928 In-Car Video (5mb windows media file)
04-15-2003, 01:59 PM
#1
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928 In-Car Video (5mb windows media file)
Hi Gang.
On a whim, I wanted to see if i could jury rig an in-car setup with a common tripod (yes) and my Sony Hi8 camcorder. The rig is very steady the way i did it. My only rub is a pesky rear view mirror which i hope the purchase of a wide angle lens will help. Im doing this in advance of SITM, so i wanna get it prefected prior too.
<a href="http://members.rennlist.com/blueshark/928_Crusin_Short.wmv" target="_blank">928 Crusin' Video. Please right click and Save first to conserve the bandwitdh</a>
Lemme know what you think and i apologize in advance for the off color expression of joy that you may hear. The quality is low to keep file size to a minimum. The raw footage is quite good.
On a whim, I wanted to see if i could jury rig an in-car setup with a common tripod (yes) and my Sony Hi8 camcorder. The rig is very steady the way i did it. My only rub is a pesky rear view mirror which i hope the purchase of a wide angle lens will help. Im doing this in advance of SITM, so i wanna get it prefected prior too.
<a href="http://members.rennlist.com/blueshark/928_Crusin_Short.wmv" target="_blank">928 Crusin' Video. Please right click and Save first to conserve the bandwitdh</a>
Lemme know what you think and i apologize in advance for the off color expression of joy that you may hear. The quality is low to keep file size to a minimum. The raw footage is quite good.
04-15-2003, 03:49 PM
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I'd recommend lowering the camera a bit. A wide angle lens isn't going to help much with the mirror unless you can mount the camera much further forward, which might not be a bad idea even without the lens.
Don't know what happened to the sound, but it's full right and very quiet. You'd do much better to use mp3 compression at 64kbps. I'd also recommend getting the DivX codec as well to do compression, it does a much better job. Both codecs are free. If you are interested, I do a bunch of digital video and could help with file formats.
All in all, though, I like your idea! I've been toying with the idea of building a car PC that would handle the FM stereo, CD player, MP3 player, DVD player, active subwoofer management, GPS display, perhaps g-force/tach tracking, and an always running camera recording to hard drive. It's quite the pipe dream at the moment, but that center console just screams for one of those 6" LCD displays.
I built a car mp3 player several years ago, back when mp3's were something only computer hackers had heard of. I've been stopped way too many times and had the cop lie in court, so the camera thing is quite a motivation!
Good luck, and feel free to contact me for technical issues!
Don't know what happened to the sound, but it's full right and very quiet. You'd do much better to use mp3 compression at 64kbps. I'd also recommend getting the DivX codec as well to do compression, it does a much better job. Both codecs are free. If you are interested, I do a bunch of digital video and could help with file formats.
All in all, though, I like your idea! I've been toying with the idea of building a car PC that would handle the FM stereo, CD player, MP3 player, DVD player, active subwoofer management, GPS display, perhaps g-force/tach tracking, and an always running camera recording to hard drive. It's quite the pipe dream at the moment, but that center console just screams for one of those 6" LCD displays.
I built a car mp3 player several years ago, back when mp3's were something only computer hackers had heard of. I've been stopped way too many times and had the cop lie in court, so the camera thing is quite a motivation!
Good luck, and feel free to contact me for technical issues!
04-15-2003, 04:07 PM
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</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by AaronE:
[QB]
I built a car mp3 player several years ago, back when mp3's were something only computer hackers had heard of. I've been stopped way too many times and had the cop lie in court, so the camera thing is quite a motivation!
QB]</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Why were you always being stopped Aaron, and what did the Officer lie about?
[QB]
I built a car mp3 player several years ago, back when mp3's were something only computer hackers had heard of. I've been stopped way too many times and had the cop lie in court, so the camera thing is quite a motivation!
QB]</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Why were you always being stopped Aaron, and what did the Officer lie about?
04-15-2003, 04:20 PM
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Looks good.
My friend purchased a little spy-cam...basically a camera about the size of a woman's lip-stick tube... and ran wires to the camcorder. We then mounted the spy-cam to the top of our ski helmets (with velcro), ran the wires to the camcorder in the back-pack and came out with some great ski footage. This could easily be done in the car as well. Mount the spy-cam anywhere you want with some velcro, put the camcorder safely under the dash, seat, etc. Heck you could even mount the spy-cam on the lower from grill (imagine the view only a couple inches off the pavement at 100 MPH!)
The whole set-up for the spy-cam costs about $175 with a little DIY but the results are awesome! Easily better than a tri-pod taking up room and rear-view.
Here's a link to a racing company that basically had the same idea we had...the spy-cam even looks the same...
