Jeff Lamb

Russell, thanks for the feedback!! It sounds like if I go the route of using more than one digital video camera, I can sync the separate video streams manually and get a pretty good result. I enjoyed watching the video you posted. The sync between the two screens looked very good to me.

Another thing I need to research a bit more is whether or not the NTSC and/or PAL video streams have a timining signal built into them that I can somehow tap into? Or, whether or not I can use some sort of a separate digital timing device that would send a timing signal to each individual camera? If the latter were possible, then synchronizing the separately recorded video streams would be extremely easy. I will post a reply if I learn something on this subject.

Jeff

924RACR

One option (low tech) would be to have a light visible to all cameras that could be used... like a shift light, or a manual light... or oil pressure light...

Really, synching video and audio feeds isn't that bad, just takes a little practice. For example, I was able to synch the audio feed from the commentators on my last race to the in-car video, didn't take much work. Minor PITA in that there was a momentary glitch in the audio feed that resulted in them getting out of synch, but I was able to re-dub and get them back inline again after the event.

Reminds me, I still have to upload the second vid from that race...

Jeff Lamb

Vaughn, I spoke with a video producer and he recommends something very similar to your suggestion . . . only using audio instead of video. He recommended starting each camera before I strap into the car and then using something to create two or three sharp, percussive audio bursts that will be recorded by each camera. During post production, I would then use the audio bursts to make it easier to synch all of the video together. And, they should stay in sync from there since the data stream from each digital camera moves at the same speed.

The reason he recommended the audio bursts is that each camera will be pointing in a different direction so there is no single video effect that I could use that would be captured by each camera.

Now, what should I bring with me to the track to create the sharp, percussive audio bursts?? Maybe a cow bell and a drum stick????

APKhaos

A stun grenade rolled under the car next to you on the grid would do it.

Jeff Lamb

That is a good one!! I burst out laughing and my wife had to stop by and check on me to make sure everything was OK . . .

Another advantage of the stun grenade is that it would provide an audio AND a video sync (the sound AND flash of the explosion)!!!

924RACR

LOL...

Maybe you need a louder exhaust system? I know a few blips of the throttle would be pretty obvious on my car!

When I was playing with Trackvision, where you have to synch a video/audio feed with data, what I always did was to synch shifts. It's fairly straightforward to find the start of the race, and shifts are very sharp, well-defined events in the audio and data stream. It wasn't too hard to find a convenient shift point shortly after the race start, synch up on that one (to within about a quarter of a second), and then just cross-check elsewhere in the lap to make sure the synch was good.

Jeff Lamb

Actually, my car is EXTREMELY loud. And, in reality, I will probably end up doing as you suggested. I haven't yet found ear plugs that are good enough to drop the decibel levels far enough in the cockpit of my car.

Although the thought of getting some strange looks in the paddock while hitting a cow bell with a drum stick (or throwing a stun grenade out my side window when on the grid) does have some appeal.

924RACR

MORE COWBELL!!!

(sorry, hadta be said...)