Here's what I want to do...

I want to mount two cameras in the car, facing opposite directions. Then, I want somehow to record both views on the same screen...

First I thought that finding some sort of picture-in-picture adapter/upgrade kit would do the trick... but either I can find one, or it doesn't exist.

Second, I looked a video multiplexers... WAY out of budget.

So, does anyone have any suggestions as to how to do this? A 2x2 matrix of cameras would be cool, and a picture-in-picture view of front and rear would be cool... if someone can figure out how to do either of those on a budget.

 

Wouldn't you do it "after the event" so to speak? i.e. video editing on a computer. Capture the video from each camera then use the special features of the many video editing software out there?

New cameras plug straight into the new laptops for example, older camers and/or computers you need a video capture card, shouldn't bee to expensive these days. I know my 1 year old video camera plugs straight into my 2 year old computer. So the hardware (and software) has been around for a while, should be readily available and reasonably cheap?

I'd be out at the next POC Willow big track event, although with the first few events they are at "away" tracks for the first couple months.

Cheers,
Dylan.

Cheers,
Dylan.

 

I've already explored the video capture and computer edit solution. The only problem that I have with this is that I actually have to do work to make it the way I want it... certainly there must be a better solution that can do it realtime.

 

Dylan,
Check your private messages

 

Was it Chris? If you're local in San Diego, look in the bargain trader. I've been wanting to try out those remote viewing camera sets. They have 4 remote cameras that feed back to one monitor. Don't know the range. It's some kind of security system. Costs $300.00 It would be wild to have one camera on the steering wheel,shifter and dash, one on the pedal box, one out the back, and one in the suspension! You can also get cheap video cameras there. We're reviewing video of multiple driving sessions tonight at Anderson Motorworks for car and driver critique. If you want just one camera, the race cam (made by NorthEast Microelectronics) sold by Stable Energies is the best I've seen. Fantastic color video, but it's around $1200.00!!!When I was at San Diego Motorsports, we learned so much from that one camera you wouldn't believe it. Another source for cheap, small cameras is Industrial Liquidators on Convoy in Kearny Mesa. Good luck with your search. Cameras are a powerful tool. Tim Comeau

 

One more thing. Randy Beck in the POC had a system of two cameras in his car. One facing the front, one facing the rear. He had a switch in the cockpit for changing views on the fly, though they recorded to the same camera so you could only see one or the other. Tim Comeau

 

Tim,

I think the security system thing you're talking about is the X-10 based stuff... the way it works is that it takes a "snapshot" of each camera, then cycles them to the source (if you're using a computer to view 4 at a time), or it plays one camera at a time to a monitor. The other thing you could be talking about is a video multiplexer that can record all 4 cameras in a little matrix pattern ... the only problem is that these things have BNC connectors, as opposed to standard RCA connectors or RF connectors. SO, I have no clue the format that the video coming out of these things is, and thus I don't know if I can hook it up to a VCR. The switch idea came up, but I felt it would be too much work for the driver to have to choose which camera he wants to record from while trying to drive well... Do you know anything about the "video multiplexers" that are used in security systems?

 

Simple is smarter. Get on ebay, buy three old VHS camcorders for $50 each. Voila, every angle gets tape, and you've got a spare camera if one dies -- with no worries about vibrating delicate and expensive equipment to death.

Edit it together later on your computer.

No one should set up any system where they're switching camera angles from the cockpit while they're on a track. That's insane. If I learned that a guy I was sharing a track with was playing with video gear while he was driving, I'd ask to have him sent home.

 

Ok, now were into something I know a little about. This is what I do for a living. Good news and bad news. Any wireless system that will work from your car and make it back to a base, say in your trailers will be at least $2g per channel. Its cheaper to record in car. The next issue to consider is processing. There are tons of quads, PIPs and muxes that will record multiple cameras on a single tape. Most will seriously reduce your framerate, so they may be fine for low end security or home movies, they are not good for sports or high speed video. The best solution is simple 1 to 1 recording. Either use multiple camcorders or a portable recorder like the Sony 8mm watchcorder. Optimally a 4 camera setup would be great. You could get front rear, dash and driver. They do make high speed quad processors but they are expensive and you decrease the resolution to 1/4 of the screen. This is probably ok on DV or Hi-8, but not on VHS-C or regular 8 mm. If anyone in the northeast is looking for a full multicamera race system, I'd be glad to help them out and give them the stuff just over cost just for the fun of setting one up in a car.

 

Jack, switching the camera view is no more complex than pushing the push-to-talk radio button on the steering wheel. Is that a dangerous distraction, too? SHEEESH! Good drivers are accustomed to multi-tasking AT SPEED. Anyway, I think we'll try the multi camera setup. Maybe a lipstick tube size for the suspension? I hope the vibration doesn't make things too fuzzy. We have a great video producer here in the pca in San Diego(Videpost)that can piece the different views together. Thanks for the info provided. TC