<a href="http://www.sampsonracing.com/sampson_racing_new/home_f.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sampsonracing.com/sampson_racing_new/home_f.htm</a>
I may just try our set-up for the Bonneville and Pony Express races this summer if the system can mount safely to the car and pass tech inspection.
Rich.
My friend purchased a little spy-cam...basically a camera about the size of a woman's lip-stick tube... and ran wires to the camcorder. We then mounted the spy-cam to the top of our ski helmets (with velcro), ran the wires to the camcorder in the back-pack and came out with some great ski footage. This could easily be done in the car as well. Mount the spy-cam anywhere you want with some velcro, put the camcorder safely under the dash, seat, etc. Heck you could even mount the spy-cam on the lower from grill (imagine the view only a couple inches off the pavement at 100 MPH!)
The whole set-up for the spy-cam costs about $175 with a little DIY but the results are awesome! Easily better than a tri-pod taking up room and rear-view.
Here's a link to a racing company that basically had the same idea we had...the spy-cam even looks the same...
<a href="http://www.sampsonracing.com/sampson_racing_new/home_f.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sampsonracing.com/sampson_racing_new/home_f.htm</a>
I may just try our set-up for the Bonneville and Pony Express races this summer if the system can mount safely to the car and pass tech inspection.
Rich.
04-15-2003, 05:59 PM
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I've had this idea for a while. Replace the side mirrors with lipstick cameras. Fab a small housinf (fiberglass?) to go where the mirrors bolt up and hook up a couple of 4" color screens, one on each side of the pod. any takers?
04-15-2003, 06:41 PM
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I saw someone do that with a hybrid car. They complained that they kept getting pulled over for not having mirrors. After the local cops started recognizing him, they would pull him over so they could show their friends.
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04-15-2003, 07:51 PM
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I'd worry about the possible shock (or heat) damage to an in-car PC. I'm assuming you would be using the car's CD or DVD drives and not a PC?
--EDIT--
Never mind, I'm only thinking desktop terms.
--EDIT--
Never mind, I'm only thinking desktop terms.
04-15-2003, 08:25 PM
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My Mini-DV makes AVI files which, using the provided software, shrink down to 320X MPEG files.
What's a better way to get these files to a size that's manageable? I have the DV writer built into the laptop, so for just fooling around I have no problem keeping the full-res native files. But for swapping around like this, the AVI files are too big or the images are too grainy.
Some hints from an amateur:
As a viewer, I like to see the tach and speedo. Lighting for that is an issue, since opening the lens makes the outside image way too bright. Solution is to add lighting to tha gauges somehow?
Some other's I've seenm have gone through the trouble of adding a brakelight LED where the camera can see it. If you want to analyze your lap times, seeing where you apply the brakes is a big plus.
Lower the camera in the car so it sees ahead. Darn mirror is in the way of the camera, but is necessary for the driver especially in bear country. A wide-angle is not the naswer-- the mirror will be the same percentage of the usable image, and with the standard video resolution the usable part will be even smaller.
Anybody mounted a camera over the driver's shoulder? It would be cool to see the rear image in the mirrors especially in a mountain tour group.
Last but not least-- It's sometimes tempting to stretch your driving ability to impress the camera. Resist the urge.
And remember that the tape is potentially evidence against you. There's a pretty good test case in the news last week about an accident victim whose insurance company is trying to get access to the flight data recorder mounted in late car, looking for speed/braking/airbag info. So big brother is definitely watching some already.
I need to get my camera into the car and drive it a bit to see how well it does... Keep the videos coming! They are fun to watch! I have to hunt for roads anything like that one here in Los Angeles!
What's a better way to get these files to a size that's manageable? I have the DV writer built into the laptop, so for just fooling around I have no problem keeping the full-res native files. But for swapping around like this, the AVI files are too big or the images are too grainy.
Some hints from an amateur:
As a viewer, I like to see the tach and speedo. Lighting for that is an issue, since opening the lens makes the outside image way too bright. Solution is to add lighting to tha gauges somehow?
Some other's I've seenm have gone through the trouble of adding a brakelight LED where the camera can see it. If you want to analyze your lap times, seeing where you apply the brakes is a big plus.
Lower the camera in the car so it sees ahead. Darn mirror is in the way of the camera, but is necessary for the driver especially in bear country. A wide-angle is not the naswer-- the mirror will be the same percentage of the usable image, and with the standard video resolution the usable part will be even smaller.
Anybody mounted a camera over the driver's shoulder? It would be cool to see the rear image in the mirrors especially in a mountain tour group.
Last but not least-- It's sometimes tempting to stretch your driving ability to impress the camera. Resist the urge.
And remember that the tape is potentially evidence against you. There's a pretty good test case in the news last week about an accident victim whose insurance company is trying to get access to the flight data recorder mounted in late car, looking for speed/braking/airbag info. So big brother is definitely watching some already.
