Video camera setup test, short 14.1 run, input welcome!

acousticsguru · Sep 9, 2015

Filmed a short Straight Pool run during the OBC club night last night at Billard Bar Sorrento in Rorschach, thanks to club president Guly, who provided and installed the camera. Bit noisy with a little kid running around and parents chasing after etc. No matter as bad shot selection on my part put an early end to the run. Most interested in opinions on matters of camera angle etc. Had to put rack at head end of the table, putting tripod on the window sill where there's also a wall socket, trying our best to avoid having table lights in the field of view, even so, the sensor seems to readjust each time someone walks by (also, I get stripes watching it on a screen). Finally, uploading to YT took five and a half hours for a short clip like this - is this normal?

http://youtu.be/42-qbt_QYmo

Appreciate all input and comments, thanks in advance!

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

Bob Jewett · Sep 9, 2015

acousticsguru said:
.. Most interested in opinions on matters of camera angle etc. ...

I think the framing was pretty good, but maybe a little crooked.
Did you notice the size of your video file? Some ISPs have much slower upload than download speeds.

acousticsguru · Sep 10, 2015

Bob Jewett said:
I think the framing was pretty good, but maybe a little crooked.
Did you notice the size of your video file? Some ISPs have much slower upload than download speeds.

Thanks for your input!

Size is 2.24 GB. My friend's camera is a Panasonic, and I was pleasantly surprised my MacBook Pro was able to import the AVCHD files from the SD card at all - when I last tried the same from a Sony a few years ago, there were compatibility issues.

True, looks crooked… Should have checked myself, but was afraid to touch, all dangling in the air, with my friend Guglielmo standing on top of a bar stool.

Always felt that a vacuum suction cup that could be attached to the window would be best - and the one thing I really learnt is that one needs a camera with a display that can be turned around, in order to be able and check the frame at all. Also, a remote control would be nice - I'd hate to get up on a bar stool to turn the thing on and off myself…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

iusedtoberich · Sep 10, 2015

I have a panasonic camera also.

A few things:
1. You have to put the camera into full manual mode. Lock the focus, and lock the white balance settings. This will prevent the picture from changing as your body gets in the view and causes the light amount in the picture to change. Some lower end cameras do not have manual mode.

2. You can zoom in a hair and bring the two end rails so they are both at the edges of the picture. This is personal preference. The plus to being more zoomed in, is the balls will be bigger and easier to distinguish. The plus of being more zoomed out like you are now, is you can see more of the shooter and his mechanics. One more plus to a bit zoomed out is its easier to set up. When you are trying to zoom in just right so the end rails are at the borders, its very finicky, especially being up and down a ladder, having your face smashed against the wall to see the viewfinder, etc. (oh, I've used a mirror before to help with the viewfinder. My cam the viewfinder flips 180 deg, but when it does, it disables all of the on screen controls so you can't make adjustments)

3. Would the club let you mount a bracket on the ceiling or wall permanently? You can get one from Amazon for $15 that will allow you to easily swivel the camera without a tripod sitting on the floor/chair.

4. Don't upload the raw AVCHD file to youtube. Even the lowest resolution AVCHD file setting on the camera is way to large. Instead, import that file to iMovie on your Mac. Then, export that file using the low settings and 720P. The settings are: File>Share>File>1280x720>Custom>3Mbps. Believe me, when its on youtube, you won't be able to tell the difference. I did a lot of experimenting with this and that is my opinion. The file size will be something like 500MB instead of 2.24GB for the same "perceived" quality. It will take some time to export the file in iMovie. That will depend on how powerful your computer is. My old computer used to take overnight for a 1 hour clip. My new computer does a 1 hour clip in 10 minutes or so. You will have to try it and see if the time spent exporting on iMovie is worth the time saved uploading to youtube, and also the "processing time" youtube does after the file is uploaded.

ctyhntr · Sep 10, 2015

You can use http://speedtest.net to check your bandwidth and estimate upload speed time if you know the size of the file beforehand. FWIW, 1080p files can be 2-4 times as large as 720p, and 480 is proportionally smaller.

One of Apple's main selling points is ease/compatibility for video editing. Both iMovie and QuickTime will now read AVCHD files natively.

If you're having issues with people walking in front the camera, check your camera's owners manual, there may be a setting to disable autofocus. Also check if you can get a bigger battery, so you don't have to be tied down to an outlet. For my Canon Vixia, I can get extended batteries lasting 9 hours, and home made battery packs to last 30+ hours.

