This is yet another article about DVD video and the difficulties it presents for video editing programs.  Not just Easy-Scout Professsional and Easy-Cut, but the majority of sports editing programs.

In the interest of the time crunch that coaches find themselves in as a new season approaches, this article will not rehash information and solutions that have appeared here, in the Coaches Advisor Journal, in the Frequently Asked Questions pages on our web sites, and in our Technical Support Knowledgebase. 

Rather, this provides a concise description of the problem and a solution, citing a specific product in the process from among the many that will get the job done. 

THE PROBLEM

Video is now increasingly “exchanged” on DVD’s.  In some cases, even when a digital camcorder is used to “shoot a game”, the game is immediately transferred to DVD’s for viewing. DVD’s are great for that.  But, DVD’s are not great for use in video editing software.  In fact, they are bad. Video on a DVD is stored in two folders, called Video_TS and Video_RM. 

This is what the folders on a DVD look like on a computer (This is a Windows Vista view of “Computer”)

Inside the folders, things look even worse as illustrated below. Every DVD looks pretty much the same, except some have more of these “.VOB” files than others.

Video Editing programs usually want video files to look like this. This single file contains the entire contents of the DVD above.

THE SOLUTION

There are 2 ways this problem can be solved. Both involve converting the video from the DVD format to one that works with the editing program that will be used.

Solution 1. Capture the DVD as if it was a VHS tape.  This requires some type of “video capture device”. (This article does not discuss video capture devices)

Solution 2. Convert the DVD format using a program designed specifically for that purpose. (This article presents this type of “software solution”)

We’ve worked with a lot of these devices and programs, and frankly, have come to the conclusion that when it comes to DVD conversion software and devices, you get what you pay for.  The cost varies from about $30 for what is sometimes called DVD “ripping” software to about $200 for a capture device - with many choices.

THE RECOMMENDATION

We keep coming back to DVDCopy, now from Corel as our software product of choice .  We have used this product since version 4, and while the latest version is a little bloated and not quite as simple as Versions 4 and 5, its conversion to DIVX (with an AVI extension) works reliably, and on a fast machine, quickly.  We converted a 30 minute DVD in less than 15 minutes, and in the process ended up with a 1 GB file that was indistinguishable in quality from the DVD).  Both Easy-Scout Pro and Easy-Cut work with DIVX files.

DVDCopy can be purchased at www.corel.com in Standard and “Plus” Versions.  Either version has the capabilities required to perform a simple DVD conversion, and the Plus adds some other capabilities that might be important, one of which is converting from a Hard Drive Camcorder.

Computers that run Windows nowadays come equipped with Windows Vista. Since Windows Vista comes in five versions, with most versions available in both 32 Bit and 64 Bit variations, its important that the correct one is selected.

As far as whether to choose the 32 Bit or 64 Bit Edition, we recommend the 32-bit edition for its far superior compatibility in general, but specifically with the products published and distributed by CompuSports (over the 64 Bit edition, but not over Windows XP unfortunately).

As far as whether to choose Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate or Vista Business, in most cases Vista Home Premium is the best choice. We do not recommend upgrading the operating system on a computer that already has Windows XP to any version of Windows Vista.

For a full discussion of the details behind these recommendations, read Critical Windows Vista Purchase Considerations in the Coaches Advisor Journal.

Click here for an overview of the Versions of Windows Vista

Click here for detailed specifics about the features included and not included in each one

From their very first "season" 25 years ago this Sept, Easy-Scout products have been built to be affordable and usable over a long period of time.    And, "back in those days", this was not unusual,  as it would be many years until software publishers would begin to append "year labels" to their product names as a way to promote new versions of products each year, or each couple of years. 

Our approach with Easy-Scout, while it was possible, has been to develop major new releases only when technology required it, which for many years meant that products could be expected to last 5,8 and in some cases as long as ten years. 

This, compared with the leading software publishers of the day - think Microsoft’s Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 or Office 95, 97, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007 or  Symantec’s Norton Antivirus 2000, 2001, 20002, 2003, etc. Surely, the larger software publishers found a way to make this planned obsolescence work for quite some time, and, while many still do, there are storm clouds on the horizon. Get ready to be bombarded with annual subscription plans as the only way to acquire software - the next great thing the software industry has to offer.

We’re bucking that trend in the industry, much like we’re bucking the trend of many of Easy-Scout’s competitors by staying true to its heritage of making game planning, and now video editing software affordable over a number of years to high schools (and increasingly colleges) of all sizes.

