# Use commands

## Aim

To control video recording with another program that can send commands, for example, EthoVision XT.

- Prerequisites
- Your devices are connected to the computer with MediaRecorder, and, if applicable, switched on.
- You selected cameras, microphones and video output in the **Video Settings** window of MediaRecorder.  
    See:  
    [Select a video device](https://bookstack.noldus.com/link/421#bkmrk-page-title)<span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif;">   
    </span>[Select an audio device](https://bookstack.noldus.com/link/422#bkmrk-page-title)  
    [Video file options](https://bookstack.noldus.com/link/423#bkmrk-page-title)

## Procedure

In your application, browse to the program **MRCmd.exe** that is by default located in the folder C:\\Program Files\\Noldus\\MediaRecorder 6 and specify the command.

For example, use the following command line to start video recording:

*“C:\\Program Files\\Noldus\\MediaRecorder 6\\MRCmd.exe /R”*

**<span class="FM_All_caps">note</span>** If you installed MediaRecorder in another folder than the default one, the program MRCmd.exe is present in this folder. Adjust your command lines accordingly.

## Available commands

- **Start MediaRecorder** – MRCmd.exe or MRCmd.exe /E
- **Start recording** — MRCmd.exe /R
- **Stop recording** —MRCmd.exe /S
- **Close MediaRecorder** — MRCmd.exe /X — Closes MediaRecorder program.
- **Load a configuration file** — MRCmd.exe /C=\[filename.mrs\].See [Load a configuration file](https://bookstack.noldus.com/link/437#bkmrk-load-a-configuration)
- **Set the file base name** — MRCmd.exe /B=\[basename\]. See [Set file base name](https://bookstack.noldus.com/link/437#bkmrk-set-file-base-name)

There is a space between **MRCmd.exe** and the slash.

## Load a configuration file

The command /C loads a configuration file with the settings for your cameras ([Save the camera settings](https://bookstack.noldus.com/link/434#bkmrk-page-title)). This is, for example, useful to open MediaRecorder with the correct cameras. Make sure MediaRecorder is not recording at that moment.

By default **MRCmd.exe** loads a file from the folder C:\\Users\\Public\\Public Documents\\Noldus\\MediaRecorder. If the file is located in another folder, you must type the full path. If the file name or the path contains spaces you must type it in between quotation marks.

Example 1 - Open MediaRecorder and load **Configuration\_observation\_room.mrs** from C:\\Users\\Public\\Public Documents\\Noldus\\MediaRecorder:

MRCmd.exe /E /C=Configuration\_observation\_room.mrs

Example 2 - Opening MediaRecorder and load **Configuration Control Room from** C:\\Configuration files:

MRCmd.exe /E /C=”C:\\Configuration files\\Configuration Control Room.mrs”

## Set file base name

The command **/B** sets the File base name.

See [Set video file base name](https://bookstack.noldus.com/link/426#bkmrk-page-title)

Example - Set the **File base name** to Observation room:

MRCmd.exe /B=”Observation room”

This option cannot be used together with other commands.

## Notes

### Delay

Allow enough time between the commands. If a command is sent before the previous one is carried out, the second command is not carried out. For example, if the command Start Recording is sent before MediaRecorder is completely open, recording does not start.

There may be a delay between the command Start Recording and the moment the recording actually starts. This delay depends on the number of cameras, camera settings, the processor speed and programs running in the background.

In the most common scenarios with MediaRecorder and The Observer XT, the videos are automatically synchronized with the events, so the delay is not important.

See also [Synchronize videos with events](https://bookstack.noldus.com/link/451#bkmrk-page-title) in <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">MediaRecorder with The Observer XT</a></span>