Breaking Down Tape

Coach, this is an excellent approach that will save you tons of money and reward you for handling some of the work of getting the video from the camera or tape into the computer instead of relying on software to do it.

The key is whether you are able to get the video into the computer and onto the DVD yourself. If you can, you can then use inexpensive software such as Windows Movie Maker and Easy-CD Creator to edit the plays and create the DVD's.

Once your video is on the PC, you can watch it and have scouting software running at the same time in a different window. Instead of spending thousands you can do this for hundreds. For example, a product like Easy-Scout XP will do the data management and reporting that video editing products do - for $149. Movie Maker is free and Easy-CD Creator is under $100.

The best news, I predict....

The combination of Digital Camcorders for under $1000, Windows XP with Video Editing built in, Intel's latest Pentium 4 processors and DVD burners for under $300 will continue to drive the costs of video editing way down. We should see Video Editing systems break the $3000 price barrier in 2004 and work their way under $1000 pretty quickly.

It would seem there should be a combo device, but I've yet to find one on the consumer side. Digital Camera to the computer and then the DVD is the best way to go.

I have Windows XP on my home computer and it has a Sonic MyDVD program with it where I can make DVD movies. I want to transfer my VCR tapes to DVD (quality improvement and less space) and be able to make cutups. Is this possible? If so, what hardware do I need to hook my VCR up to my computer to make the transistion from analog to digital.

All your help will be greatly appreciated.

Bigcat,

If you want to go from a VHS or other analog device to the PC and then to DVD (as opposed to buying a DVD recorder), you will need a way to connect the VCR to the PC.

There are a few approaches to this (in addition to buying a DVD recorder)

1) Buying a Video Card to insert in the PC (such as the Hauppage or Pinnacle cards).

2) Buying an external device that will use the PC's Firewire connection

If your PC has a firewire connection, this link will take you to the Canopus web site and to a news release on the new converter. It costs around $200 and the benefit is that you can read and write to VHS tapes from the PC.

www.canopus.us/us/canopus/pr_advc55.asp

3) Using your video camera as the converter

Each has its merits but if you talk to any of the video editing vendors and mention the Canopus product, its likely they will say good things.

The benefit of an external product over a card is that it is portable (from computer to computer). A card works in only one PC unless you move it around. Also, some cards only work with specific software, which I found out the hard way.

Tigervision is excellent for high school. If any of you guys want more data analysis in EXCEL that is also used with Tigervision, let me know and we will make a trade. petert@sd381.k12.id.us

I'd like to learn more about Tigervision. Would appreciate anyone posting me some info on it.

Thanks...

Better be sure and check the rules that govern HS football before getting to sophisticated in this area. I have no personal knowledge of it being illegal whatsoever, but just have a suspicion that it may be. Just a word of caution.

Coach Easton