Track day HD videos

**johnw3d** · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2006, 04:47 AM

I've posted some videos from my first track-day at last-weekend's PCA Golden Gate Region ButtonWillow DE event.

For now, I've encoded them using QuickTime 7 in 3 sizes, until I figure which is best for posting. The 640x364 is 1mb/s and should stream OK, the 960x540 is half-native resolution at 2.5mb/s and there's also a 1280x720 version which is 720p HD. Let me know which you think is best, and also if you'd like Windows Media encodings as well.

First, a couple of laps in-car: 640x364, 960x540, 1280x720(720p). I'm driving in the slowest yellow group, mostly students. The beast just wanted to drive by everyone and I was even lapping a few.

Second, shots from the ButtonWillow Grandstand by my 17 yr old (who can't wait to be 18 so he can get out there too): 640x364, 960x540, 720p. I think this is the third run of the day, I'm chasing a C4S which is chasing a 993TT at the start. We both get by the TT, but I can't quite run down the C4S.

Although the video from the new HD camcorder is hugely better than the Infineon video I took a couple of weeks ago, the audio suffers from having to have the windows open. I'm going to experiment with a remote mic, placed out of the wind flow next time.

Being a student, I was running the Cayman stock with standard belts, street tires (Michelin PS2s), and an instructor. The instructors I had were simply excellent. I'd heard there'd been some jostling to get allocated to the Cayman! Both thought it was excellent. The only downside to the day was the seemingly obligatory big puff of blue smoke on the second lap, followed in my case by the car going into 'limp' mode in which it wouldn't rev past 6K. Even with the 6K-induced short-shifting, it was very entertaining to drive.

If you thought you'd never track your baby, I highly recommend the High-Speed Driving School component of your nearest PCA time-trial event. It is very safe and extremely well run, you don't need to go any faster than you comfortable with and you'll learn a heck of a lot about your car and how to drive it. I'm going to do another HSDS at ThunderHill and decide then if I'll do the necessary harness & wheel/tire upgrades to keep it up.

**K-Man S** · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2006, 01:07 PM

Looks good, what camera and what software were you using? I ended up adding a wide-angle lens to my camera and a remote mic with wind cover for good results. I just have to figure out how to get my Sony software to produce files the way I want them, your clarity was very good.

On the driving side you looked very comfortable, your instructor seemed to be talking a lot but I couldn't really hear him and you early apexed some corners you shouldn't have, but I saw improvement in just that video so I suspect all it will take is more practice to keep improving your times. There is no substitute for seat time!

**johnw3d** · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2006, 02:37 PM

K-man S, the camera was a Sony HDR-HC3, successor to the discontinued HDR-HC1 which I suspect is what you use. The HC3 is a smaller, dumbed-down version of the HC1, and in fact I just returned mine and ordered an HC1 which I found at B&H. The HC1 has a better sensor, more controls *and* a mic input. A friend has an HC1 and I did a bunch of side-by-side comparisons in the car before deciding it was noticably better than the HC3 and the wind-noise needing an external mic was the clincher. I noticed the wide-angle adapter was available, did you get the Sony 0.7 (that is if you do have the HC1)?

I edited the video on a Mac G5 using Final Cut Pro 5, which handles HDV footage natively. I suspect the latest revs of Vegas also have long-GOP HDV editing. I use Final Cut Compressor for the Quicktime H.264 output and Discreet's Cleaner XL on the PC for Windows Media output. At the moment, I think Apple's latest H.264 encoder is a tad better than WMV 9/10 at the same bitrate. Another possibility is Flash video, which I intend to kick around shortly. It's what Google Video and YouTube use and is apparently pretty good.

I'm not familiar with the encoding capabilities of Vegas, but Cleaner XL has a bunch of sharpening & color-correction features as well as a good adaptive deinterlacer, which can improve encoding quality. I think I'll probably max out at the 960x540 frame size, it's plenty big enough and naturally removes the interlacing by taking every second line.

As to the driving, you certainly spotted the main problem I was having, picking the turn-in points and I was often too early. The instructors were mostly saying GAS-GAS-GAS as I was approaching the apexes!! That, and debating how to take the Buttonhook - I had 3 different lines from two instructors throughout the day!

This is just my second day on a track, and although the limp-mode was distracting, I was getting a bunch of thumbs up by the end of the day so I was pretty happy. Certainly, seat time is the answer, just don't know if the boss will let me commit

.

**K-Man S** · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2006, 05:05 PM

Yes I'm using the HC1 and very happy with it, the microphone and the wide angle lens are both from Sony as well as I have a friend at Sony that gets me deals on parts, etc.

The software is the latest Vegas version from Sony but I've found sometimes the software doesn't do what I expect it to do so I should probably read the manual!

I was pleased with what I shot, just need to get better at manipulating the output and of course processing HD video is a real hit to even the fastest processors these days. I'm sure it will get better/smoother going forward.

More seat time is always a good thing, take the boss with you next time and show the boss how much fun it is!

**johnw3d** · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

...take the boss with you next time and show the boss how much fun it is!

If only! She's terrified of fast cars, won't drive the Cayman, and perceptable G-forces are forbidden when she's in it, which is bloody difficult (maybe that's why my ECU map was so blah). I'm afraid I'm going to have to use different ploys.