Helmet Cam Test

[djkorn1]

Testing out my GoPro...anyone know how to get the the 1/1 and battery signal off of the vid??? I run it through the RCA cables, not the usb. If I bring in the files through usb, it immediately crashes my computer...wtf?????

I also decided that I want to trade my Helmet Hero wide for the regular version.

[video=vimeo;14149987]http://vimeo.com/14149987[/video]

 

[nokfir]

if you computer has a memory card slot, just do it that way. also the quality will be much much better.

i always take the card right out of the cam and plug in to the comp. if you dnot have the card slot, u can buy a usb car reader for about 20 bucks

 

[SuperJETT]

Store on memory card, take card out and stick in a reader to transfer the files, they'll be much higher quality and much faster to transfer too.

 

[rasper99]

I second the card reader option. I just bought a new one that does SDHC. My old reader didn't. Get off the digital to analog to digital capture. When you get the files off they are a nasty format that most video editors don't like. You might want to try converting it to a different format with something like this:
http://handbrake.fr/

While we are on the subject of helmet cams here is my new set up using a Sony HD HDR-CX-110 camcorder. I wanted to upgrade my beach cam to HD. I did some research and found a Sony underwater enclosure for $100. Pictures of this over budget adventure are attached.

Here is some video I shot using the helmet cam on the Columbia river. Turn it up to 1080 and full screen if your system can handle it:

It is a stout setup but I don't plan have someone try an unsuccessful barrel roll with it. I was planning on using it to video other riders. It weighs about 8 pounds with the helmet. I had it on for like three hours that day. If you keep your head vertical it's not bad. If you land and jerk your head it's not fun. I ride gentle and capture the glory of others.

Here is a video from the Grayland open yesterday shot from the beach. A still pic from the video is attached for people with slower systems to be able to see the quality:

It's going to take a little learning to get used to the new cam. I got a lot figured out at the GO so when I go to Surf Slam for some beach video next month it will be beyond awesome. If the seas are reasonable it might go out on the water.

The cam is recharging and I'm watching for freighter traffic this afternoon:
http://marinetraffic.com/ais/

 

[SuperJETT]

GoPro uses .avi, very editor friendly.

 

[Nascency Chris]

GoPro uses .avi, very editor friendly.

the HD ones are using an .MOV wrapper of some sort but the audio codec they use is not friendly at all... with the SD version it was a windows only problem but now pc and mac users I have talked to all have to convert the files before editing... the ugly downside to an otherwise great little cam...

 

[rasper99]

I thought they used mp4. That would be the GoPro HDt. Windows Movie Maker doesn't like MP4/G.264 very much from what I read.

My new cam records in the same format as is on a Blu-Ray disk. No file conversion to make Blu-Rays someday when they are more affordable. I can create a Blu-Ray ISO file in less time than the video runs on my old POS laptop. Youtube seems to like the files and encodes them at 7 megabits per second.

I'm on the 30 day trial of Sony Vegas. It comes with Sony DVD software. I need faster hardware!

 

[Penken]

gopro hd uses .mp4 format. which kinda sucks. but better editing programs can handle it. like adobe premiere

 

[Nascency Chris]

gopro hd uses .mp4 format. which kinda sucks. but better editing programs can handle it. like adobe premiere

not without conversion... although have not moved to CS5 yet, maybe its better in the new versions...

 

[Nascency Chris]

I thought they used mp4. That would be the GoPro HDt. Windows Movie Maker doesn't like MP4/G.264 very much from what I read.

My new cam records in the same format as is on a Blu-Ray disk. No file conversion to make Blu-Rays someday when they are more affordable. I can create a Blu-Ray ISO file in less time than the video runs on my old POS laptop. Youtube seems to like the files and encodes them at 7 megabits per second.

