I just started looking into recording video at home to get another perspective on my play. So I looked into Gopro cameras and found out they now start at about $150. But that model does not have a removable battery. I couldn't find any info on battery life so far. So I guess I'll try my I-phone first. What are those of you that record at home useing?
Recording pool matches camera angle
- Thread starter MeeLosh
- Start date
Hello I have been trying to work on creating a quality stream and have done some searching on the subject. I am a fan of multiple camera angles. I like to try to have the line of the shot go with the camera angle. I use 2 camera views in my streams.
I use a portrait view
I use a landscape view-
I like to follow a certain flow during the break I always shoot table length(Portrait view) then immediately after the break I switch to a side view (landscape) so one can exam the table layout. Then from there I change angles to try to best be in the shot line not across it.
I use 2 cameras the landscape view is a GoPro Hero 3+ (shot in narrow view to minimize the fish eye)
The second camera for my portrait view is a Panasonic HC-V720. I am running both cameras at 30fps. Due to the fact that Facebook Live only allows you to use a max resolution of 720 instead of a full 1080.
Both cameras are mounted on custom brackets. My criteria for the side view was I had to be able to reach the GoPro camera to turn it on and off with out anything other then a small 4 step ladder. At this height I am barely able to get the 9ft table in view. I purchased a small boom arm mic stand from a local music store ($12) and got a mic stand mount for the GoPro. I then made a piece of wood that screws into the ceiling cross joist that I am able to screw the mic stand boom arm into. I then ran a 50' ft HDMI cable with a custom power cable tied to it back to my computer.
GoPro stand-
For the portrait view shot I bought a small weighted straight desktop mic stand for ($20) and purchased a mic stand adapter for a standard camera tripod stand. I then screwed through the metal base into a small wood shelf on the wall in the pool room. This secures the camera from falling over. I also ran a 25' HDMI cable with a power cord back to my computer. I also record this at 30fps at 720 resolution.
Panasonic stand-
Note- I used to use this same camera setup but record to the flash drive at the highest setting 1080 then downscale it to 720 due to filesize and upload it to YouTube. This avoided having to use any streaming software and avoiding issues with internet dropping signal. But using 2 cameras was a lot more work having to take 2 cameras and match them up and manually edit the shot view post match.
I run both cameras into my early 2012 Macbook Pro (Retina screen) so it has 2 thunderbolt ports. It uses a core i7 processor with 16gb of ram. I am running the standard Nvidia graphics card with 4gb of ram. Using the thunderbolt ports I connect to 2 BlackMagic Design Mini Studio Recorder boxes to the cameras via HDMI. I then use OSB or Wirecast as my software package to mix cameras, audio and fly in graphics and scores. I also use the external output in Wirecast to connect to a 40" tv that captures my live output stream. I run a Galaxy Note Book as a monitor to view what the live stream looks like on facebook and to monitor the audio levels.
For audio I don't use any audio from the cameras. I purchased a small 4 channel usb mixer that I run 4 mic inputs then usb out to my mac. I run 1 table mic that hangs right over the center of the table below the light. At first I bought a cheap $50 guitar nady wireless unit at a local pawn shop I then made it so I could use a standard Shure SM58 or any professional mic as my table mic. I have since run a hard wire to the table and hang the mic there using a condenser mic with seems to pic up a lot more detail in sound. I have the ability to have 3 commentator mics. I run one SM58 on a small mic stand with a set of headphones. I then purchased 2 sets of professional quality broadcasting headphones. The Audio-Technica BPHS1 Broadcast Stereo Headset w/ Dynamic Boom Mic. They are costly but sound great.
I would love to chat with other streamers like Daniel Bush to pick their brains on getting the best quality. I feel I have good equipment to do the job. My internet speed is a cable modem I get 40mb dl and 12mb ul but I still get drops in Wirecast from time to time. I am outputting to Facebook Live using 2mb bitrate at 30 fps at 720 resolution. Do streamers using any type of special lighting or just use the standard table lights?
Here is a pic of my coworker and myself doing a recent live stream at a tournament.
I use a portrait view
I use a landscape view-
I like to follow a certain flow during the break I always shoot table length(Portrait view) then immediately after the break I switch to a side view (landscape) so one can exam the table layout. Then from there I change angles to try to best be in the shot line not across it.
