Dual video tracks, same time code?

[jackfalbey]

Is it possible to have 2 video tracks on a DVD that the viewer can switch between? Example: I tape a football game with 2 camcorders, and I synchronize the videos so that they match up frame-for-frame. Can I put them on a DVD (or maybe even a computer file?) so that the coach can watch the video, pause it and switch between the 2 camera angles to analyze the play? If I can figure out how to do this I think it would be a good upsell to local schools with the new shool year about to begin...

[cdeemer]

Sounds like a hypertext project to me. This isn't exactly what you have in mind but it gets a similar result. I think in some ways it's better because more versatile.

You could do it on a CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, for example, by embedding the videos on an HTM page (re coding: you are offline, of course), side by side, with the different plays on embedded videos that continue down the page. If the coach is watching a play he can stop it and activate the other angle ... this doesn't automatically run the two videos together but you certainly could start the two together on the HTM page and see them both running at once. You also have the advantage of comparing the two different angles at DIFFERENT spots along the time line, which can be useful, too. You also can add commentary, images, all kinds of things, anything you can put on a web page. I think this is a terrific idea and marketable, too.

You'd watch this on a computer, of course.

[Chuck Engels]

What would be ideal for that situation is if the coach could Fast Forward or Reverse, and slow motion forward and reverse, and the two keep in sync.
I would suggest putting the two clips side by side on the screen right in the project, maybe a Widescreen project to give it a little more real estate. Scale them both so the fit on the screen. If it is played on a projector there won't be any problem seeing everything with the two angles side by side. They will also have all of the DVD functionality, and it isn't hard to put together either just have to sync it all up on the timeline.

[Bob]

Just to answer your original question. Yes, it is possible to have multi-angle tracks on a DVD and switch between them with the DVD Player remote control. That's a standard capability, but I've seen few commercial DVDs that use it. I'm not sure which DVD authoring tools support that though -- I haven't looked into it.

[jackfalbey]

Charles, that sounds like a very cool way to do it, but I don't know a thing about HTML coding. I used GoDaddy's free "WebSite Tonight!" site-building tool for my website. I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to produce that, especially for the relatively low price I'd be charging...

Chuck, as usual I overthought the problem and you have presented a perfectly acceptable simple solution...

Bob, I think you're looking at it from the same perspective I am (was?) but I don't know if Encore CS3 could do it, or if it would involve using dual-layer DVDs, etc. I'd be interested if you come up with anything...

[Chuck Engels]

Check out this thread at the Cow Jack, very informative
http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/145/862960

[RJ Johnston]

I tried angles earlier this year by inappropiately modify data with PGCEdit. Then I looked at Sony Vegas, and DVLab Pro 2. http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/index.html. Don't know about Encore. I didn't think it was all that easy to do, and I didn't like how it worked in practice.

[Bill Hunt]

Robert,

Encore, thru CS3, does not offer "Angles." There are some other authoring apps, that do. Most are not abastraction layer applications though. DVD Lab Pro is one that is highly touted, and has cell-level programing. At US$250, it has a lot of features, though the GUI is not as easy as is Encore's.

Hunt

[jackfalbey]

So DVD lab Pro will do what I was asking about in my original post? I.E. shoot 2 different camera angles of a football game and after authoring I'd be able to pause while watching the DVD and switch between the 2 video tracks to get different angles on the play (assuming of course that the tracks were sync'ed up)?

I looked at their website but couldn't find an answer to this very specific question...

[Bob]

Multi-angle is in Lab Pro 2.0 see: http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/dvdlabpro.html

[jackfalbey]

Multiple Angles/BOV
The 2.0 adds many high-end features such as multi-angle, Buttons over Video, Multi-PGC title and more.

This was all I could find on their website. It doesn't really tell me if it will do what I'm looking for.

[Bill Hunt]

Jack,

Try their trial of the Pro version. They urge one to do do, prior to buying. That *should* tell you exactly what it is capable of, and if it fits your workflow. Neil Wilkes, on the Encore forum, even mentioned using the "mulit-angle" aspect, but did not elaborate on exactly how it worked.

I'd guess that it would handle multi-camera angles, but have not used it myself.

Let us know if this is what you're looking for, and how DVDLab Pro works for you.

Hunt