I'm on the 30 day trial of Sony Vegas. It comes with Sony DVD software. I need faster hardware!

from the .mp4 wiki page:
MPEG-4 Part 14 is based on ISO/IEC 14496-12:2004 (MPEG-4 Part 12: ISO base media file format) which is directly based upon Apple’s QuickTime container format.[2][3][4][5][6] MPEG-4 Part 14 is essentially identical to the MOV format, but formally specifies support for Initial Object Descriptors (IOD) and other MPEG features.[7] MPEG-4 Part 14 revises and completely replaces Clause 13 of ISO/IEC 14496-1 (MPEG-4 Part 1: Systems), in which the file format for MPEG-4 content was previously specified.[8]


so... I guess its potatoes/potAtoes? lol

Barry that thing is a beast!! It looks good and the footage looks great, but man its gonna rip your head off lol!

 

[MADMAT]

LMAO at the tow footage!!

We can get you a card reader that fits in the floppy disk slot on your case if you want Korn.

 

[WILKEY]

korn your ripping my man!!!!!!!!!

 

[djkorn1]

Matt, I don't have a floppy drive and I do need about 4 more usb ports though, and a card reader....hook a brother up! I'm tired of reaching behind my computer all the time unplugging and pluggin in different stuff. I still owe ya for that starter...too. We riding soon?

Darin, all of my videos are in AVI, so that works great for me!

Chris, yes, MOV files suck along with MP4...Pinnacle 12 Ultimate hates them... Why ANY company would use .MOV is beyond me, but Sony hardrive cameras use it too and it sucks.

 

[rasper99]

Barry that thing is a beast!! It looks good and the footage looks great, but man its gonna rip your head off lol!

Like I said you have to ride gently. I had sore shoulders and back the next couple days after 3 hour of riding with it. As they say "Pain is temporary, Film is forever". The results speak for themselves.

 

[Nascency Chris]

Like I said you have to ride gently. I had sore shoulders and back the next couple days after 3 hour of riding with it. As they say "Pain is temporary, Film is forever". The results speak for themselves.

screw that, my back and knees remind me everyday that pain is, in fact, permanent lol...

hopefully i get to check this rig out next month in person!

 

[Nascency Chris]

Chris, yes, MOV files suck along with MP4...Pinnacle 12 Ultimate hates them... Why ANY company would use .MOV is beyond me, but Sony hardrive cameras use it too and it sucks.

Two words that will bring out some hate probably (and jerry jones lol)... apple fanboys

I joke, its a great, great codec for encoding and compressing media... if it is your final output. not so much when you have to work with it lol...

 

[rasper99]

screw that, my back and knees remind me everyday that pain is, in fact, permanent lol...

hopefully i get to check this rig out next month in person!

I think you mean injury is permanent. Pain is a different thing. After breaking both legs in 2003 (left fibia, small bone in shin and right ankle smashed to twice it's normal width) I don't even notice most pain that much. That was an amazing amount of pain and rather inconvenient.

The rig will be at Surf Slam. The hard part will be letting that much equipment go into the surf.

I'm glad you like the results. The timing is good since Youtube turned up HD encoding to 7 megabits.

 

[SuperJETT]

the HD ones are using an .MOV wrapper of some sort but the audio codec they use is not friendly at all... with the SD version it was a windows only problem but now pc and mac users I have talked to all have to convert the files before editing... the ugly downside to an otherwise great little cam...

Ah, then I'm VERY glad I didn't wait an extra month or two to get the HD last year. That would be a pain.

 

[djkorn1]

Barry,
Love the setup...somebody HAS to take that out into the Surf at Surf Slam...even just to cruise around and get a feel for those monster waves.

 

[rasper99]

Ah, then I'm VERY glad I didn't wait an extra month or two to get the HD last year. That would be a pain.

Part of why I went Sony besides the underwater enclosure was thinking all the way through to what I planned to do with the video and the whole process of dealing with it. In the end someday I want to make Blu-Ray disks. Sony invented Blu-Ray. I can archive the raw source video that I shoot until the extortion like price of Blu-Ray blanks come down. In the mean time Youtube seems to do an adequate job of delivering content.

Someday like in 20 years I want to pop that Blu-Ray in whatever 3D holographic smell-o-vision player is backward compatible to Blu-Ray and relive those memories. I can show them youngsters what it was like back in the day of the 2 stroke!

Sony makes Vegas editing software and DVD architect (which also creates Blu-Ray disks) that works with Vegas. I don't have to mess around converting, etc. It all just works.