subject: Video Slow Down And Playback Analysis Product Entries Into The Consumer Market [print this page] Software that manipulates the playback of video has been around for quite a while, but it is not as common as you might think. It goes by a variety of names including video analysis, motion analysis and game day software. This software is used in a variety of ways including: motion analysis, human gait analysis, sport analysis, biomechanics, physical therapy (rehabilitation). Such software has often been viewed as high end software beyond the reach of the average consumer.
Recently, similar software has been developed and used as a practice tool for musicians, tennis players, dancers and golfers, essentially anyone that uses video as part of their training, instruction or lessons.
The purpose of this article is to review the two most recent products that have developed for this broader market. They are Slo-Mo Director and Video Surgeon.
Slo-Mo Director was First
Slo-Mo Director was the first to be developed for the broader market place, first marketed in 2007. It is a very basic video playback software that enables you to slow video down and to set loop points. Then software doesnt appear to have changed much over the past three years. When compared to Video Surgeon, Slo-Mo Director falls short in many places. What Slo-Mo Director does, it does reasonable well, but it simply does not have the full range of features that one would expect from a video analysis or playback software program. Lets go through some of these features:
Video Downloading
Given the huge library of useful videos on Youtube and other sites on the WWW, an important feature for any video program is the ability to download videos. Video Surgeon can do this, Slo-Mo Director cannot.
Video Zoom
What about the ability to zoom in? Here again, Slo Mo Director cannot while Video Surgeon can. Clearly, slowing down a video is important, but when you combine slow down with zooming you increase the value of both. It' like saying 2 + 2 = 8.
Project Settings
Here again, SloMo Director falls short as there is no functionality to save project settings and recall them for later use. Video Surgeon has this functionality - you can save loop points, tempo, and zoom, plus it allows you to save project notes.
Pitch Change
Both products Video Surgeon and Slo-Mo Director enable you to slow a video without changing the pitch, but if you want to ONLY change the pitch Video Surgeon can do this for you, Slo-Mo Director cannot.
DVD Ripping
The ability to rip DVDs is found in Video Surgeon, but not in Slo-Mo Director. Again this is an important feature because it allows people that have DVD video lessons, to rip those files from the DVD to their hard drive and thus enabling them to be opened and manipulated by the software.
Other Notable Features
Video Surgeon has several other notable features that Slo-Mo Director does not have. It can extract the audio from the video and then save and convert this audio to an mp3 or wav file. Video Surgeon also allows you to resize and convert video files to mpeg 4 files so that you can load these onto an Ipod or other portable AV players.
Video Surgeon Uses
Musicians, for example use Video Surgeon to download a music lesson, and then slow down video for practicing purposes. Athletes use Video Surgeon in a similar fashion. Not only is the slow down feature valuable, the ability to zoom is also a very useful tool for athletes and coaches.
While musicians and people playing sports are the most common users, there are a wide variety of other potential users including Private Investigators and Law Enforcement (reviewing video footage for documentary or evidentiary purposes). Dancers like Video Surgeon for reviewing and critiquing dance moves and steps. Researchers use Video Surgeon for the closer study and scrutiny of video data and evidence.
One Last Difference - A Demo Version
There is one last and important difference which is a trial or demo version. This is a feature most software users and buyers expect. Slo-mo Directory does not offer a demo or trial version. Video Surgeon does. Video Surgeon offers a fully functional version as a demo that is limited to 4-hours of run time.
For more information or to download a demo, please go to the Video Surgeon website at http://www.videosurgeon.net
