requirements
-powerful: we will be analysing HD video, and will want to skip forward and backward within files of up to 20 minutes in length (but usually under 10). I want to avoid slowdown here.
-frame-by-frame: I want to easily move the videos forward or backwards one frame at a time
-zoom function: it would be very convenient to have a zoom feature, so that a portion of the video can be enlarged (to it's full resolution on a smaller screen, for example)
-PC, not Mac: I hate macs (yes, I know, I know - they're really good for this sort of thing).
also nice
-capable of working with many codecs and filetypes. Most videos will be in MP4, but some might be in AVCHD, and I want to avoid conversion if possible
-cheap or free: I'd like to avoid paying more than 150 euro for a license.
background
My workgroup and I will be doing a lot of video analysis of fast behaviours - specifically, ants depositing trail pheromone. The behaviour takes 0.2 of a second, and is easily confused with non-pheromone-laying pauses. Hence frame by frame analysis of 50fps (or more) videos. See the linked video for an example.
I have already come across the lovely (and free) program Kinovea, but it is a bit slow when working with larger files.
Any and all advice much appreciated!
http://www.kinovea.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxgw74SizFY
You should ask Stephen Yanoviak. http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/277/1691/2199
I know of two programs that might work.
1) http://www.noldus.com/animal-behavior-research/products/the-observer-xt
In getting this URL, I noted that Noldus has some related products that might be better?
2) http://www.mediacy.com/index.aspx?page=IPP
I have used image pro plus to analyze droplets on a surface. It was excellent. It now has the ability to track moving objects. I have not used that function.
I suggest VirtualDub: it is a free software and it will show your video as a sequence of frames. You can change the frame rate as you wish and go very quickly up and down along your video frames. I use it also to cut videos and export them as an image sequence folder and than analyze it with Image j.
HI Tomer, if you just want to do frame-by-frame analysis I also suggest you to use VirtualDub. It is a very versatile program to process video files and with a little bit of practice you can use filters and do whatever you want with videos of any kind of format!
Thank you all for your advice! I've used Videodub before, but found it struggles to go backwards, with long delays if one tries to skip backwards frame-by-frame in large videos. I'll have a play around with the filters, and see if I can make it work for me.
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