMI, VGA, and DVI. It is important to make sure that your capture device can support the cable/connection type being used in the courtroom.
The signal being carried by the courtroom is important to consider as well. Some capture cards cannot capture above a certain refresh rate, and may be limited to low frame rates or low resolutions. In the instance of 4k displays, it is important to research the capture device fully, as many devices being advertised to capture 4k, do so at a very low frame rate and refresh rate. In addition, it is important to know if the capture card performs auto scaling of the signal, as it could produce undesirable results due to altering or down sampling the resolution of the video feed.
The video input and output on the card needs to be verified as supporting pass through video. This means that the device will not alter the signal going from the courtroom feed to the courtroom displays. In addition, some devices may have built in microphone and audio output jacks. If the device used does support these additional audio jacks, it may mean that the card can also be used as an external sound card. This is extremely important to make note off because the Windows and Mac OS will often automatically redirect the audio of the laptop to the USB port without making the operator aware. If this happens, it may cause video playback to be silent as the audio feed is now going to the unconnected ports on the device.
The last thing to consider is the software needed to interface with the capture device. Some devices come with their own software to facilitate easy one click capturing of the screen. Other devices rely solely on third party programs such as OBS studio, Camtasia, VLC, Wirecast, etc. OBS studio and other applications can cause unexpected video output and often puts high demands on the processors while the application is open. This may cause a laptop’s fans to spin loudly, causing an unwanted white noise distraction. Software should be thoroughly vetted before using it in the courtroom, and again during initial courtroom setup.
