| Software that manipulates the playback of video has | | | | you can save loop points, tempo, and zoom, plus it |
| been around for quite a while, but it is not as | | | | allows you to save project notes. |
| common as you might think. It goes by a variety of | | | | Pitch Change |
| names including video analysis, motion analysis and | | | | Both products Video Surgeon and Slo-Mo Director |
| game day software. This software is used in a | | | | enable you to slow a video without changing the |
| variety of ways including: motion analysis, human gait | | | | pitch, but if you want to ONLY change the pitch |
| analysis, sport analysis, biomechanics, physical therapy | | | | Video Surgeon can do this for you, Slo-Mo Director |
| (rehabilitation). Such software has often been | | | | cannot. |
| viewed as high end software beyond the reach of | | | | DVD Ripping |
| the average consumer. | | | | The ability to rip DVDs is found in Video Surgeon, but |
| Recently, similar software has been developed and | | | | not in Slo-Mo Director. Again this is an important |
| used as a practice tool for musicians, tennis players, | | | | feature because it allows people that have DVD |
| dancers and golfers, essentially anyone that uses | | | | video lessons, to rip those files from the DVD to |
| video as part of their training, instruction or lessons. | | | | their hard drive and thus enabling them to be opened |
| The purpose of this article is to review the two | | | | and manipulated by the software. |
| most recent products that have developed for this | | | | Other Notable Features |
| broader market. They are Slo-Mo Director and | | | | Video Surgeon has several other notable features |
| Video Surgeon. | | | | that Slo-Mo Director does not have. It can extract |
| Slo-Mo Director was First | | | | the audio from the video and then save and convert |
| Slo-Mo Director was the first to be developed for | | | | this audio to an mp3 or wav file. Video Surgeon also |
| the broader market place, first marketed in 2007. It | | | | allows you to resize and convert video files to mpeg |
| is a very basic video playback software that enables | | | | 4 files so that you can load these onto an Ipod or |
| you to slow video down and to set loop points. | | | | other portable AV players. |
| Then software doesn't appear to have changed | | | | Video Surgeon Uses |
| much over the past three years. When compared to | | | | Musicians, for example use Video Surgeon to |
| Video Surgeon, Slo-Mo Director falls short in many | | | | download a music lesson, and then slow down video |
| places. What Slo-Mo Director does, it does reasonable | | | | for practicing purposes. Athletes use Video Surgeon |
| well, but it simply does not have the full range of | | | | in a similar fashion. Not only is the slow down feature |
| features that one would expect from a video | | | | valuable, the ability to zoom is also a very useful tool |
| analysis or playback software program. Let's go | | | | for athletes and coaches. |
| through some of these features: | | | | While musicians and people playing sports are the |
| Video Downloading | | | | most common users, there are a wide variety of |
| Given the huge library of useful videos on Youtube | | | | other potential users including Private Investigators |
| and other sites on the WWW, an important feature | | | | and Law Enforcement (reviewing video footage for |
| for any video program is the ability to download | | | | documentary or evidentiary purposes). Dancers like |
| videos. Video Surgeon can do this, Slo-Mo Director | | | | Video Surgeon for reviewing and critiquing dance |
| cannot. | | | | moves and steps. Researchers use Video Surgeon |
| Video Zoom | | | | for the closer study and scrutiny of video data and |
| What about the ability to zoom in? Here again, Slo | | | | evidence. |
| Mo Director cannot while Video Surgeon can. Clearly, | | | | One Last Difference - A Demo Version |
| slowing down a video is important, but when you | | | | There is one last and important difference which is a |
| combine slow down with zooming you increase the | | | | trial or demo version. This is a feature most |
| value of both. It' like saying 2 + 2 = 8. | | | | software users and buyers expect. Slo-mo |
| Project Settings | | | | Directory does not offer a demo or trial version. |
| Here again, SloMo Director falls short as there is no | | | | Video Surgeon does. Video Surgeon offers a fully |
| functionality to save project settings and recall them | | | | functional version as a demo that is limited to 4-hours |
| for later use. Video Surgeon has this functionality - | | | | of run time. |