How to Obtain Video from Multiple Angles

Note: The number of angles viewable at any one time will be different depending on the version of Nacsport you are using. Nacsport Elite and Pro allow you to view 4 video angles simultaneously, while Scout offers 2 different angles. Basic and Basic+ are limited to 1. Likewise, dual live capture is only available in Elite, on which this article is based.

Before we get into using multiple angles in Nacsport, let’s take a look at some common ways of obtaining these videos. There are few ways to do this...

Cameras

Obvious, right? But there are many different types of cameras available for sports analysis. We’re not going to get heavy into this subject in this article, as we want to focus more on the functionalities of Nacsport, but we’ve already written about some of these subjects.

•    Camcorders
•    Drones
•    IP Cameras and Fixed Automated Camera
•    Mobile Devices

Later in this article, we’ll talk about how to use the footage captured with these devices when analysing live and post-match.

Live TV Feeds

Those of us lucky enough to work for big clubs which feature regularly on TV or internet streaming channels will have the added bonus of having access to professional camera feeds.

This is the case for analysts such as Joe Larkin of ASM Clermont Auvergne Rugby Club in France, who we featured in an article a couple of weeks ago. Basically, the analyst taps into the TV broadcast trucks through a device such as the AP Multifeed Video Capture device, supplied by our UK distributors, AnalysisPro. The TV feed is then converted to an RTSP signal which can be captured using your video analysis software.

Again, we won’t go into great detail about this process here, as it could get quite technical, but if you want more information, feel free to contact AnalysisPro or any other company that provides this type of service in your area for advice.

Suffice to say, TV feeds are a great source of professional grade video footage for their analysis work, either live or post-match.

Multiple Angles in Nacsport for Post-Match or Training Analysis

Ok, you’ve got your video footage, you’ve filmed the action from the sideline, baseline and from drones. Now what do you do with it?

Well, you analyse it of course...with Nacsport!

Different angles can be added to your analysis at any time and from any Nacsport environment via the video player. This can be done whilst tagging with your button template, while viewing the timeline or from the presentation environment.

So, how do you link videos?

You simply need to click on the options menu (the cog icon) in the video player and select “Link multiple angles”. A new window will open where, at the top, you will see tabs reading “Main video”, “Video 2”, “Video 3”, and “Video 4”. Select the tab where you want to add the new video, click the camera icon and select the video.

From here you need to synchronise the new video to the main video. The best way to do this is to find a common point, such as the kickoff in football, and move the progress bar to the same place on all videos. During this process, it's important to ensure that video files have the same constant frame rate, such as 25fps, for example. Videos with different frame rates may not stay in sync, and videos with variable frame rates may also go out of sync.

This video will explain the process:

Switching Between Angles

When using the Nacsport video player, you can either watch a single feed, all four feeds together or a combination of any two feeds.

To switch between individual feeds, click on any of the numbered buttons to the left of the options menu in the video player. This will switch between any of the synchronised videos. This can also be done with keyboard hotkeys. Keys 4 - 7 correspond to video feeds 1 - 4.

To see all videos at the same time, simply click on the icon next to video 4. This will enter tile mode where you will see all videos at the same time. To enter this mode with the keyboard controls, you simply need to press on the number that corresponds to the video you are currently watching. For example, if you are watching video 1, this corresponds to key 4. Press key 4 again and tile mode will be activated.

To watch a combination of any two video feeds, hold the “Ctrl” key and click the two videos you want to view with the mouse.

Multiple Angles in Presentations

As you know, you can add registers to a presentation list by clicking “3” or “Insert” on the keyboard.

When working with multiple angles, the video you have active on the timeline will be sent to the presentation list. For example, if you have video 3 active on the video player, video 3 will appear in the presentation list under that register.

If you have all 4 videos active on the video player in tile mode, all videos will be grouped together and sent to the list. When the presentation is active, you will be able to switch between the videos freely using the numbered buttons that appear at the top of the presentation window’s video player.

If you have tile mode active and wish to send all videos to the presentation separately, this can be done by holding “Ctrl” and clicking “3” or “insert”. You will see that there will now be an entry in the presentation list for each individual clip.

Multiple individual angles in a list can be grouped together by holding “Ctrl” and clicking on the clips you want to group. Once highlighted, right click and select “Group videos”. Conversely, videos can be ungrouped by highlighting the register which contains multiple clips, right clicking and selecting “Ungroup videos”.

All these options give you complete control of the footage you want to show in a video presentation, allowing you to select the best angles to get your point across effectively.

Live Analysis with Multiple Angles

As we mentioned in the introduction to this article, one of the biggest advantages of Nacsport Elite is the ability to have two different video sources active when performing a real-time analysis. In all other versions of Nacsport, and, in fact, in the majority of other video analysis software, it is only possible to capture and tag one video source at a time.

Setting up a multiple angle feed in Elite, however, is just as simple as setting up a live feed in any other version. Select “Real-time register” from the main menu, name your file, and then choose the device which will feed into the “Main video” tab. To add the second camera, click on the “2nd angle” tab and select the device or IP address which will provide the 2nd feed.

When both video feeds are active, simply continue your analysis as normal.

This ability to work with multiple feeds really comes into its own when paired with some of Elite’s more advanced video tools, for example, the ability to review footage without leaving capture, the video delay feature, and, of course, Nacsport Coach Station.

The latter is an app which allows you to send footage directly to the bench for coaches to review. You can read more about it in this article. Without a doubt, having the ability to choose which feed provides the best angle and letting the coaches see this footage in real time is an absolute boon to any analyst and team.

Want to Try It?

So, that’s a basic overview of how to use multiple angles in Nacsport Elite. If you are interested in this powerful feature, why not try it for yourself?

You can request a free 30-day trial of any Nacsport product directly from our website. If you are interested in Pro or Elite, somebody in our sales department will be happy to get in touch with you to talk about your needs and give you an overview of the software.

If you’ve got any questions about using multiple angles in sports analysis, or anything else you read in this article, feel free to contact us through our website or any of our social media channels.

Thanks for reading!