Video recording ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: jusanother
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2021, 12:38:05 am
content: What are the current options for a self contained thermal imaging camera that can record video without need for an external device.Other requirements are:Hand heldStill image captureGood resolution IR sensor. Circa Flir E6 / UTi260B (240×180 / 256 x 192).Visible and IR cameras with blending etc.Adjustable emissivity and all the standard things we have come to expect, various pallets, adjustable blending, hot/cold/point tracking, blah blah.Similar to an UTi260B but with video recording.Less than Flir pricing.It will be used for electronics prototyping and some house hold maintenance.

author: Paw85
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2021, 08:07:05 pm
content: May not be of much help, but the only one I have experience with one device that can record video on the unit itself, it is a hacked E30bx that can do video at 320x240 at 30fps with manual focus.Even enlarging it 2-4x it's still quite a clear video, as shown in the video shown above (test video from ~3-4 years ago).As with these devices, the videos does "freezes" for a little while every now and then as the sensor calibrates itself, but that's just how it is with these types of thermal imagers.An used device does however cost you ~3-5 times the alternatives you listed, and requires that you make sure it's hackable unit you purchase, and that you spend the time to hack it to get the performance as shown.It is however still ~6-8 times cheaper than purchasing a new Flir with similar specification, so less than regular "Flir pricing" as you mentioned.I think one of the things that reduces costs in these types of devices is that they choose low power more cost effective processors in the units as that can handle tasks needed for thermal imaging perfectly fine, but recording and encoding video probably cost a lot to implement is my guess, and that consumers dont want to pay for things they dont use.For video recording most seem to be using a smaller thermal imager that attached to a smartphone, that allows a cheap thermal imager without much processing power, and then use the smartphone to do the processing and encoding for the video capture instead.I dont have experiences with any of these that can record video unfortunately, but should be possible to search if it is an alternative.

author: Bill W
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2021, 10:25:07 pm
content: Quote from: Paw85 on December 09, 2021, 08:07:05 pmPartly depends on how you do it. A lot of cameras use a complete stand alone video recorder so that clearly has a part and special build cost. Sometimes built-in, sometimes a bolt on extra.It may depend how much 'video recording' was in the original specification for the architecture. The amount of data beeing shovelled around for video recording means careful data pipe sizing and performing compression is limited by processor choice.With the current Argus MiTIC for example, we had an existing architecture (DSP heavy from Argus4) and sorted out the data path to an SD card as best we could with a new interface. The DSP then compresses the least required to allow saving at that rate. That only allows QVGA 10fps mjpeg video which uses a fair proportion of the 'DSP grunt' needed for the whole camera, especially on a complex scene. It is however nil additional part cost and for a while was sold as an extra (100% profit), but now is part of the sales features 'recording included', so an advantage over those with add-on recording systems in price and power.Some fire users though do not like the idea of a 'spy camera' with them so choose to disable it.Bill

author: jusanother
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2021, 01:12:43 am
content: Many thanks for the input Paw85, very valuable. It has rescaled my expectations, I have to analyse exactly how vital on board video recording is given the high price penalty.I suspect what stops more of the lower end cameras from having it is the manufacturers have a target price point in mind. Adding video may only increase price by 20% for example but they don't see this yeilding a return or more likely that it would under mine higher price cameras. I guess we are a few years away yet.

author: Gary350z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2021, 03:44:23 am
content: My thermal camera outputs video via USB to a computer. It looks like a webcam to the computer.Does anyone know of a small, stand alone, inexpensive video recorder that can record video from USB?Maybe some kind of Arduino thingy?I was thinking it could be attached to the thermal camera with the cameras tripod mount.I tried google, but I could not find the correct search words.

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 08:47:38 am
content: If it looks like a webcam to your PC it's likely UVC. The USB Video Class. And you need an OS to host that. I don't think there is small commercial products to do that. You would more easily find video recorders that capture analog video, especially for FPV drones. There is a bunch of capture cards now that cheaply take a video single and turn it into USB, perhaps the camera you have uses exactly the same concept for the USB out. It will be some hack, but if there is a analog video signal, you might be able to record that.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 02:10:34 pm
content: Someone done it with Raspberry Pi a few years backhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/flir-ex-realtime-raw-radiometric-data-streaming-via-uvc/msg756530/#msg756530