Drift HD vs Countour HD

[Glow worm]

If it tests ok and doesn't work ok after formatting with the above software, then try a Sandisk card.

Class 4 is fine - I've got several class 2 cards that work ok at the highest bit rate settings for the camera. There's a fair amount of compression on the video so the data rate is not as high as a standard hd video camera (tops at about 13000kbps).

I'm not too far away if you want to test it with someone else's card.

John

Thanks John. I think the card's probably OK as BSRU suggests so I'm beginning to suspect that the main problem lies with the operator! I had assumed I'd just switch it on and editing would be a doddle (I'm used to software called Audacity for editing stuff I've recorded off the radio which I can cope with as it's easy) but this WMM seems incomprehensible and incompatible as does all the other software. Having never heard of 'codec' 'firmware' or 'kbps' and not knowing my 'class 10' from my 'class of 78' I fear there's a lot more to learn than I'd bargained on.

 

[BSRU]

Thanks John. I think the card's probably OK as BSRU suggests so I'm beginning to suspect that the main problem lies with the operator! I had assumed I'd just switch it on and editing would be a doddle (I'm used to software called Audacity for editing stuff I've recorded off the radio which I can cope with as it's easy) but this WMM seems incomprehensible and incompatible as does all the other software. Having never heard of 'codec' 'firmware' or 'kbps' and not knowing my 'class 10' from my 'class of 78' I fear there's a lot more to learn than I'd bargained on.

My work laptop cannot cope with video generated by my 1080p, I cannot view any 1080p video's from YouTube either, the laptop is just pants.
For editing HD video you need a reasonably powerful machine and a good editing program. My old pc could not cope with Contour HD video until I bought a new graphics card with lots of memory.

 

[Glow worm]

My work laptop cannot cope with video generated by my 1080p, I cannot view any 1080p video's from YouTube either, the laptop is just pants.
For editing HD video you need a reasonably powerful machine and a good editing program. My old pc could not cope with Contour HD video until I bought a new graphics card with lots of memory.

It's clearly a flippin' minefield. Computers faffing about doesn't help. Mine has just suddenly popped up with a message 'YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO RIGHT CLICK' completley out of the blue whilst I was trying to copy and paste something. Honestly- who makes this stuff up? Since when do you need permission to right click and from whom? Sigh.....mutter...grumble.......

 

[Rezillo]

Thanks John. I think the card's probably OK as BSRU suggests so I'm beginning to suspect that the main problem lies with the operator! I had assumed I'd just switch it on and editing would be a doddle (I'm used to software called Audacity for editing stuff I've recorded off the radio which I can cope with as it's easy) but this WMM seems incomprehensible and incompatible as does all the other software. Having never heard of 'codec' 'firmware' or 'kbps' and not knowing my 'class 10' from my 'class of 78' I fear there's a lot more to learn than I'd bargained on.

If playback is choppy with the supplied 2gb card, then BSRU is probably right - it's down to hardware, although it can be codec issues as well. Contour recommend the k-lite codec package to fix the latter.

The other thing to try is making sure that video hardware acceleration is enabled as, depending on your video card, this can give smooth playback with low powered systems. It can be difficullt to track the setting down in each playback software package but if you have a later version of Powerdvd, which plays mov files, then the setting is in the video options. It will be greyed out if a file is being played back so stop playback first.

For simple editing of mov files - cut, trim, join (by copy/paste) - mpeg streamclip is very effective and very quick as it can do this without any loss of video quality, provided you use the Save As command and not the Export ones. There will be a long pause on saving but in practice you can join a couple of 4gb files together in a few minutes.

You can also simply rename the mov extension to mp4 and it will play back in other software or devices. However, this won't always work - a PS3 and some phones won't play it back. There is a quick way round this, though - software called Yamb which properly converts the mov file container to an mp4 one, again without re-rendering in just a few minutes, and then it will play back on just about anything.

You can even add some fancy overlays with a gps version (or using a gpx file from your phone). A big file, and the bar mount means the audio suffers from direct road and gear change noise transmission through the frame, but here's an example, from this year's Suffolk Sunrise 100. The mileage figure is from the start of an edited clip, not the start of the ride:

overlaid contour file

John

 

[Glow worm]

If playback is choppy with the supplied 2gb card, then BSRU is probably right - it's down to hardware, although it can be codec issues as well. Contour recommend the k-lite codec package to fix the latter.

The other thing to try is making sure that video hardware acceleration is enabled as, depending on your video card, this can give smooth playback with low powered systems. It can be difficullt to track the setting down in each playback software package but if you have a later version of Powerdvd, which plays mov files, then the setting is in the video options. It will be greyed out if a file is being played back so stop playback first.

For simple editing of mov files - cut, trim, join (by copy/paste) - mpeg streamclip is very effective and very quick as it can do this without any loss of video quality, provided you use the Save As command and not the Export ones. There will be a long pause on saving but in practice you can join a couple of 4gb files together in a few minutes.

You can also simply rename the mov extension to mp4 and it will play back in other software or devices. However, this won't always work - a PS3 and some phones won't play it back. There is a quick way round this, though - software called Yamb which properly converts the mov file container to an mp4 one, again without re-rendering in just a few minutes, and then it will play back on just about anything.

You can even add some fancy overlays with a gps version (or using a gpx file from your phone). A big file, and the bar mount means the audio suffers from direct road and gear change noise transmission through the frame, but here's an example, from this year's Suffolk Sunrise 100. The mileage figure is from the start of an edited clip, not the start of the ride:

overlaid contour file

John

Many thanks for the advice John. I couldn't face faffing about with the wretched thing today and went for a POETS day loop this afternoon to Upware, Wicken then Burwell Fen instead. I was rewarded with a stunning sunset and 3 barn owls, one owl just feet away and a mile from my house which was exciting.

If I can face it, I'll have another go with the camera over the weekend, if I get nowhere, the f*****g thing's going in the river!

 

[Rezillo]

Barn owls are great. I saw one last week while driving out of Crowfield. It was flying parallel towards me down the field on my right hand side, only a couple of metres above the ground.

As we passed each other (I stopped to watch it) it turned its head and gave me a hard stare from a pure white face. There's a site near Worlingworth where for some years, I've regularly seen barn owls while I've been out on my bike but nothing there since last winter.

John

 

[gb155]

I've remounted on the top and tbh now I'm used to the weight it's better - tho I think MAYBE having it on the o/s might be better for reg plates etc and it seems to pick up the same field of vision on the n/s too