Best In-Car Video Set-up ??

[North Coast Cab]

Starting from scratch, what's the best in-car video set-up for capturing, editing, and storing.

Camera / VCR Format
Digital 8 ?
MD Digital ?
Micro MV ?
Mini DV ?

Remote Cam - Lipstick Camera Type

Editing Software ?

I'm a little technically challenged in this area so I'm looking for simple guidelines and explanations. I'd like to have a remote camcorder/vcr using a lipstick camera. Capture 20-30 minutes sessions and then easily edit down to small 30 sec. to 1 minute clips that I can post or e-mail.

Thanks, John

[bell]

for durability and flexible placement of the camera the 12volt vcrs seem to be a nice "cheap" ticket.
this was discused here ...
Great Low-budget In-car Video System
i like the vcr idea cause they can take abuse and record up to 6 hours depending on the tape.
sure you'll spend some time loading it onto the computer but you'll always have that tape handy

[mskala]

For lipstick cameras the AutoXCam ones work great for me.
They work much better than others I've looked at, in lower
light conditions, like for overcast days or for being able to
see what's going on inside the car. 0.1Lux. For very bright
conditions many other things would work well, too.

I haven't done the research on the different digital
recording formats, I'd like to know if they produce different
results at all, seeing as they all have to produce the raw
stream out the Firewire port (you have to use Firewire,
don't go USB). I picked up a Digital 8 very cheap this year,
before that I was analog only.

I'm guessing stay away from the miniDVD type, can those
things record under real G-forces?

I'm not much into editing, you can go all over the map on
cost of those programs. But for coding as mpeg1,2, at
selectable levels of quality, I use TMPGEnc.

Good luck!

[Lothar]

John,

You've probably read the thread that Bell cited. I started that thread and continue to have excellent success with the 12 volt vcr, lipstick camera and 12 volt powered mic. THe components were inexpensive and the results are reliable. THe ease with which you can move the camera or mic to get different perspectives is a real plus.

[POKDUB]

I have used Editstudio a lot, you might be able to pickup a free download of one of the earlier versions.
Go through the Tutorial and you will be producing in a matter of hours.

For capture I would suggest you stick to digital formats as vcr will require video capture hardware on your PC or USB device.

[Quicksilver]

One advantage of a good digital camcorder is image stabilization. It can take all the vibration out of the video. I have a nice little Sony Digital 8 that works nice.

An advantage of a lipstick cam is it is easier to secure so it isn't dangerous in a crash. Almost any camera mount will break in a good sized wreck.

Either way, look for digital. It is easy to get into the computer and gives you a way better result. To get it into the computer and edit it I have Pinnicle's Studio 9 Deluxe. It lets me import digital and analog video. I am using it to cleanup old VHS tapes and convert them to DVD so they will last.

Wayne

[North Coast Cab]

The Lothar set-up is cool, but I want it to record on digital so I don't have to spend a ton of time transfering the files. I tranbsfered a few on a friends machine earlier in the year and it took like 6 hours. Then the file was so big we couldn't really edit or transfer it. I must be doing something wrong.

So I guess the real question is if I have the video recorded on some sort of digital device what is the easiest way to load and edit on my computer?

John

[chuckw951]

In my last 911 I used this set up:

Harness bar
I/O port camera mount
Sony MiniDV video camera (with image stabilization)
Wide angle lens

I used it to video driving at autocross events. I like digital because of the quality and because it is easy to transfer to the computer and edit. The DV cameras are inexpensive these days. I bought mine in 1999. I recommend the wide angle lens.

Before I sold the car I took at 30 minute drive through the country and taped that. Playing the tape back on a wide screen TV and it's like you are there.

Here are some screen captures. In the last frame I left the camera on as the car was loaded onto a rollback. In my last run at the autocross my engine "jumped time."

[Quicksilver]

chuckw951 -> The last picture is a crackup. I have a similar one taken at the exit gate of Sequoia National Park. It was only a 243 mile tow. (but the first 7 miles were free!)

Getting it into the computer:
If the camcorder has an Firewire/IEEE1394 port, Windows XP will see the camera directly through a Firewire port. (Ilink is Sony's name for Firewire)

Lots of computers have them or they are a common card you can add to the computer. Also you can use Windows Movie Maker to do very simple editing. If you have installed the "Service Pack 2" for XP you will have the basics. (If you have XP you need the patch anyway)

Wayne

[masraum]

From all of the video's that I've seen posted on the net the lipstick cams seem to produce the best picture. Even compared to a really high end camera with IS. My theory for this is that because of the reduced mass of the lipstick cam the lense is much more stable and so the image is more stable. Running a small light lense to a camera that is securely mounted someplace like a seat or the floor will probably produce the best image. I seem to remember, I think it was Jack posting a couple of videos from a day of play, one with the camera on a camera mount that was very shaky and blurry despite IS, and then several that were great with little to no shaking that were taken with a lipstick cam run to the same camera.