tristancliffe
10-13-2009, 04:19 AM
I'm sure this will be nothing more than a repeat of your own thought processes, but I wanted to voice my thoughts.
I like my PDR100. But I also crave HD footage, particularly in time for the new season next ~April. I won't tell a lie, I have been looking at alternatives to Chasecam. You'll be pleased to know that I have failed to find one!
I looked at that GoPro Hero Cam thingy (soon in HD, possibly already), and decided that I don't want a brick bolted to the top of my car. Aerodynamics are important. Until they make something that isn't ugly-as-sin and a bit better aerodynamically I cannot invest in their products. I think there were a few other things I didn't like, but they were less important.
I looked at VHoldR's ContourHD, and was very impressed. Small, relatively aerodynamic and easily mountable. But it suffers from terrible windnoise, can't be remote operated (which means I'd have to start recording about 20 minutes before I get on track!!!), and is only just splash-proof, which isn't good in wet race at 150mph with spray so hard that I can't see my own dashboard.
And that's it, I think, in terms of alternatives.
However, they also have strong points, and I'm hoping that you'll incorporate as many of them into your product as you can, although I'm sure it's well into the pre-production phase now anyway.
Size - the PDR is massive. If contourHD can pack all their stuff INCLUDING A CAMERA into something not much bigger than my current HQ1 Bullet camera, then I hope Chasecam can downsize a bit. I'd pay for a Chasecam slimline battery pack to avoid massive AA batteries (I can't use the car's 12V power as the battery is only just good enough to last a race as it is!).
Location - I love the fact that the PDR is separate from the camera, snugly installed in the cockpit with me. It doesn't get wet, it's out of the wind (see next point), and is easy to get the card and change the batteries.
Sound - Wind noise MSU be addressed. The fact that the PDR can be anywhere, has it's own built-in mic (with adjustable gain no less), and can accept separate mic inputs is brilliant. Keep this, so that I can have great sound into the future.
Remote Control - very, very important. I can't overstate how important this is. And it must be homemade-able. the official 'LANC' thingy is too big and cumbersome. I want a small button and a small two-colour LED on my dashboard. I have to make my own. So give us that option too :)
The ContourHD has a clever laser system in the camera for aiming/rotation. This is great, especially if the system doesn't have a built in screen (which I wouldn't want anyway - why add to the cost and weight of something that's only used to set the system up once or twice. Perhaps the laser aiming, or a similar idea, can be replicated on the HD bullet cameras in future?
Video - Obviously HD. I guess that means 1080P ideally, but for my use (motorsport) 720P is probably good enough! We don't like 'i'. Interlaced is so last year. Most TVs and all PC screens are progressive these days, and videos (especially ones with lots of movement) look WAY better progressive. The only thing I hate about the PDR100 is the interlacing (and the static on the top edge, but I can crop that easily!). As for file formats, I don't have any preference. There seems to be a general move towards H.264 with .mov containers (or MP4), but that format doesn't really bother me that much. Once it's playing on my screen, and as long as the file size isn't stupid for the length of video, and as long as the signal:noise/artifacts ratio isn't too high, then I don't care what format it's on. Besides, once it's gone through Trackvision (I bought that before Dashware, so I'll stick with it for now), been burnt onto a DVD (possibly as a DVD Vob, but possibly as a normal PC format) and reduced to play on my iPhone (for showing off in the pub) then the raw format doesn't interest me much.
Battery life - I think I'll get a good couple of hours of recording from my AA batteries (2700mAh NiMHs, not lithiums or anything), and this really needs to be maintained during the switch over. My sport sessions only last about 20 minutes to half an hour, but some people in motorsport will want to record, on batteries, for at least an hour per session. And I can't imagine they want to change the battery back for every session either. Recharging isn't always an option, as in the UK it's not always easy to find power in the paddocks to recharge from!!
If Chasecam can produce a PDR200 (my name for it for the sake of this conversation) that is small, with a built in mic, connections for external mics and remote controls, records 1080P for a couple of hours per charge, can run on an external 12V supply, can be mounted somewhere safe and out of the wind then I WILL buy one. I would guess a battery pack (Lithium Ion?) and a MicroSD card would help in terms of size.
To go with it, you'd need a 1080P capable bullet camera, powered by the PDR, and with some aiming system built in ideally*
I can't wait to see what you make, and if it's not too late I hope my suggestions are helpful
*perhaps this is a bit of a gimmick? But it sure as hell beats fitting the camera, adding batteries and a card, recording a bit, getting the video off the card, watching it, rotating the camera and/or the mount, recording again... and so on! Sure, I could buy a screen to plug in to the PDR to watch it live, but I can't afford to do that and buy a camera system...
