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Author Topic: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?  (Read 11696 times)

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Offline stantheman1976

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I recorded a concert almost 3 weeks ago using 4 cameras. I had 1 Canon HV40 in the balcony capturing to a laptop. I had 1 Sony handheld, don't know model offhand, recording to internal SD. Then I had 2 GeekPro action cameras on stage. 1 of the GeekPros was mine and 1 was borrowed. I had 1 pointed at the drummer and 1 on a lighting rig on stage right. I also recorded audio from the back with a Tascam recorder and had a soundboard line going to a laptop by the mixer.

Now I have synced together video and audio from numerous types of sources many times in the past. I've used SD and HD. Tape and solid state.  It's not something new to me and I've never had any real issues before. I've used Sony Vegas Pro for years.

This project proved to be ridiculously difficult though. The Canon and Sony cameras acted just as I expected. The Canon captured 1 large file and I had to change batteries on the Sony so I had 2 segments. For each of them I used a camera flash to line them up and sync was dead on. I didn't have any major complications syncing both external audio tracks to that either. For a long event I always experience a very small drift toward the end of the audio tracks and can easily adjust it.

No for the GeekPro cameras. These don't record 1 continuous file. They split the files at certain intervals. The drum cam split it every 5 minutes and the other I think at 15 or 20 minutes. The splits weren't seamless either. For the 5 minute segments I'd line one up and it might be a few frames off. Then the split would be missing numerous frames so there's a small gap between files. Sometimes there would be a few duplicated frames so the 2 segments overlap a little. The longer segments from the other camera would sometimes drift off toward the end like audio does. So I'd use a camera flash as a visual cue and adjust it. I failed to mention the audio was so muddy on those I couldn't use it as a reference most of the time.

I know some might ask why I had this pieced together hodge podge of equipment. Most of it was borrowed. The Canon and 1 GeekPro are mine. I borrowed the Tascam recorder and Sony camera from one person and the other GeekPro from another. I used to have more equipment myself but went a long time without using it so I got rid of several things. I only did it because I know some of the band members and I like them. This was their 40th anniversary show. Plus it was done as a benefit for the Make a Wish foundation so we were all there for a good cause and a good time. They raised a bunch of money and everyone enojoyed the night.

So have any of you tried any of the GoPro knock off brands, or even actual GoPros for that matter, in live music settings where you synced them with other angles from different sources? I may or may not do something like this again and I'd like to look at other options. If there are other action cams in the same price range that do a good job and are not expensive I might invest in a couple. The SJ4000 action cam is another popular clone. If it would sync normally I might get a couple of those.

Here's a sample of the finished product to give an example of what the little ones look like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBuVEyRo86c

Offline beatkilla

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2016, 05:09:05 PM »
What file type i the geekpro recording to?
I have not used one but am pretty sure it should be seamless.Usually you need that cameras software to join them ,for example theres a utility called MTS file joiner that fixes the gaps when just copies from sd card to computer.

Offline guitard

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2016, 09:43:30 PM »
It's pretty normal for there to be audio gaps between files recorded using modern cameras (like these action cams and other point-and-shoot type cams) that record to SD cards.  Some of them even lose a few frames of video.  I've never had much success working with the file joining programs.  But since you have so many sources, you should easily be able to cover these spots with an angle that was recording seamlessly.
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A/V software: Sony Vegas Pro 18 (build 527) 64 bit / DVD Architect Pro 6.0 (build 237)

Offline stantheman1976

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2016, 09:49:06 PM »
They record in MOV format. Vegas has no problem reading the files and has no issues with files that are truly split seamlessly. Unfortunately these were not. Both cameras had similar behavior. One just split at different intervals for some reason.

I was hoping to see if anyone had used other brands to know if they might work better for timing. I may get a chance to do something like this again and if so I might buy a couple of the other clones if they don't have crazy timing and file splitting like these. I might just buy a couple GoPros too. It all depends.

Offline stantheman1976

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2016, 09:52:14 PM »
They record in MOV format. Vegas has no problem reading the files and has no issues with files that are truly split seamlessly. Unfortunately these were not. Both cameras had similar behavior. One just split at different intervals for some reason.

I was hoping to see if anyone had used other brands to know if they might work better for timing. I may get a chance to do something like this again and if so I might buy a couple of the other clones if they don't have crazy timing and file splitting like these. I might just buy a couple GoPros too. It all depends.

Yes. Covering up blank spaces or overlaps wasn't a problem. It was the pain in the ass process of syncing up 31 separate 5 minute clips where one would drift maybe 3-4 frames forward, one 3 frames backward, and one would be dead on. Fortunately since it was all digital it was still a constant drift so I could adjust each. The time involved was crazy. It took me a couple days just to get 4 sources lined up when it would have taken a couple hours with single, continuous clips.

Offline Teen Wolf Blitzer

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2016, 03:21:10 PM »
Just use Plural Eyes.  I'm confused.  It works 100% of the time for me.  7-8 cams plus audio.

Offline stantheman1976

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2016, 09:44:24 PM »
Just use Plural Eyes.  I'm confused.  It works 100% of the time for me.  7-8 cams plus audio.

