recording device for ROV video

[sailman]

I am building two ROVs-in-a-box units for a nonprofit educational organization. They would like a way to record the video from a dive so it can be reviewed by the class at a later date. Another use might be to put the video on disks so students can bring home a copy of their adventure operating an ROV.

Have checked out recording devices for security cameras but they are a little pricey. Thought about recording on a laptop but don't know what hardware or software would be needed. There are some USB video adapters advertised on line but again I am not sure which one to use.

Thanks!

Pete
Alaska

[scubersteve]

Yeah, I'm with you on that one.
I was hoping to find something small that saved on a usb or memory card.
I'll be watching the answers on this thread.

[amarillo_rocket]

I work for a nonprofit also. I use the Diamond VC500 One Touch video capture system which includes the video cable that attaches via USB to a laptop and software. It works very well and is easy to use. Cost less than $40 I am very pleased. I bought mine from Newegg but I'm sure there are other sources http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6815306013

[sailman]

Thanks for the reply Rocket. Could you tell me what operating system you are using with the Diamond VC500? Windows XP or 7? Do you use the windows movie maker software or do they provide software with the USB adapter?

An IT guy I was chatting up this weekend told me I could record directly to a hard drive without using a computer. That would eliminate having an expensive electronic device down by the water. The hard drive can be bought to a computer later for editing and such. He was a little vague about the little device that would do this. It sounded like a miniature processor that couldn't do much except work with the HD.

Pete

[thegadgetguy]

The IT guy you were talking to might have been talking about a portable DVR (digital video recorder). I'm not sure. Basically, they are small handheld devices that can record video from an external camera, though most of them use flash memory sticks and not hard drives. Here's a link to an example:

http://www.123-cctv.com/Portable-Video- ... h-LCD.html

Since I already have a computer but not a DVR, I've never tried one, but they look pretty easy to use, and safer than dragging a laptop to the pool/lake/ocean. I haven't lost anything expensive...yet I currently use a device like amarillo_rocket described, with Windows 7 + VLC media player for viewing/recording.

[rovdude]

Here's free software I'm using (Debut Video Capture):

http://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/index.html

You have to have the video feed displaying through something else on your computer though. I am using the Processing language to do this, and overlay an interface with data on it. Then video capture can just record and save the screen for me.

[ROVEnthusiast]

Cheap, but not as reliable option:
Google "Easy cap video capture"

It is a USB adapter for Composite video and comes with recording/editing software. It is cheap but yields pretty good video for the $10 price.

[m_g]

I posted this reply to a similar query in the camera section; I'm not sure what your budget is, but Sandisk V-Mates are very easy to use, and probably less than $100 in the US