FitsCast

FitsCast is an exceptional free tool developed by Carsten A. Arnholm designed to bridge the gap between high-quality CCD cameras and standard webcam broadcasts. This highly functional program falls under the System Utilities category, specifically within Device Assistants. The latest version, 2.2, brings significant enhancements and contemporary benefits over previous versions, including 2.0.

For those dealing with high-quality CCD cameras like the Artemis, FitsCast is particularly helpful. These cameras, unlike standard webcams such as the Philips ToUcam, typically generate files in the FITS format (Flexible Image Transport System). FITS files, while suitable for astronomical purposes due to their high quality, are not inherently compatible with web browsers and require additional processing. FitsCast excels in converting these large FITS files into formats more suitable for webcasting, thereby overcoming the typical hurdles of file size and format incompatibility. Moreover, different software interfaces can also add complexity, but with FitsCast, managing these is significantly simplified.

The main executable file, FitsCast.exe, does the heavy lifting, allowing users to handle image processing seamlessly. This is a considerable advantage for enthusiasts and professionals needing to download and publish astronomical events on websites through FTP file transfer. More

You may want to check out more software, such as COMMUNICATE!, GX30 USB-Handset Manager or Novell® ODBC Driver For eDirectory, which might be similar to FitsCast.