We start with a base price that offers a comparable price/value proposition, and in some cases considerable savings over similar products in a category that is still "maturing", so to speak. A case in point is video editing - still in many ways the "wild west" with more disinformation and feature wars than a mature marketplace where the products are fully understood, and where more importantly, are used as frequently as they are purchased.

This happens to be an upgrade year for Easy-Scout products - the first since 2003 for Easy-Scout XP - the "scouting" edition of Easy-Scout. It is also the first upgrade (as opposed to free update) for Easy-Scout XP Professional, our video editing version of Easy-Scout, since its release two years ago.  The upgrade programs are as unique as the price/performance profile of the Easy-Scout products themselves, and are certain to be welcome news for personal and school budgets that are squeezed by escalating gas and food prices.

We’ll begin rolling out of a variety of attractive options to Easy-Scout users over the final weeks of June, including a special 25th Anniversary Edition of Easy-Scout XP Professional for those who want "a little video with their scouting" this season, but only if its affordable.  We’ll be communicating through this blog, as well as email. Those who can’t wait can visit the www.compuSports.com Scouting or Video editing product section to learn about the products and ensure they are first on the list.

Windows Vista’s here to stay, and there is no getting away from that fact of life for computer buyers and software developers.  Not only that, but Windows XP is “walking the plank”, scheduled to be “deep-sixed” very soon by Microsoft.

Depending on your particular situation, you may not care, but you may also be dreading, or even fearing the day when Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows XP. That day is now scheduled for June 30, 2008 for retail copies purchased in stores and bundled with retail computers, and reportedly early next year for computers purchased from “custom-builders”.

As reported by Infoworld, the Windows XP EXECUTION will be carried out “despite a deep reluctance by many business and individuals about moving to Vista”.

Since InfoWorld “believes such an expensive, time-consuming shift with problematic benefits should not be forced on Windows users, it has decided to rally XP users to demand that XP be kept available”.

If you want to play your part in persuading Microsoft to keep offering Windows XP, for whatever reason, the two links below will assist you.

Sign the petition to Save Windows XP

Read full details about the Infoworld campaign to Save Windows XP

P.S. Since all of our Windows based Desktop and laptop products run on Windows XP and Vista, we dont have a business axe to grind here.  We’re just like a lot of folks who like Windows XP and believe that by offering it, Microsoft will be doing right by its customers and more importantly by its hardware vendor partners.

That’s right, its our belief that rather than “energize” what Microsoft likes to refer to as the Windows ecosystem, Windows Vista has “paralyzed” it, affecting the performance of companies like Dell and others who sell fewer replacement computers because end users want to hold onto their Windows XP (or maybe AVOID Windows Vista, depending on the person) as long as possible.

We just released an update for Easy-Scout Professional Version 2.5 that was introduced last November.  The new version features updated Report Groups that better organize the reports that were included in the new Reporting module introduced in Version 2.5 as well as a new Report Index report.  In addition, the “Back” and “Forward” buttons were adjusted to complement the behavior of the new Reverse and Forward Video Playback controls in Windows Media Player 11.

Easy-Scout Professional 2.51 is available in a full install for new purchasers and trial users as well as existing users that purchase an additional license. It is also available for purchase by users of Versions 1.0 through 2.14 as an upgrade.

Released with Easy-Scout Professional 2.51 is a new version of the Easy-Scout Database Utilities - Version 1.1. The new utilities include a new function to update the Report Groups after applying the Version 2.51 Update to an existing installation without interfering with any user-defined Report Groups.

* Changes that Microsoft made in January 2008 to the Windows Installer in Windows XP required modifications to the Version 2.5 installer for Easy-Scout Professional. The changes only affected Windows XP and not Windows Vista. The installer for Version 2.51 replaces all prior installers of 2.5 shipped or downloaded between November 2007 and March 14, 2008. 

There are no known issues with installers shipped prior to November 2007.

A number of new video tutorials are now available for the latest versions of Easy-Scout XP Plus and Easy-Scout XP Professional. In addition, the tutorial for capturing video with Windows Movie Maker has been updated.

For Easy-Scout Professional, a new tutorial illustrates the procedure for intercutting, or checkerboarding video for a game when multiple cameras are used. 

For Easy-Scout XP Plus, new tutorials cover functions from data entry to advanced reporting using the new “user-defined” search powered reporting.