I use 2 cameras the landscape view is a GoPro Hero 3+ (shot in narrow view to minimize the fish eye)
The second camera for my portrait view is a Panasonic HC-V720. I am running both cameras at 30fps. Due to the fact that Facebook Live only allows you to use a max resolution of 720 instead of a full 1080.
Both cameras are mounted on custom brackets. My criteria for the side view was I had to be able to reach the GoPro camera to turn it on and off with out anything other then a small 4 step ladder. At this height I am barely able to get the 9ft table in view. I purchased a small boom arm mic stand from a local music store ($12) and got a mic stand mount for the GoPro. I then made a piece of wood that screws into the ceiling cross joist that I am able to screw the mic stand boom arm into. I then ran a 50' ft HDMI cable with a custom power cable tied to it back to my computer.
GoPro stand-
For the portrait view shot I bought a small weighted straight desktop mic stand for ($20) and purchased a mic stand adapter for a standard camera tripod stand. I then screwed through the metal base into a small wood shelf on the wall in the pool room. This secures the camera from falling over. I also ran a 25' HDMI cable with a power cord back to my computer. I also record this at 30fps at 720 resolution.
Panasonic stand-
Note- I used to use this same camera setup but record to the flash drive at the highest setting 1080 then downscale it to 720 due to filesize and upload it to YouTube. This avoided having to use any streaming software and avoiding issues with internet dropping signal. But using 2 cameras was a lot more work having to take 2 cameras and match them up and manually edit the shot view post match.
I run both cameras into my early 2012 Macbook Pro (Retina screen) so it has 2 thunderbolt ports. It uses a core i7 processor with 16gb of ram. I am running the standard Nvidia graphics card with 4gb of ram. Using the thunderbolt ports I connect to 2 BlackMagic Design Mini Studio Recorder boxes to the cameras via HDMI. I then use OSB or Wirecast as my software package to mix cameras, audio and fly in graphics and scores. I also use the external output in Wirecast to connect to a 40" tv that captures my live output stream. I run a Galaxy Note Book as a monitor to view what the live stream looks like on facebook and to monitor the audio levels.
For audio I don't use any audio from the cameras. I purchased a small 4 channel usb mixer that I run 4 mic inputs then usb out to my mac. I run 1 table mic that hangs right over the center of the table below the light. At first I bought a cheap $50 guitar nady wireless unit at a local pawn shop I then made it so I could use a standard Shure SM58 or any professional mic as my table mic. I have since run a hard wire to the table and hang the mic there using a condenser mic with seems to pic up a lot more detail in sound. I have the ability to have 3 commentator mics. I run one SM58 on a small mic stand with a set of headphones. I then purchased 2 sets of professional quality broadcasting headphones. The Audio-Technica BPHS1 Broadcast Stereo Headset w/ Dynamic Boom Mic. They are costly but sound great.
I would love to chat with other streamers like Daniel Bush to pick their brains on getting the best quality. I feel I have good equipment to do the job. My internet speed is a cable modem I get 40mb dl and 12mb ul but I still get drops in Wirecast from time to time. I am outputting to Facebook Live using 2mb bitrate at 30 fps at 720 resolution. Do streamers using any type of special lighting or just use the standard table lights?
Here is a pic of my coworker and myself doing a recent live stream at a tournament.
Last edited:
I was thinking the something on the first and didn't pay attention on the 2nd.
I personally think 2-3 cameras directly over the table on the light so you can get the entire picture in would be best. You can use software like OBS to combine the cameras into 1 flawless image without any distortion or detection that it is even more than one camera.
Lonnie
New member
Modern TVs are wider than they are tall. Their aspect ratio is typically 16 units wide by 9 units tall. So, orientating a pool table, to watch the game from the side does indeed offer the closest perspective you can have with the balls on the table. I'd like to see more matches from the perspective offered in your first video example (the 2nd link no longer provides a video). Great idea.
How about something like this?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
As long as it's from way high.
Most shots are played in the corners, so the angle from the short ends of the table gives a better view of the shots.
Most shots focus on the ball in motion, and I like that view. But I also like a good view of the player and his action, meaning the stance, arm, elbow, wrist, etc., movements. I lot could be learned from various player views. These could vary from side view to overhead, rear, or frontal.