Record Laptop to Video

[Nate Haustein]

I've been asked to record a number of training sessions for a company. The setup is one presenter in a smaller room and an audience of about 40. The presenter will have a laptop pushing PowerPoint/computer feed to a projector.

I need to record the feed going to the projector to edit it later in FCP.

Here's where I get confused. There seem to be so many options for converting signals coming and going from VGA/DVI/Composite. I'm not sure where to start. The feed from the laptop needs to go to the projector in the room, but also to a recording device: I was hoping the composite input of a HV20 camcorder.

I called B&H and talked to a representative. He said the following product was the only way I could do it.
TV One | C2-2350A Universal Video Switcher/Scaler | C2-2350A

The C2-2350A seems really nice, as it gives a lot of options, but even though I could afford it, I'm hoping there's an easier/cheaper way that's been proven to work.

Like I said, all I need is a composite feed (DV or HDV would be nice) without any audio to mix in later. If anyone has any insights on this, or could offer me a solution, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Adam Gold]

I might be missing something here, but this seems needlessly complicated to me. Why can't they just email you the PowerPoint and you can insert the slides when you edit?

BTW, composite is DV only, not HDV.

[Tuy Le]

Nate,
Couple ways to do it and depend on the final quality and money want want to spend.
Cheapest way: get a PC to composite conversion box and feed it to your laptop for recording. However, they use the output of their laptop for the projector - now you will need a multi-ports for the laptop output: one for their projector and one for you.
(you will need to know what signal do they feed to the projector (VGA-Composite-Y/C-Component or HDMI)? )

Maybe easiest way as Adam G. suggested: video taping the whole event with your video camera & get the slides from them then insert it during edit (more works but nice).

DV will cost much less then HDV output
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Originally Posted by Nate Haustein

I've been asked to record a number of training sessions for a company. The setup is one presenter in a smaller room and an audience of about 40. The presenter will have a laptop pushing PowerPoint/computer feed to a projector.

I need to record the feed going to the projector to edit it later in FCP.

Here's where I get confused. There seem to be so many options for converting signals coming and going from VGA/DVI/Composite. I'm not sure where to start. The feed from the laptop needs to go to the projector in the room, but also to a recording device: I was hoping the composite input of a HV20 camcorder.

I called B&H and talked to a representative. He said the following product was the only way I could do it.
TV One | C2-2350A Universal Video Switcher/Scaler | C2-2350A

The C2-2350A seems really nice, as it gives a lot of options, but even though I could afford it, I'm hoping there's an easier/cheaper way that's been proven to work.

Like I said, all I need is a composite feed (DV or HDV would be nice) without any audio to mix in later. If anyone has any insights on this, or could offer me a solution, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Nate Haustein]

Thanks all. I would do the powerpoint thing, but since I'm doing a mulitcam edit already, I'd rather have just another track to mix with on the fly in FCP. Plus it might not only be PowerPoint slides on the screen.

Thanks Adam, I think SD quality will be fine as it's going to internet and DVD.

Tuy, I get what you're saying about the output of the computer, but I would find it hard to think it would be anything other than a VGA hookup for the laptop as there are different presenters each week with different computers. A DVI to VGA adapter isn't expensive if they have that. I'll have to double check on the room setup ASAP.

I chatted with someine from TVOne and he set me up with a VGA distribution box and a VGA to NTSC scan converter. Hopefully that does the trick. Under $200 to boot.

TV One | 1T-VGA-412 1x2 RGBHV Distribution Amplifier

AV Toolbox | AVT-3155A Scan Converter | AVT-3155A | B&H Photo

The whole thing is a little short notice (i.e. next week), but there are 20+ sessions and the money is good so I'll have to deal. Thanks for all the responses. Anything else I'm forgetting?

[Sam Mendolia]

I'm with Adam on this, as that's how we do it, and it works very well.

One camera on the presenter, another on the slides, and aslo capturing extra audio, in case you need it.

The camera on the slides, will help with, "advancing" the powerpoint in your NLE.

Adding any other hardware, to get you video of the slides, will result in very soft looking images, regardless of where you are producing it for, ie web, DVD, etc.


I hope you get the jist of this.

[Shaun Roemich]

Having done this about 100 times, my suggestion, believe it or not, is dedicate a camera to shoot the screen that the PowerPoint is projected on. Just get the white balance right (projectors are Dayligh Corrected typically).

That way you'll have your slides in HD(V), with transitions. Scan converters do a lousy job of down converting fine line detail and text.

[Taky Cheung]

I use camtasia to record portion of computer screen to AVI files.

[Nate Haustein]

I think I'll do the camera route then, as it's different laptops every week (so no camtasia) and might not only be PPT presentations (so no PPT emails).

Thanks everyone!

[Robert M Wright]

If the presenter would accommodate you, you could install a video screen capture app perhaps.