Tutorials  for particular programs are available on their respective download pages and all tutorials can be accessed from one page in the CompuSports Technical Support Center.   Ideal for learning how to use the various features and functions of each program, the tutorials are also useful as a replacement or supplement to trial software since they can be accessed from any location with internet connectivity .  This makes it possible for coaches who are restricted by school policies from downloading and/or installing trial software to get a feel for a program’s capabilities.

Easy-Scout XP Plus - the newest member of our Easy-Scout family can now be ordered as an upgrade by existing Easy-Scout XP users. Available in both CD and Download format, Easy-Scout XP Plus combines the capabilities of its predecessor, Easy-Scout XP and its advanced game analysis and reporting companion, the Easy-Scout Analyzer into a single, “streamlined” football scouting program that runs on BOTH Windows XP and Windows Vista. 

Despite its similarities, Easy-Scout XP Plus is much more than a combination of two products - something that is evident immediately when using the new Search/Analysis Grid and Reporting module.   Our development team worked hard to deliver these additional capabilities without adding to the complexity of the program - particularly for first-time users.  The result, we think is a “tighter feel” than had been the case when Easy-Scout XP and Analyzer were separate programs, due in part to an effort to reduce the number of ”buttons” on the search grid. 

Easy-Scout XP Plus is available at a special upgrade price to registered users of previous Easy-Scout products.

Click here for full details, a trial version and more information.

When Windows Vista was released in January 2007, we knew it was only a matter of time before the need to attain Vista “compatibility” would become a necessity for software publishers.  Despite an avalanche of criticism from all corners of the computing community, including the recently “awarded”, dubious designation as PC World’s “biggest disappointment of the year”,  what Microsoft wants, Microsoft gets. Its that simple.

As the PC World article points out, “Vista will come to dominate the PC landscape, if only because it will become increasingly hard to buy a new machine that doesn’t have it pre-installed.”  While Retail buyers (those that buy computers in stores like Circuit City, Best Buy, Staples and the like) found this to be true almost immediately after Vista’s release, companies that sell computers to business and insitutional buyers have been permitted to offer their customer a choice of Windows XP or Windows Vista, and will be permitted to do so until June 2008.

The unfortunate part of all of this for new computer buyers is that the cost of purchasing a new computer that runs Windows Vista does not end with the cost of the computer. Many “peripherals” like printers and video capture devices don’t work on Vista and need to be replaced.  The story is the same for software, particularly specialized software of the kind that coaches purchase for coaching-specific tasks.

We had a two-pronged approach to Windows Vista at CompuSports. Like most publishers that want to remain in business for the long haul, we made a commitment to invest in the future viability of our Easy-Scout, Easy-Cut and Easy-Recruiter products. 

The first prong in our strategy was to develop Vista-compatible versions of our video editing products, which we did shortly after Vista was released. Easy-Scout Professional 2.0 , and Easy-Cut 2.1shipped in March with Windows XP and Windows Vista compatibility.  In each case, the application itself required significant modifications in order to run at all on Windows Vista, and since a new computer, often a laptop, is often purchased to run Video Editing software, that was our priority.

The second part of our strategy was to focus on those products that were typically installed on “office” or school computers, since there was a greater likelihood that Windows XP would be slower to “disappear”. With just a few exceptions, we found this to be the case, and in fact, expect Windows Vista to have a slow uptake in schools due to the fact that schools, like business, “have a choice”. The two products in this category were our Easy-Scout XP (football scouting) and Easy-Recruiter (athletic recruiting) applications.

Easy-Recruiter was shipped early this fall in a Vista-compatible version, that itself has been updated one time in early December to resolve what had been an intermittent, yet nagging issue. 

Easy-Scout XP, while delivered in a Vista-compatible immediately upon Vista’s release,  had a design that made it somewhat inconvenient for Vista users to install and run.  Plus, its companion product, Analyzer 2006 was not Vista compatible and we learned that it would only function on Vista with a major overhaul. 

For these reasons, our approach with Easy-Scout XP and Analyzer was to “consolidate” the two products and offer them in a single, Windows XP and Windows Vista compatible product.  That product, Easy-Scout XP Plus, was shipped last month (November). In addition to consolidating the products, we took the opportunity to enhance the analysis and reporting module that had been in Analyzer before releasing Easy-Scout XP Plus. The result is a better product, where we believe 1+1=3.

