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What you must have to run Easy-Scout Pro or
Easy-Cut ?
1.. A Windows based computer - one that runs
either
Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. The computer should have adequate Disk Storage
for the software and ideally, some video. The computer
should have adequate
system (RAM) memory for the operating system. Usually 2 GB is recommended for Windows XP
and at least 3 or 4 GB for Windows Vista and Windows 7.
2. Digital
Video
on your computer or an external hard drive in the .avi
file format (there are a number of ways to accomplish this). You can also use Windows Media files with acceptable
results.
Beyond these requirements, everything else is optional, and
dependent on: 1. What you use for a video
camera and how it stores video
2. Whether you need to work with (edit) video that is stored
on DVD's
3. Whether you want to publish cutups or highlights, and if
you do, in what format (to DVD or to a web site for
example).
4. Whether you want to print reports to a printer, or simply
view and distribute them as PDF or XPS documents (files) on
a computer. Since most computers sold today
run Windows 7, they are adequately equipped for
video editing. These computers will usually
include a DVD "burner" and software that can "burn a DVD". They may also include
software that can transfer video from
video camcorders, and even convert a DVD, saving it in the AVI format that works best with our products for video
editing. Windows Live Movie Maker is often an acceptable
alternative, and its free.
Computers in the $500-$900 price range are more than adequate.
We
maintain an online store at Amazon.com to assist our
customers in selecting and purchasing additional
items that are sometimes required, depending on the
computer that will be used. We can purchase and
package these items with our video editing products
to make purchasing with a School Purchase Order or Booster Club funds more convenient.
Our Amazon store is located at
http://astore.amazon.com/compusportsonlin
Optional Items
DVD Ripper or Video Conversion Software
This is the most commonly purchased "option" for Easy-Scout
Pro and Easy-Cut. This type of
software is sometimes (but not always) necessary for converting video from
DVD's and some camcorders that record to Hard Drives
or Flash Memory. Multimedia suites
(Corel, Power Director, Adobe, Pinnacle, etc)
now include these capabilities as well.
Our recommendations for Video Conversion software are:
There are a number of free products
that may work for converting video, but
we have had better results with those
mentioned above.
*The
AVS Video Converter
comes with a number of other useful utilities
including
the AVS Video
Recorder - a Free product. The AVS products are
ideal when video comes from many places, such as
DVD, Video Camcorders (any type), and video sharing
web sites.
Video Card - sometimes a plus, but
not required nowadays
If a computer contains in Intel
Core 2 or I series processor with
embedded HD Graphics, a "Dedicated" (separate) video card
is seldom necessary, and in some cases can cause
compatibility issues.
In particular, avoid the new, high
end NVidea or ATI graphics cards - they are new and
compatibility issues exist. These cards are
designed for "gamers" usually - and we are not
talking about your guys that coast in practice all
week only to "bring it" on Friday night . Disk Storage Recommendations
1. External disk drive for storing video files. Typical capacities
nowadays are 320 GB or more. Game video ranges for a typical
HS game ranges from 2-10 GB depending on how it is recorded.
2. Choose hard drives with speeds of 7200 RPM for best
results, but any hard drive will usually perform acceptably.
Video Camcorder Options 1.
Mini-DV Digital Camcorder
Increasingly difficult to find, these connect to
the PC with a "firewire" (1394) connection and record to "mini-dv"
tapes. A firewire connector can be added
to a computer inexpensively (See
our Amazon store)
Tough break.. but these guys are dinosaurs. 2. Hard Drive and Flash Video
Camcorders
Now the most common type of video
camcorders, these camcorders connect to the PC
through a USB connection. Most store video in
a format that requires conversion and some include
software that can convert the video to the AVI
format for video editing. Some "chop" the video into
clips according to when your camera guy presses
pause.. not bad if you have a good camera guy.
Otherwise, you'll splice the clips into a single
video file using the software supplied with your
camera or the AVS Video Converter.
Visit our Amazon.com store for more information about optional items
Video Capture Devices and Software (rarely
necessary)
- Canopus 110 "box" (may require a "firewire"
card)
-
Startech USB Capture (May require
additional software)
Windows (Vista and 7) can be used to capture video
if a firewire connection and firewire equipped
camera, or a capture device and firewire port is
available. The problem is that both are
getting scarce, and purchasing a firewire
card and/or box is more expensive and involved than using
the AVS Video Converter.
Video Output Devices 1. DVD "burner"
and software to create DVD's (usually included with a
computer). Many coaches still want to create DVDs, and
this makes it possible. Drop one or more cutups into Windows
DVD Maker and put a CD in your burner and you will have a
basic DVD.
2. USB Memory "stick" or portable hard drive
for distributing cutups. This is becoming so inexpensive its
a joke. Both cost less than a tank of gas !
3. Video sharing web site for uploading cutups. This can
be YouTube or one of the hundreds
of web sites that make it simple and free to share video.
4. VCR or DVD Recorder connected to a Video Out port on
the computer - we are only mentioning it because some older
software handles it this way. This approach is
outdated and often impossible.
5. Smartboard or Video Projector - A great way to show
video to a team while avoiding the need to make cutups. Use
our powerful search capabilities to show, review and replay
video for presentation to coaches and players.
Printer - HP Laser Compatible (Optional for
Easy-Scout Pro and Plus).
It might seem odd that we identify a printer as optional, but between the Windows XPS Printer
Utility, Adobe Acrobat Elements and MS Office One Note,
there are a number of free and inexpensive ways to save
reports to a file. Once a report is in one of these formats,
it can be viewed on the screen, emailed to other coaches or
printed. |
