Pool Video Database Q's

[Kevin]

Over 10 years I have taped broadcast TV pool events (snooker, 9-ball, 1-pocket, straight pool, mens, womens, Mosconi Cup, WPC, WPBA, Accu-stats, ESPN, etc.) and have amassed a collection of over 120 tapes with generally 6hrs of mixed stuff, with each tape titled numerically by start date... e.g. "20071006 Pool" (year, month, date sequential significance). Now it is time to start sorting out what is in this treasure trove, and how to make it usable for me.

A database seems best, but frankly I know beans about creating a useful and search-friendly one for my purposes. Experts? Links?

Things I think useful to query would be tape name, contents of that tape, tournament, players, commentators, game played (9-ball, snooker, etc.) game notes, player notes (fundamentals, pre-shot routine, stroke, rhythm, speed control, position play, offense/defense choices, position errors, great safeties, great escapes, jumps, kicks, 2-way shots, accu-stat scoring, time-code markers) and more. Much much more.

First Q, what else when viewing tournament play might be worth watching for (besides turning down the volume on Mitch crooning about elephant balls placed perfectly into Sardo tight racks on Simonis covering Brunswick Metro tables at the Mohegan Sun's Wolf's Den) ?

And second, how to structure the database so if for example I really get into Ralf Souquet's pre-shot routine or Efren's sense of speed control perfection or giggles when he gets out of line or someone mentions here how sweet and pure player X's stroke is, I can find the 9 matches over these 120 tapes so I can then dig them out and watch in order to "get" the info I am looking for that each player demonstrates?

Thanks for the thoughts on what can be learned from watching taped matches.

 

[Mr Hoppe]

You can do quite a bit of this just using Excel and it's auto-filter ability, although not all of it.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks, I will look into Excel.

 

[will14.1]

You can do all you want and more in Microsoft Access, but it would take a little time. You'd have to set up all the parameters in Design mode and than enter all the data you'd like to search through. It would be very time consuming, but after you'd entered all the data you could simply run queries to find everything with the player Souquet or Efren or Challenge of Champions etc. It's pretty easy to figure out how to set all this up through Access's help menu. Excel would be easier to use, but wouldn't let you do as much as you want, for instance, I don't think you could cross reference anything. Like you might not get the same match, if you query Souquet, or perfect preshot routine or challenge of champions 01 or whatever. If when you entered a particular match you included those specific details, you could search your results by any of those parameters. Hope this helps at all.
~will