4 replies to this topic

[ddonohue]

Is there any way to overlay a clock or a counter over video using any EMC 8 module?

I coach a sport and we record all our games. When we watch them, it is almost impossible to be able to fast forward or rewind with any accuracy to a particular spot for teaching purposes because the time isn't shown (the game clock is not visible on the video).

My camera (Sony Handicam, Hi8) displays a counter, but only on the camera's LCD. I can't find any way to output the counter overlayed on the video when I capture it.

And it doesn't need to be synced to the camera's counter in any way, I just thought that might be another route to do what I'm trying to do. I just need to start at 0000 or 00:00 and count as the video plays.

Any ideas? Is this feature added in EMC 9? Thanks!

[myguggi]

ddonohue, on Feb 7 2007, 03:27 PM, said:

Is there any way to overlay a clock or a counter over video using any EMC 8 module?

I coach a sport and we record all our games. When we watch them, it is almost impossible to be able to fast forward or rewind with any accuracy to a particular spot for teaching purposes because the time isn't shown (the game clock is not visible on the video).

My camera (Sony Handicam, Hi8) displays a counter, but only on the camera's LCD. I can't find any way to output the counter overlayed on the video when I capture it.

And it doesn't need to be synced to the camera's counter in any way, I just thought that might be another route to do what I'm trying to do. I just need to start at 0000 or 00:00 and count as the video plays.

Any ideas? Is this feature added in EMC 9? Thanks!

Are you capturing from a digital camcorder to avi format? If yes, there is a small utility called vPTS which can be used to put the date/time of the recording on the video. The link is http://dts8888.com

Its not the same as overlaying a clock on the video which can start at 00:00:00 since it shows the actual time you did the recording.

[ddonohue]

myguggi, on Feb 7 2007, 03:15 PM, said:

Are you capturing from a digital camcorder to avi format? If yes, there is a small utility called vPTS which can be used to put the date/time of the recording on the video. The link is http://dts8888.com

Its not the same as overlaying a clock on the video which can start at 00:00:00 since it shows the actual time you did the recording.

Now that is a very creative solution, thank you. It's not imperative that the clock start at 00:00, so I think I could live with it.

However, my preference would not be to capture to avi. The reason is that the stupid utility supplied with the HandiCam only allows me to capture around 10 minutes at a time. Since this is a sporting event that runs about 90 minutes, if I were to go the route you suggest I'd have to capture 9 segments, use the vPTS utility on each, then knit them back together with Videowave. Doable, but seems like a bear.

So, I either need to find another way to capture the entire 90 minutes to avi (maybe a 3rd party replacement for the Sony util?) then use vPTS or find another method to timestamp to mpg. If there is a way to force the Handicam to include the LCD display information in the output, I'd be golden.

If I could find a way to produce a 90 minute long video of a counting timer, something small down in the corner and on a solid color background, could I add that to videowave as an overlay and chromakey the background out? I've never played with overlays, so I'm just asking if that would be feasible (and how could I produce the timing video???)

[grandpabruce]

ddonohue, on Feb 7 2007, 07:08 PM, said:

Now that is a very creative solution, thank you. It's not imperative that the clock start at 00:00, so I think I could live with it.

However, my preference would not be to capture to avi. The reason is that the stupid utility supplied with the HandiCam only allows me to capture around 10 minutes at a time. Since this is a sporting event that runs about 90 minutes, if I were to go the route you suggest I'd have to capture 9 segments, use the vPTS utility on each, then knit them back together with Videowave. Doable, but seems like a bear.

So, I either need to find another way to capture the entire 90 minutes to avi (maybe a 3rd party replacement for the Sony util?) then use vPTS or find another method to timestamp to mpg. If there is a way to force the Handicam to include the LCD display information in the output, I'd be golden.

If I could find a way to produce a 90 minute long video of a counting timer, something small down in the corner and on a solid color background, could I add that to videowave as an overlay and chromakey the background out? I've never played with overlays, so I'm just asking if that would be feasible (and how could I produce the timing video???)

Actually, you are better off to capture in shorter segments, as .avi files.  You can add all of them into VideoWave to make one production out of all of them.

Capturing in shorter segments reduces the chance of video/audio sync problems.

[ddonohue]

grandpabruce, on Feb 7 2007, 07:41 PM, said:

Actually, you are better off to capture in shorter segments, as .avi files.  You can add all of them into VideoWave to make one production out of all of them.

Capturing in shorter segments reduces the chance of video/audio sync problems.

I'll buy that, and keep it in mind for the future, but for this particular application, audio is of negligible value so sync problems wouldn't bother me.

Either way, capturing straight to mpg through an ADC as I am doing is much easier. I'd only want to change that process if I really had no other way to achieve my end.