Gear

I was toying with the idea of video clips for the PP website; things like how to belay, how to tie knots, etc. Apart from my perennial problem of lacking a ready supply of roundtuits, one thing that struck me was ISP bandwidth limits. If you go from QVGA to VGA (which is reasonable if you want sensible quality), you quadruple the bandwidth used. For instance, a 12-second snippet of a cartoon is 820kB.

I've got a little Mustek PVR-A1 thingy that will record and play VGA video (very well, too), but the battery life is poor. So I'd most likely view video clips on a PC.

One thing to bear in mind is that production quality is important. I've got a 'bike maintenance video' that came free with one of the MTB mags, and the production is terrible; poor camera angles, wobbly camera, poorly thought-out shots, etc. It's almost useless. Given the slick nature of your audio podcasts, I suspect you'd avoid these problems.

For me, I could watch them on my Palm,PC, or the Nokia mobile I'm about to order... :-)

However, I think I'd only go seek them out if I was researching a particular product. For me your podcasts are great, just like a radio show. I can listen in bed, in the car, while washing up etc so I download loads and actually play them all.

I doubt I'd see most of your video output as I'd have to make a special effort to sit and watch - hence it would only be useful to me when I was looking for info on a particular item of gear or technique.

I don't want to seem negative, but it might be worth thinking about how much extra effort the videos will take to produce and edit compared with (IMHO) a much lower take-up per production.

On the positive side, I personally don't think production values have to be very high for the videos to be useful and good to watch. The resolution on most players is quite low, and I reckon you could just use the video mode on a digital camera and come up with good results.

Anyway, good luck,

Steve

Hi Bob,

I would certainly watch them, mainly on my PC either at work or at home, not likely to use on portable media (mobile phone). I would stick with the overview approach, size and features, adjustments. The idea of showing how to erect a different tents correctly would be very useful.

A good starting place would be when you go out with the golite single wall tents. you could show how to put them up, possible condensation problems, space inside etc.

Cheers

Trevor

I've enjoyed your podcasts and would certainly watch video content (on my PC). Why don't you try a compromise of a podcast with a slide show. From a business perspective, video content takes a long time to produce and in the end you have a business and have to sell the products. Only you can assess whether it is worth the time. I would like to know a bit more about the products you sell (I've already bought stuff from you, excellent service!).

Good luck!

Very true Robin, in a previous life media production was in fact 'my bag' and far too many hours in the night (the day was taken for granted) have been spent with my nose against the deadline!

However, this subject matter is new and exciting and, dare I say it, fun! (At the moment). In my mind as a consumer and a retailer, I can see there is a need for something like this.

I don't think phone video is the answer, not enough detail, but certainly clips which can be viewed on PC and 'if you desire' transfered to a portable media player, could be useful.

Time is money, but if the result is you can sell more products because the customer is better informed, the circle could be complete.

Anyway, if anyone has anything to add to this please do jot it down. I hope to be launching a short clip or two soon to test the water so to speak, and your feedback will be more focussed.

In the meantime, see what you think of the latest podcast, which is an 'overview' of the Golite Jam and Galaxy? Found on my site in the usual place.

£338 my money trees not in fruit at the moment and even if it was

Know what you mean. A cold day in hell and all that.
I know some people who would pay more than £50 for a TV.
Bet that's shocked you!

bob just listened to you podcast about the golite rucksacs and it was very good. Your guest sounded quite in places thou. I think it would have been even better if we could see the packs, it was hard in places to visualise the pockets, and other things as you were talking about them. It was a prefect example of how you could use video to help demonstrate the sacks slightly better.

I'd watch them if they were free on both PC and Mac (use mac at home, pc at work).

I already love the photos you have on your website-rather than just the manufacturers photos I like it when you take photos of it yourselves-if you are buying something online it is nice to feel almost as if you are in the store, examining things from every angle, rather than seeing the same old standard photo. Outdoorfocus have great photos of the tents pitched too.

Thanks guys.

In fact SuperKat I've just got back from a photo session with Golite tents, the Hex, Hut and Den and I can't decide whether to turn them into a movie or put the photos up, as sadly, the photos take far too long to load. Glad you like my efforts though, I agree that the manufactures photos leave a lot to be desired.

Tim, I agree with your point, and that's is on my list of jobs to do.

It does seem to make sense to trial a few movies. Does everyone agree with me that rucksack and tents would be the best starting point?

Definitely tents and packs - there's probably a limit to just what you can (legally) demonstrate about Sub Zero All Active Shorts!!!

;-)

I think they would be the best place to start. my the way bob you going to be at the NEC?

Matt C Wait till the female products arrive - I'm sure I can think of something!

And Tim, yes I'm have a series of interviews set up for the 3 days and will be wandering around the show with a microphone I guess as well, so if you see me stop for a chat!

The thing CP brought up about bandwidth is something you definitely have to check! I once ran the worlds largest John Lennon fan site and added a video section, within a month I was told by the ISP that I would have to pay 10 times as much if I was to continue allowing my visitors to download so much bandwidth.

Bob, may I suggest that you get the girls from the FrenchMaidTv Video Podcast to do your video podcasts.

You have to see their first video podcast (and only one at mo) on how to do a video podcast.

I think your site viewing stats would do through the roof if you did ;-)

Take a look at www.frenchmaidtv.com

Yes, tents and packs first, please!

I was going to make a smutty remark about tent poles and my previous post but just can't be that crude :-))

Yes Darren I think you are quite correct, the French Maids put across quite clearly all you need to know about video production and the technicalities. It really helped, but as there were a few points I didn't quiet understand I had to watch it a few times!
I wonder who was behind that though? Very creative and oh so slightly inspiring!
Sadly my efforts which have been put together whilst I'm currently down with the flu, don't seem to have the same pizzaz. But I'm sure the technical tent people out there will still find plenty of 'boobs' in the clip! ;-)

Bob,
I must be really stupid, as I've had to watch a few hundred times, now and still don't get a few of the points.

It's not easy being thick, it has draw backs of having to watch stuff like this lots of times to try and get the message :-(