While not free, these Vista-compatible versions are available at reduced upgrade pricing to current users. Season Pass subscribers for Easy-Scout Professional automatically receive the latest version with their subscription renewals, and software maintenance agreement holders receive them as needed.

Even though topics such as this tend to be highly technical in nature and not limited to our software products, a recent article in www.coachsadvisor.com dealing with this subject has generated a lot of interest and questions from coaches. This is no surprise, since few coaches are so fortunate that they never have a need to convert a VHS tape or a DVD to a digital format that is “sports editing software-friendly”.

Since our product designs are based on the belief that there is no justification to reinvent the wheel when doing so adds cost, complexity or difficulty for the user, it makes sense that when we discover ways to reduce one or more, we make sure not to keep it a secret.  Coaches fortunate enough to have a camera that supports “digital pass through” should really consider this technique. 

To this end, I decided to include two links for current or prospective users of CompuSports’  Video Editing Software Easy-Scout XP Professional and Easy-Cut that want to explore this method of converting “analog” video sources to Digital.

The first link takes you to the Microsoft web site and applies to Windows XP Users . The article has some very useful diagrams as well as step by step instructions.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/21/dvpassthrough.mspx

 The second link takes you to a recent Coachs Advisor article that covers the topic in general and has a link to a similar Microsoft web site article that applies to Windows Vista users.

 http://coachsadvisor.blogspot.com/2007/10/convert-your-vhs-tapes-with-windows.html

It’s been a big year at CompuSports in 2007, and we’re charging hard to the finish line as we prepare to refresh our Easy-Scout product line for its 25th Anniversary.

In a year that kicked off with the January release of the long-awaited Windows Vista, a host of ensuing challenges were faced by computer users and software developers (both large and small) alike.   Despite it being virtually impossible to avoid Windows Vista if a person wanted to buy a new computer in a Retail Store, Windows XP enjoyed a surprising resurgence in popularity that resulted in Microsoft extending its life - not to mention scratching its head.

By mid-summer, to the surprise of many, Windows Vista started appearing in a number of school environments but soon it became clear that Microsoft had used its war chest to “nudge” the process along.  As we close out 2007, its still a mixed bag as far as what works on Vista, what doesn’t and what “never will”.

In the case of our Easy-Scout product line, we chose to focus our developers’ efforts last fall (a year ago) on Easy-Scout XP Professional, as it was clear that due to the way Windows Vista handles video, major changes would be required. This filtered through to Windows XP users as Vista’s Windows Media Player 11 was “pushed out” by Microsoft early this year via Windows Update. Like Windows Vista, Windows Media Player had a number of “issues”, but unlike Vista, they were quickly worked out.

By late Spring the final 2007 updates for both Easy-Scout Professional and Easy-Cut were released - in plenty of time for the 2007 fall sports season.  Quickly, our development  efforts turned to our Easy-Scout XP and Analyzer scouting products, since only Easy-Scout XP itself was Vista-compatible.   After studying a number of options,  the logical direction was clear: Easy-Scout XP and Analyzer would be combined into a single product (much like we did with Easy-Scout Professional ) based on Easy-Scout XP.

Easy-Scout to Celebrate 25 years of helping coaches build game plans

Easy-Scout, first released in January of 1984 will be available in two versions for the 2008 season: Easy-Scout XP Plus, the replacement for Easy-Scout XP, and Easy-Scout XP Professional a video-enabled version of Easy-Scout XP Plus. Both are fully compatible with Windows XP AND Windows Vista.

Easy-Scout XP Plus combines the functionality of Easy-Scout XP and Analyzer into a single product. This new “scouting” product includes a number of “under the hood” improvements and adds the advanced analysis and reporting modules previously offered in Easy-Scout XP Analyzer, along with a number of improvements and additions to its extensive library of reports.

Learn more about Easy-Scout XP Plus

Easy-Scout XP Professional adds a number of video editing features to the capabilities found in Easy-Scout XP Plus, including the ability to watch video while recording scouting data and then quickly search for, retrieve and view plays from one or more games. Easy-Scout Professional can produce cutups and highlights using an external recording device, such as a VCR, DVR or DVD Recorder and is available in a special bundle with Easy-Cut, that adds advanced video editing and cutup functionality for those who need it.

New features scheduled to debut in 2008 include support for intercutting two or more camera angles and a number of other enhancements.

Learn more about Easy-Scout XP Professional