From my experience, avoid any camera mount with a single suction cup for mounting vertical. The suction doesn't last more than 10-30 minutes, and give out without any warning.

Keep up the good work, and good luck!

acousticsguru said:
Thanks for your input!

Size is 2.24 GB. My friend's camera is a Panasonic, and I was pleasantly surprised my MacBook Pro was able to import the AVCHD files from the SD card at all - when I last tried the same from a Sony a few years ago, there were compatibility issues.

True, looks crooked… Should have checked myself, but was afraid to touch, all dangling in the air, with my friend Guglielmo standing on top of a bar stool.

Always felt that a vacuum suction cup that could be attached to the window would be best - and the one thing I really learnt is that one needs a camera with a display that can be turned around, in order to be able and check the frame at all. Also, a remote control would be nice - I'd hate to get up on a bar stool to turn the thing on and off myself…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

acousticsguru · Sep 10, 2015

iusedtoberich said:
I have a panasonic camera also.

A few things:
1. You have to put the camera into full manual mode. Lock the focus, and lock the white balance settings. This will prevent the picture from changing as your body gets in the view and causes the light amount in the picture to change. Some lower end cameras do not have manual mode.

2. You can zoom in a hair and bring the two end rails so they are both at the edges of the picture. This is personal preference. The plus to being more zoomed in, is the balls will be bigger and easier to distinguish. The plus of being more zoomed out like you are now, is you can see more of the shooter and his mechanics. One more plus to a bit zoomed out is its easier to set up. When you are trying to zoom in just right so the end rails are at the borders, its very finicky, especially being up and down a ladder, having your face smashed against the wall to see the viewfinder, etc. (oh, I've used a mirror before to help with the viewfinder. My cam the viewfinder flips 180 deg, but when it does, it disables all of the on screen controls so you can't make adjustments)

3. Would the club let you mount a bracket on the ceiling or wall permanently? You can get one from Amazon for $15 that will allow you to easily swivel the camera without a tripod sitting on the floor/chair.

4. Don't upload the raw AVCHD file to youtube. Even the lowest resolution AVCHD file setting on the camera is way to large. Instead, import that file to iMovie on your Mac. Then, export that file using the low settings and 720P. The settings are: File>Share>File>1280x720>Custom>3Mbps. Believe me, when its on youtube, you won't be able to tell the difference. I did a lot of experimenting with this and that is my opinion. The file size will be something like 500MB instead of 2.24GB for the same "perceived" quality. It will take some time to export the file in iMovie. That will depend on how powerful your computer is. My old computer used to take overnight for a 1 hour clip. My new computer does a 1 hour clip in 10 minutes or so. You will have to try it and see if the time spent exporting on iMovie is worth the time saved uploading to youtube, and also the "processing time" youtube does after the file is uploaded.

Great pointers, thank you! Unfortunately, the wall there is a window (glass). I don't think there's a single table in there that isn't placed sideways to concrete walls - and I doubt they'd let me drill a hole etc.

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

acousticsguru · Sep 10, 2015

ctyhntr said:
From my experience, avoid any camera mount with a single suction cup for mounting vertical. The suction doesn't last more than 10-30 minutes, and give out without any warning.

Ouch!! Thanks for pointing that out (and everything else), makes sense…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

ctyhntr · Sep 10, 2015

I prefer something like this, if the camera weighs less than 1 kilo.

Check if Panasonic makes a remote for your camera. You maybe able to pick one up cheaply on e-bay.

acousticsguru said:
Ouch!! Thanks for pointing that out (and everything else), makes sense…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

acousticsguru · Sep 10, 2015

ctyhntr said:
I prefer something like this, if the camera weighs less than 1 kilo.

Check if Panasonic makes a remote for your camera. You maybe able to pick one up cheaply on e-bay.

That "tri-suction-cup" looks impressive, what's the correct English term for these?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

mjantti · Sep 10, 2015

I'd prefer more zoom out, so I can see what you're doing around the table. And as I told you already, use 720p instead of 1080p. The difference is almost unnoticeable, but the file size is much smaller and uploads faster. Actually, in Youtube it's not the upload that takes time, it's the file processing for Youtube video system.

I admire your smooth stroke...

Dan White · Sep 10, 2015

Regarding video size, I found a great tool. It will reduce the size of your file by about 90%, yes I said 90%, and I bet you can't tell the difference between the original and the converted file.