I like my PDR100. But I also crave HD footage, particularly in time for the new season next ~April. I won't tell a lie, I have been looking at alternatives to Chasecam. You'll be pleased to know that I have failed to find one!
I looked at that GoPro Hero Cam thingy (soon in HD, possibly already), and decided that I don't want a brick bolted to the top of my car. Aerodynamics are important. Until they make something that isn't ugly-as-sin and a bit better aerodynamically I cannot invest in their products. I think there were a few other things I didn't like, but they were less important.
I looked at VHoldR's ContourHD, and was very impressed. Small, relatively aerodynamic and easily mountable. But it suffers from terrible windnoise, can't be remote operated (which means I'd have to start recording about 20 minutes before I get on track!!!), and is only just splash-proof, which isn't good in wet race at 150mph with spray so hard that I can't see my own dashboard.
And that's it, I think, in terms of alternatives.
However, they also have strong points, and I'm hoping that you'll incorporate as many of them into your product as you can, although I'm sure it's well into the pre-production phase now anyway.
Size - the PDR is massive. If contourHD can pack all their stuff INCLUDING A CAMERA into something not much bigger than my current HQ1 Bullet camera, then I hope Chasecam can downsize a bit. I'd pay for a Chasecam slimline battery pack to avoid massive AA batteries (I can't use the car's 12V power as the battery is only just good enough to last a race as it is!).
Location - I love the fact that the PDR is separate from the camera, snugly installed in the cockpit with me. It doesn't get wet, it's out of the wind (see next point), and is easy to get the card and change the batteries.
Sound - Wind noise MSU be addressed. The fact that the PDR can be anywhere, has it's own built-in mic (with adjustable gain no less), and can accept separate mic inputs is brilliant. Keep this, so that I can have great sound into the future.
Remote Control - very, very important. I can't overstate how important this is. And it must be homemade-able. the official 'LANC' thingy is too big and cumbersome. I want a small button and a small two-colour LED on my dashboard. I have to make my own. So give us that option too :)
The ContourHD has a clever laser system in the camera for aiming/rotation. This is great, especially if the system doesn't have a built in screen (which I wouldn't want anyway - why add to the cost and weight of something that's only used to set the system up once or twice. Perhaps the laser aiming, or a similar idea, can be replicated on the HD bullet cameras in future?
Video - Obviously HD. I guess that means 1080P ideally, but for my use (motorsport) 720P is probably good enough! We don't like 'i'. Interlaced is so last year. Most TVs and all PC screens are progressive these days, and videos (especially ones with lots of movement) look WAY better progressive. The only thing I hate about the PDR100 is the interlacing (and the static on the top edge, but I can crop that easily!). As for file formats, I don't have any preference. There seems to be a general move towards H.264 with .mov containers (or MP4), but that format doesn't really bother me that much. Once it's playing on my screen, and as long as the file size isn't stupid for the length of video, and as long as the signal:noise/artifacts ratio isn't too high, then I don't care what format it's on. Besides, once it's gone through Trackvision (I bought that before Dashware, so I'll stick with it for now), been burnt onto a DVD (possibly as a DVD Vob, but possibly as a normal PC format) and reduced to play on my iPhone (for showing off in the pub) then the raw format doesn't interest me much.
Battery life - I think I'll get a good couple of hours of recording from my AA batteries (2700mAh NiMHs, not lithiums or anything), and this really needs to be maintained during the switch over. My sport sessions only last about 20 minutes to half an hour, but some people in motorsport will want to record, on batteries, for at least an hour per session. And I can't imagine they want to change the battery back for every session either. Recharging isn't always an option, as in the UK it's not always easy to find power in the paddocks to recharge from!!
If Chasecam can produce a PDR200 (my name for it for the sake of this conversation) that is small, with a built in mic, connections for external mics and remote controls, records 1080P for a couple of hours per charge, can run on an external 12V supply, can be mounted somewhere safe and out of the wind then I WILL buy one. I would guess a battery pack (Lithium Ion?) and a MicroSD card would help in terms of size.
To go with it, you'd need a 1080P capable bullet camera, powered by the PDR, and with some aiming system built in ideally*
I can't wait to see what you make, and if it's not too late I hope my suggestions are helpful
*perhaps this is a bit of a gimmick? But it sure as hell beats fitting the camera, adding batteries and a card, recording a bit, getting the video off the card, watching it, rotating the camera and/or the mount, recording again... and so on! Sure, I could buy a screen to plug in to the PDR to watch it live, but I can't afford to do that and buy a camera system...