I'm not going to buy an extra piece of software that I may or may not even use again. Like I said I only did this project because of who it was for. I also got to have free reign setting up wherever I wanted and doing it exactly how I wanted to. Plus I have plenty of experience syncing multiple tracks so in typical situations it's no issue for me. If it wasn't for that experience I wouldn't have been able to make this project work. Plural eyes would not have worked for the audio tracks from these cameras. There were no peaks in the wave forms. It's flat all throughout. One was right next to the drummer and the other directly behind a PA speaker. I had to reply almost solely on visual cues for those angles. That's why I was asking here if anyone had used GoPros or different clones to know if the timing on other brands would be the same in case I do get the chance to do something like this again.

Offline chicofishhead

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2016, 10:36:16 PM »
This morning I spent an hour or so synching up five cameras plus an audio source of a band I shot last night.  The cameras break up the files at about 2 or 4 gb and on most of the cameras there will be a couple frames missing between files.  I just deal with it and consider it part of the process.

This thread inspired me to download a trial version of Plural Eyes, and I applied it to the opener, a solo guy who I used three cameras for (each divided into three files).  It's impressive, but it wasn't perfect.  It wasn't able to sync one file each from two of the cameras at all, and what it did sync was off by a few frames.

Offline beatkilla

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2016, 05:42:18 AM »
What camera drops frames in between files?

I still think there seamless and just need to be rejoined.

For example if i use Sony Vegas to import from DVD camcorder disc tool( a DVD with chapters)there will be an audio glitch inbetween every chapter)and only using Mpeg Streamclip free ware will fix that issue.Heres a link to mpeg streamclip from squared 5 which works with mpeg,type files ,vob.And mts filejoiner for .mts

http://www.squared5.com/

https://sites.google.com/site/mtsfilejoiner/Home/files

Offline guitard

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2016, 08:09:55 AM »
For example if i use Sony Vegas to import from DVD camcorder disc tool (a DVD with chapters) there will be an audio glitch in between every chapter) and only using Mpeg Streamclip free ware will fix that issue.

Getting off on a bit of tangent here, but for getting video from DVDs, I still use DVD Decrypter.  Even though it hasn't been updated in many years, it still works really well.  It has a feature where you can extract the entire video from a DVD (or the entire video with the audio included).  It extracts as a single VOB file.  Vegas Video won't accept VOB files, but if you change the file extension to MPG, it will accept it.
Mics: Schoeps MK41s & MK41Vs >:D
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Video: Canon HF G70 (4K), Sony FDR AX100 (4K), Pany ZS100 (4K)
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A/V software: Sony Vegas Pro 18 (build 527) 64 bit / DVD Architect Pro 6.0 (build 237)

Offline stantheman1976

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2016, 12:25:57 AM »
What camera drops frames in between files?

I still think there seamless and just need to be rejoined.

For example if i use Sony Vegas to import from DVD camcorder disc tool( a DVD with chapters)there will be an audio glitch inbetween every chapter)and only using Mpeg Streamclip free ware will fix that issue.Heres a link to mpeg streamclip from squared 5 which works with mpeg,type files ,vob.And mts filejoiner for .mts

http://www.squared5.com/

https://sites.google.com/site/mtsfilejoiner/Home/files

I wish that were the case but if you were able to see the project you'd understand. Some of the splits had dropped frames and some duplicated frames and the timing was not the same on all. It was crazy. The syncing phase is long past though. I was just asking here for future reference. I've got 15 out of 26 songs edited. I really wish these little cameras didn't have the quirks they seem to have because the video is not bad.

Offline nomotrouble

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2016, 08:44:07 AM »
I have shot a ton of shows with three gopro cameras and a sony handheld, a cx900/b. plus three audio recorders. First i make the audio matrix, then line up everything to that. Because of the breaks in the gopro files, which are all hero4 silver cameras, i re adjust the length of the sony to match the gopros, by adding two frame lengths per hour of video. I use final cut pro X to edit. Before i got these hero4 silver cameras every time i imported the gopro video, it's audio was five frames off. So before i edited anything i have to move the video five frames to make it right. But i must say i've never found that they dropped frames or had duplicates, and there are never spaces between the files. i'm very happy with them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=565r5jRHt-I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJu3-UWa4wM

nomo

Offline stantheman1976

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #12 on: June 27, 2016, 12:37:51 PM »
Here's a one of the finished clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOwce9_SS08

I finished editing it all last week. There were 26 songs total and a couple other things between songs like band member memorial presentations and presenting a check to Make a Wish. Overall I'm please with how it turned out and with one person flying solo trying to do it all I think it worked well.

The camera on the drummer was my Geekpro. The one of the side of the stage was the one I borrowed. The wide shot was a Canon HV40. The handheld was a Sony cam. Don't remember the model. Audio was a Tascam DR22WL and soundboard feed mixed.

Offline Chrisedge

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #13 on: June 29, 2016, 05:24:03 PM »
I lined up a GoPro Hero2 and a Sony HX9V with no problems. (I posted about it in the original GoPro thread)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDfqz-wzK1A
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Offline stantheman1976

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Re: Anyone have experience syncing video from multiple GoPro clones?
« Reply #14 on: June 30, 2016, 04:08:24 PM »
I lined up a GoPro Hero2 and a Sony HX9V with no problems. (I posted about it in the original GoPro thread)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDfqz-wzK1A

And I have a strong feeling had it been 2 actual GoPros with me that night this thread wouldn't even exist. If I do anything in the future I'll use an actual GoPro.

 

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