Download freeware called Handbrake. Go to the Video tab and there is a slide bar to the right side of the screen. The slide bar default is 20. Slide the bar to the left until you get to 28. Next, select the source file (the one you want to convert) and destination file. Hit Start and give it a few minutes, maybe 5 or 10 for a file that size. Then upload the new file to Youtube. My files that are about 1.5 G before conversion upload in about 60 seconds. They process in typically 15 minutes, half hour at the very most.

Good luck!

acousticsguru · Sep 10, 2015

mjantti said:
I'd prefer more zoom out, so I can see what you're doing around the table. And as I told you already, use 720p instead of 1080p. The difference is almost unnoticeable, but the file size is much smaller and uploads faster. Actually, in Youtube it's not the upload that takes time, it's the file processing for Youtube video system.

I admire your smooth stroke...

Thanks Mikko, for your kindness, and the pointer! Enjoyed watching your video tonight, keep up the good shooting! :thumbup:

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

acousticsguru · Sep 10, 2015

Dan White said:
Regarding video size, I found a great tool. It will reduce the size of your file by about 90%, yes I said 90%, and I bet you can't tell the difference between the original and the converted file.

Download freeware called Handbrake. Go to the Video tab and there is a slide bar to the right side of the screen. The slide bar default is 20. Slide the bar to the left until you get to 28. Next, select the source file (the one you want to convert) and destination file. Hit Start and give it a few minutes, maybe 5 or 10 for a file that size. Then upload the new file to Youtube. My files that are about 1.5 G before conversion upload in about 60 seconds. They process in typically 15 minutes, half hour at the very most.

Good luck!

Thanks Dan, will check that out!

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

alstl · Sep 11, 2015

Nice run. Camera angle and video were excellent.

acousticsguru · Sep 11, 2015

alstl said:
Nice run. Camera angle and video were excellent.

Thanks for the encouragement! Watching it now, I do seem to come up short on half of my positional efforts, and not learn much from it, though…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

ctyhntr · Sep 11, 2015

That particular model is called Veho Universal Professional Triple Cup Suction Mount. Here is the amazon link. There should be other vendors who make something similar.

http://www.amazon.com/Veho-VCC-A027-3SM-Universal-Professional-Suction/dp/B00CBSDOZC

acousticsguru said:
That "tri-suction-cup" looks impressive, what's the correct English term for these?

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

acousticsguru · Sep 11, 2015

ctyhntr said:
That particular model is called Veho Universal Professional Triple Cup Suction Mount. Here is the amazon link. There should be other vendors who make something similar.

http://www.amazon.com/Veho-VCC-A027-3SM-Universal-Professional-Suction/dp/B00CBSDOZC

Thanks for the link! That thing sure looks more reliable!

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

Poolmanis · Sep 15, 2015

ctyhntr said:
From my experience, avoid any camera mount with a single suction cup for mounting vertical. The suction doesn't last more than 10-30 minutes, and give out without any warning.

Keep up the good work, and good luck!

I have my phone nowadays at suction mounting and it dropped once.. Now I put table and my jacket on that - Just in case it drops again.. Never did.. so far.

arnaldo · Sep 15, 2015

acousticsguru said:
Thanks for the encouragement! Watching it now, I do seem to come up short on half of my positional efforts, and not learn much from it, though…

If I may, here's a tip that will greatly increase the accuracy of your position play:

Especially on critical position plays, get in the habit of going beyond your present method of simply making an abstract indirect mental/visual notion of the approximate area where you ideally want the CB to arrive for your next shot.

Instead, do as professional players often do on critical plays -- place your cue tip right above the cloth (or even on the cloth) pointing at the specific small area where you'd like to arrive. This much more firmly concretizes your plan and you'll like the way your arm and subconscious -- given this additional info -- will cooperate in terms of english and speed control, to far more frequently and accurately get that CB just where you'd want it to be.

Also, why not think about a tall floor-standing tripod for the camera (if your pool venue allows this).

Arnaldo

alstl · Sep 16, 2015

acousticsguru said:
Thanks for the encouragement! Watching it now, I do seem to come up short on half of my positional efforts, and not learn much from it, though…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

You are welcome. I wasn't going to comment on your play because you seemed to want feedback on your camera but I like your game.

One thing I especially liked was twice you used a key ball up table on the same side as the break ball. Some guys recommend getting rid of those balls early but I like those for key balls. A couple times I would have went into the ball harder to open up the stack but your way of bumping balls into position worked great.

Video camera setup test, short 14.1 run, input welcome!

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