I need to get my camera into the car and drive it a bit to see how well it does... Keep the videos coming! They are fun to watch! I have to hunt for roads anything like that one here in Los Angeles!
04-15-2003, 10:50 PM
#10
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Thanks all for the tips.
Dr Bob - I too want to see the speedo. I think a jury rigged clip on book light might do the trick.
Its just enough light to shine to that cave of a dash pod. As for a brake light, i may pass on that since it may be beyond my meager (read: none) electircal skillz. It might have been hard to tell, but i was yakking it up quite abit, calling out when i was on the brakes or on the gas etc etc.
The camera lowering is a function of tripod size. Mine was as low as it could go. I bought a smaller one tonight, but i need to take it back since its too small. Ritz had another one that was in between the one i have and the one i bought. I picked up a wide angle lens too, so i gonna experiment. I can always use one anyway, so its not money wasted. I need to get a circular polarizer too to get the reflection off the window minimized.
As for stretching, i was taking it easy as there were lots of Sunday drivers out and about. All those roads were near home and i've been driving and cycling on them for years. I know every knook, cranny, twist, turn and pothole on them.
I'll keep them coming...Any excuse to drive.
Dr Bob - I too want to see the speedo. I think a jury rigged clip on book light might do the trick.
Its just enough light to shine to that cave of a dash pod. As for a brake light, i may pass on that since it may be beyond my meager (read: none) electircal skillz. It might have been hard to tell, but i was yakking it up quite abit, calling out when i was on the brakes or on the gas etc etc.
The camera lowering is a function of tripod size. Mine was as low as it could go. I bought a smaller one tonight, but i need to take it back since its too small. Ritz had another one that was in between the one i have and the one i bought. I picked up a wide angle lens too, so i gonna experiment. I can always use one anyway, so its not money wasted. I need to get a circular polarizer too to get the reflection off the window minimized.
As for stretching, i was taking it easy as there were lots of Sunday drivers out and about. All those roads were near home and i've been driving and cycling on them for years. I know every knook, cranny, twist, turn and pothole on them.
I'll keep them coming...Any excuse to drive.
04-15-2003, 11:00 PM
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Lots of skid marks heading off the road along those stretches, eh John.
The video looked and sounded great when I saved the file, then played it.
That mirror definitely has to go - can't it be removed for some short runs like this (it just slides off)? I found myself constantly ducking under it to see what was coming up ahead... <img src="http://users.adelphia.net/~keithdjenkins/images/driving.gif" alt=" - " />
The video looked and sounded great when I saved the file, then played it.
That mirror definitely has to go - can't it be removed for some short runs like this (it just slides off)? I found myself constantly ducking under it to see what was coming up ahead... <img src="http://users.adelphia.net/~keithdjenkins/images/driving.gif" alt=" - " />
04-16-2003, 01:52 AM
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</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Randy V:
Why were you always being stopped Aaron, and what did the Officer lie about?</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Oh, I've gotten tickets for everything from speeding to watching a 27" TV strapped to the passenger seat. As far as in court, the officers never remember anything besides their notes, so they make up answers to any questions they don't know. Maybe there are some honest traffic cops out there, but I haven't run into any yet. The last one said he caught up with me in 3 seconds going 90 mph, yet supposedly I was also going 90. I was going 105, but he never did catch up with me. The law requires he pace for at least 1/4 mile, so he lied and claimed he did. Granted, I was guilty, but he didn't know that.
Anyway, some videotape in this situation would have shown that he was nowhere near me. I'm thinking a laptop with a broken screen and a small webcam would do wonders...
Why were you always being stopped Aaron, and what did the Officer lie about?</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Oh, I've gotten tickets for everything from speeding to watching a 27" TV strapped to the passenger seat. As far as in court, the officers never remember anything besides their notes, so they make up answers to any questions they don't know. Maybe there are some honest traffic cops out there, but I haven't run into any yet. The last one said he caught up with me in 3 seconds going 90 mph, yet supposedly I was also going 90. I was going 105, but he never did catch up with me. The law requires he pace for at least 1/4 mile, so he lied and claimed he did. Granted, I was guilty, but he didn't know that.
Anyway, some videotape in this situation would have shown that he was nowhere near me. I'm thinking a laptop with a broken screen and a small webcam would do wonders...
04-16-2003, 03:39 AM
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I like it!! You sure the mirror cant be removed by just sliding it up? On my last car it was actaully a bit loose and i gently wiggled it up and off leaving a round metal fixture epoxied to the windshield.
Looks like the makings of "The Streets of Crownville" <img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" />
Looks like the makings of "The Streets of Crownville" <img border="0" alt="[burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" />
