Finding a camera system to capture a 30 hour world record attempt! at DVinfo.net

George Chinn · August 5th, 2013, 06:32 AM

Hello,

I've been instructed by a client to find a system capable of recording continuously for 30 hours plus for an attempt at the world record for the longest BBQ. The system needs to be capable of recording at a decent resolution (not necessarily HD), and at least 25fps. It also needs to be weather proof.

I have enquired with a CCTV hire company who are going to get back with a quote today, but I wanted to see if any one had had experience with event coverage in this manner.

The key is to have a system that won't falter or crash, as a recent attempt was made void as five minutes of footage was missing when played back.

Any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

John Estcourt · August 26th, 2013, 02:13 AM

Hi George, just seen your post and I wondered if you had come up with a solution?
Personally I would just use one of my xh-a1 canons and capture to laptop with an external hard drive using hdv split. that would run easily long enough as long as you didn't bother with tape capture and weather proofing wouldn't be too problematic.

cheers john

Colin McDonald · August 26th, 2013, 11:50 AM

Or you could use a Canon 7D - it could double as the BBQ.
:-)

I agree with John - you need serious storage for this and a laptop with external drive. To help with the power supply for the laptop I would suggest a vehicle (or rota of vehicles) and a 12V inverter powering the mains adaptor (unless you are near a mains supply of course).

Nathan Moody · August 26th, 2013, 07:19 PM

Recording direct to disk is probably the smart thing, and the direct-to-PC route described is a good idea. You can also download the manuals for current mid-high end cameras and see how much recording time you can get by chunking down the data rate. It'll look poor, but if it's documentation to bolster the record itself, that may be all you need. Running off AC power would be sensible regardless.

Do consider backups, though, as 30h is a long time. Whatever you do, you may want or need redundancy. If absolutely contiguous recording is needed for proof, you might need to use timecode if you switch between cameras in the event of failure. Heck, low-cost cameras running into a video switcher and recording to a laptop might not be the dumbest idea...but what if that laptop crashes? Laptops like heat even less than 7D's. :-)

A thorny challenge to be sure.

Bill Koehler · October 6th, 2013, 05:36 PM

1. Take an AVCHD videocam that uses SDXC cards.
2. Put one of these in it. At ~24 Mbps bitrate it should be good for ~22+ hours. Throttled down to ~16 Mbps or less it should be good for 30+ hours. Going this route greatly shrinks the equiptment + connections + power requirements and the reliability should be better.

Memory Cards | B&H Photo Video

3. Test.
4. Multiply by two cameras + cards for safety.
5. Weatherproof
6. Go for it.

David Aronson · November 26th, 2013, 02:36 AM

An AJA Ki Pro will record for 31 hours safely onto a 750 GB drive at 720p25 in prores LT
two of those and 2 bulletproof cameras and you should be golden. They're not the cheapest solution, but there's almost nothing that can fail in this set up. No programs crashing or computers overheating. thunderbolt or firewire cables getting unplugged.

If you don't' need audio, you could also livestream it to youtube and have them record it server side if you want to be triple sure you get it. the reason I mention audio is that youtube can and will pull a stream is any music matches something in their content ID system.

August 5th, 2013, 06:32 AM	#1
George Chinn New Boot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: UK Posts: 22	Finding a camera system to capture a 30 hour world record attempt! Hello, I've been instructed by a client to find a system capable of recording continuously for 30 hours plus for an attempt at the world record for the longest BBQ. The system needs to be capable of recording at a decent resolution (not necessarily HD), and at least 25fps. It also needs to be weather proof. I have enquired with a CCTV hire company who are going to get back with a quote today, but I wanted to see if any one had had experience with event coverage in this manner. The key is to have a system that won't falter or crash, as a recent attempt was made void as five minutes of footage was missing when played back. Any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

August 26th, 2013, 02:13 AM	#2
John Estcourt Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Scotland, Ayr www.amour weddingvideos.co.uk Posts: 305	Re: Finding a camera system to capture a 30 hour world record attempt! Hi George, just seen your post and I wondered if you had come up with a solution? Personally I would just use one of my xh-a1 canons and capture to laptop with an external hard drive using hdv split. that would run easily long enough as long as you didn't bother with tape capture and weather proofing wouldn't be too problematic. cheers john __________________ john estcourt www.amourweddingvideos.co.uk

August 26th, 2013, 11:50 AM	#3
Colin McDonald Trustee Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 1,546	Re: Finding a camera system to capture a 30 hour world record attempt! Or you could use a Canon 7D - it could double as the BBQ. :-) I agree with John - you need serious storage for this and a laptop with external drive. To help with the power supply for the laptop I would suggest a vehicle (or rota of vehicles) and a 12V inverter powering the mains adaptor (unless you are near a mains supply of course).

August 26th, 2013, 07:19 PM	#4
Nathan Moody Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SF Bay Area, CA, USA Posts: 78	Re: Finding a camera system to capture a 30 hour world record attempt! Recording direct to disk is probably the smart thing, and the direct-to-PC route described is a good idea. You can also download the manuals for current mid-high end cameras and see how much recording time you can get by chunking down the data rate. It'll look poor, but if it's documentation to bolster the record itself, that may be all you need. Running off AC power would be sensible regardless. Do consider backups, though, as 30h is a long time. Whatever you do, you may want or need redundancy. If absolutely contiguous recording is needed for proof, you might need to use timecode if you switch between cameras in the event of failure. Heck, low-cost cameras running into a video switcher and recording to a laptop might not be the dumbest idea...but what if that laptop crashes? Laptops like heat even less than 7D's. :-) A thorny challenge to be sure. __________________ designer of media for eyes and ears sound design and field recording at http://www.noisejockey.net/blog

October 6th, 2013, 05:36 PM	#5
Bill Koehler Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Alpharetta, Georgia, USA Posts: 760	Re: Finding a camera system to capture a 30 hour world record attempt! 1. Take an AVCHD videocam that uses SDXC cards. 2. Put one of these in it. At ~24 Mbps bitrate it should be good for ~22+ hours. Throttled down to ~16 Mbps or less it should be good for 30+ hours. Going this route greatly shrinks the equiptment + connections + power requirements and the reliability should be better. Memory Cards \| B&H Photo Video 3. Test. 4. Multiply by two cameras + cards for safety. 5. Weatherproof 6. Go for it.

November 26th, 2013, 02:36 AM	#6
David Aronson Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Arlington VA Posts: 84	Re: Finding a camera system to capture a 30 hour world record attempt! An AJA Ki Pro will record for 31 hours safely onto a 750 GB drive at 720p25 in prores LT two of those and 2 bulletproof cameras and you should be golden. They're not the cheapest solution, but there's almost nothing that can fail in this set up. No programs crashing or computers overheating. thunderbolt or firewire cables getting unplugged. If you don't' need audio, you could also livestream it to youtube and have them record it server side if you want to be triple sure you get it. the reason I mention audio is that youtube can and will pull a stream is any music matches something in their content ID system.