No, this is not normal!

What kind of camera do you have? Different cams consume very different amounts of CPU, but none that I know of consume 75%.

You should check the Frame Rate (FPS) in the Config. For your application a very small number will work: try 1, or even 0.1

Also check the Input Resolution and Output Resolution in Config. Try setting both to 320x240 and see how that effects CPU.

If the Windows Media (WMV) server feature is turned on, try turning it off. It sounds like you aren't using it anyway.

If none of these things make a dramatic decrease in CPU (and I mean dramatic - with one cam at low FPS CPU should be < 10%!) then try installing AbelCam 2.3.7(beta) - get it HERE. When you run it for the first time, REMOVE your camera from AbelCam's Device List. Then ADD your cam back in to the list. When you Add, you will see that there is a new combobox (drop-down) in the Add Capture Device dialog. The new combobox allows you to select a Capture Interface: VideoCapX, VisioForge, or TyCapture. Choose either VisioForge or TyCapture (VideoCapX is what you are already using in 2.2.5). Check and/or fix your camera Config settings. Try running the cam, check CPU. Then do the whole Remove/Re-Add thing again with another Capture Interface. Use the one that gives best performance with your camera.

+1 : 30 % CPU load with my quadcore on Vista 32 bits (i used SIW to export my informations):
Maybe i've done something wrong ? Just tell me if you need more informations.

----- [Motherboard] ---------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Model P5Q DELUXE
Maximum Capacity 4096 MBytes
Maximum Memory Module Size 2048 MBytes

Number of CPU(s) One Physical Processor / 4 Cores / 4 Logical Processors / 64 bits
CPU Full Name Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q9550 @ 2.83GHz
Vendor GenuineIntel
CPU Name Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
CPU Code Name Yorkfield
Platform Name Socket 775 LGA
Revision C1
Technology 45 nm
Instructions MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, ET64, XD, VMX, SMX, EST
Original Clock 2833 MHz
Original System Clock 333 MHz
Original Multiplier 8.5
CPU Clock 2895 MHz
System Clock 340.3 MHz
FSB 1361.2 MHz
L1 Data Cache 4 x 32 KBytes
L1 Instructions Cache 4 x 32 KBytes
L2 Cache 2 x 6144 KBytes

-----Webcam----
Property Value
Device ID USB\VID_046DPID_08CCMI_00\63B469CEF00000
Status 0x0180600a Started
Problem 0x00000000 (0)
Service LVUVC
Capabilities 0x000000a4
Config Flags 0x00000000
Class Image
Manufacturer Logitech
Hardware IDs USB\VID_046DPID_08CCREV_0005MI_00
USB\VID_046DPID_08CCMI_00
Compatible IDs USB\Class_0eSubClass_03Prot_00
USB\Class_0eSubClass_03
USB\Class_0e
Class GUID {6bdd1fc6-810f-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f}
Location 0000.001d.0007.004.000.000.000.000.000
Bus number 0x00000000
Enumerator name USB
Description QuickCam Orbit/Sphere MP
Friendly name QuickCam Orbit/Sphere MP
Driver {6bdd1fc6-810f-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f}\0001
Physical Object Name \Device\00000077
Bustype GUID {45204342-2042-4437-2039-442035442043}
Legacy bus type 0x0000000f
Install State 0x00000000
Device Address 0x00000004

Device Configuration File oem58.inf
DevLoader *ntkern
NTMPDriver lvuvc.sys
PageOutWhenUnopened 00
FriendlyName QuickCam Orbit/Sphere MP
LVFunctions 3
LVFeatures 20
LVCategories 1121
HardwareConfig 01
USDClass {0527d1d0-88c2-11d2-82c7-00c04f8ec183}
OkToHibernate 01
LVPowSaveDisable 1
LVSSDisable 1
LVSelSusInterfaceGUID {FA33C4CD-7C6D-4a5d-8AD4-CFB86D02AE9E}
InfPath oem58.inf
IncludedInfs ks.inf
kscaptur.inf
InfSection PID_08CC.VISTA
ProviderName Logitech
DriverDateData 00 00 F9 8B B2 EE C8 01
DriverDate 7-26-2008
DriverVersion 11.80.1048.0
MatchingDeviceId usb\vid_046dpid_08ccmi_00
DriverDesc QuickCam Orbit/Sphere MP
Vendor Logitech
CoInstallers32 lvci11801048.dll,LvCoInstaller
EnumPropPages32 Lvui2.dll,EnumPropPages

Class Image
ClassDesc @%systemroot%\system32\sti_ci.dll,-52
Imaging devices
IconPath %systemroot%\system32\sti_ci.dll,-1000
Installer32 sti_ci.dll,ClassInstall
LowerLogoVersion 5.2
LowerFilters lvmvdrv
LVUSBSta

----abelcam CAM.XML:

<name>QuickCam Orbit/Sphere MP-1</name>
<isTuner>false</isTuner>
<hasVideoInputs>false</hasVideoInputs>
<selectedVideoInput>0</selectedVideoInput>
<inputvideosize>320x240</inputvideosize>
<outputsize>320x240</outputsize>
<videoquality>50</videoquality>
<videorenderer>-1</videorenderer>
<camdevice>QuickCam Orbit/Sphere MP-1</camdevice>
<camurl />
<camuser />
<campw />
<previewaudio>false</previewaudio>
<enablehighres>false</enablehighres>
<nolimit>false</nolimit>
<maxmjpeg>500</maxmjpeg>
<framerates>3</framerates>
<webcamtext>AbelCam 2.3.8</webcamtext>
<driverzoom>false</driverzoom>
<minzoom>1</minzoom>
<maxzoom>2</maxzoom>
<mirrhoriz>false</mirrhoriz>
<mirrvert>false</mirrvert>
<mirrdriver>true</mirrdriver>
<imgRotate>0</imgRotate>
<capttype>VcxCamera</capttype>
<showframerate>false</showframerate>
<ShowNoLogo>false</ShowNoLogo>
<MaxFrameWaitTime>7000</MaxFrameWaitTime>
<MaxErrorMessages>3</MaxErrorMessages>
<camdebug>false</camdebug>
<configchangedutc>2009-01-06T14:19:43.2057263Z</configchangedutc>
</camstruc>

----Other
Nothing is enabled in abelcam but the web server.
If i close AbelCam and use my cam in the logitech application, IE quickcapture, my cpu fails to 1 or 2% load.
Abelcam version: 2.3.8

Indeed ! With TyCapture AbelCam only use 2% cpu load. Thanks a lot sse !

Just a report of my load on CPU with 2.4.0 :

600x800 in and out with visioforge
4 fps
70% Quality

Intel Atom N270

800 MHz with message-list shown --> 13 % load
1600MHz with camera shown --> 40 % load

___________________________________
Jörg