capture PPT presentations - dvd recorders
 

My needs include live event with DVD required immediately following.

I had a look at DataVideo 6000 pro model recorder, but the much cheaper Sony VRDMC6 offered so much for the money: supports 8.5Gb DL discs, 5 modes compression, firewire-IN, direct AVCHD onto disc.

The limited factor is analogue connectivity - only composite, but I'm hoping firewire HD --> SD from a Sony EX1R will look good using the MC6 HQ mode.

For the longer term considering the options for capturing presentations with 1 or 2 cams and PowerPoint live instead of post-producing PPT slides into FCP. We have Sonic Foundry Mediasite hardward in our webservice department - but it's suited for short 10-30min presentations and they quite legitimately ask who will sit down and watch long webcasts?

This is where the MC6 connectivity is limiting. I think mixers will do firewire in/out but how to get RGB VGA in and of course splitter/cabling needed so the presenter can still project laptop to the live audience. NewTek Tricaster is professional live event tool - but out of the budget. I'm more think 2 person crew with very simple mixing probably while still operating cam. Alternatively I train a spare camera on the PPT screen, and use FCP multicam take care of timing and requires watching all the video once to cut in the PPT.

As long as you don't need to do this live to stream, I've got a better solution.

Have the PPT run on a Mac and use the operating systems inbuilt screen capture recorder to record what goes on the screen. The recorder will also record what the mic (on a laptop, for example) picks up, making synchronising of the audio/video super easy.

The screen recording is compressed with .h264 and the quality can't be beat.

Just do your multicam edit in post and encode the finished result. You can see an example of how this works in this video.


Andrew

I'd canvassed this option but logistically not sure if it's something I'd be able to do i.e. at conferences we often have 5+ speakers, bringing their own Win laptops, sometimes talent is late, at the last minute they arrive and plug-in and go all while I'm stationary at the back - literally in & running in a minute or so.

I did not know the OS could record movies - only screen grabs?

I'd have to catch everyone to retrieve the files - guest speaker can leave after their session - while I'm required to remain recording everything else.

Someone suggested running a copy on laptop, I have a MBP17 with apple remote, screen record it myself I suppose, mostly cam locked-off with me just poised in case talent moves around a bit.

The emphasis is certainly on identifying what value is in long presentatations - the preference is have a reworked PPT and do a specific summary presentation direct into MediaSite - I think some regard video as a panacea without thinking through the intent and audience,

The better organised of the conferences will have a designated dedicated conference laptop for presentations and presenters are required to have their PPT files loaded on to the laptop prior to the start. This solves a number of problems.

You can always overlay (converted images of) the PPT slides in post production, but it's a PITA.

Also, for anything with the level of detail in it that the computer display did in that Joomla video, standard definition just doesn't cut it. I tried and it just isn't good enough. Depending on the PPT content, your mileage may vary. Maybe it's just easier (though not as crisp a quality) to point an additional camera at the projection screen and treat it that way.

Andrew

I've used Debut screen capture software on Windows notebook computers for the last couple of projects that had a presenter with a PowerPoint show. Shoot the presenter and audience as you normally would and feed good audio into the computer for sync or as a backup audio track. You can also do a slate clap as well at the head and tail if you need to stretch or cut for drift adjustment. Combine in post with any NLE and it is easier than adding in the slides as separate bmp's or png's.
The basic version of the software is free and has worked well for me as long as the computer is powerful enough, especially if the show contains multimedia files for playback during the presentation.
This method is still a post-production workflow like Andrew described with a Mac Book, not for having an immediate DVD ready. And as Andrew also commented, it requires having a dedicated computer with the PowerPoint files loaded already.
For very low-end training however I have also used a camera connected to the computer and showing as a picture-in-picture on the computer screen. This will also get recorded by Debut, so as long as space is left in the PowerPoint layout for the PIP and using a low-end camera to show the small shot of the presenter on-screen is acceptable, you can have an instantly ready recorded file.
For doing an immediately finished high quality DVD with live switching, you will need a VGA to video converter that has high enough quality for your needs, as well as a video switcher and the DVD recorder.
There are a wide range of converters available with widely varying prices, quality levels and output formats. Just check B&H for several hundred of them.

anybody recorded your screen with Macvide ScreenCap ( MacVide: Mac Video Conversion, Mac Flash Conversion, Mac iPod Converter, Mac 3gp Converter ) ? I heard this is a good app...

On the Mac, the screen recorder is built in to the operating system. This is what we used in producing videos such as this one on Joomla 1.6

Jump to 1:26 to see the results of the screen recording being incorporated in to the finished 720p video.


Andrew

Re: capture PPT presentations - dvd recorders
 

Re: capture PPT presentations - dvd recorders
 

Techsmith's Camtasia Studio is a well put-together and easy to use package for screen recording on the PC. It's pretty much the defacto PC standard.

Screen Capture, Screen Recorder, Video Hosting, and Usability Testing Software


Easiest way to do multi-presenter PPT's is to have everyone bring their stuff on a USB memory stick. Everyone uses the same PC/Laptop for presenting - no switching PC's - just pop in the presenter's USB stick, load their PPT from it, and go.