How do you geocode a video to extract the location info and map it?

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BlueToothKiwi

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#112152 28-Nov-2012 08:45

Most of us are familiar with getting the location info from your pictures taken with a GPS enabled camera.

However, how do you do the same with video?

Is the information not stored in the video? THe folder with the videos also have correeponding *.THM files.

The video's were filmed with various cameras - including COntour and iPhone 5 (both have GPS working - at least for photos).

I already tried iMovie and iPhoto on the Mac and Picasa on the PC - none of them seems to pick up the location info.

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

timmmay

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#723989 28-Nov-2012 08:55

THM is a jpeg, can you rename it and check for gps info in that?

BlueToothKiwi

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#723993 28-Nov-2012 09:01

It seems that Contour allows you to upload the videos to their Storyteller site and they will geocode them... But my video folder is 15GB and it is not no very practical....

I also found this article on the topic:
Link.

But surely there has to be an easier way.

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

timmmay

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#723996 28-Nov-2012 09:04

Did you try what I suggested? Rename thm to jpg and see if it's geocoded?

BlueToothKiwi

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#724003 28-Nov-2012 09:20

timmmay: Did you try what I suggested? Rename thm to jpg and see if it's geocoded?

Sorry - Yeah I just tried that. THM seems to store the first frame of the video as a thumbnail. The only properties the renamed file showing are basic image properties (like JPEG quality / name /file location / dimension / date etc.)

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

wellygary

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#724028 28-Nov-2012 10:29

BlueToothKiwi:
timmmay: Did you try what I suggested? Rename thm to jpg and see if it's geocoded?

Sorry - Yeah I just tried that. THM seems to store the first frame of the video as a thumbnail. The only properties the renamed file showing are basic image properties (like JPEG quality / name /file location / dimension / date etc.)

Then your Camera is not recoding the Geocode data,

THM files are created because there is no agreed was to put Geo location data into a RAW or MPEG4 file,

for JPEGs use EXIF info, and the THM file is there so data such as EXIF can be included.

If your THM files don't have the location data, then you devices are not recording it, ( you might need to alter a setting to include it)

BlueToothKiwi

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#724096 28-Nov-2012 11:46

wellygary:
If your THM files don't have the location data, then you devices are not recording it, ( you might need to alter a setting to include it)

Hmmmm.

There is no THM file in the iPhone5 images folder.
As for the Contour, I uploaded one of the small video's to the contour's storyteller site - and it was able to geocode it - so I am guessing the Contour is sving the location on the video file on each frame.
My problem - as per my post above, is to find an easy solution / application that decipher the alternate method of encoding the location by various cameras for video - like Picasa / iPhoto do for photos...

that is all.

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

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wellygary

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#724185 28-Nov-2012 13:41

BlueToothKiwi:
My problem - as per my post above, is to find an easy solution / application that decipher the alternate method of encoding the location by various cameras for video - like Picasa / iPhoto do for photos...

that is all.

The answer is No, there is no easy way to do this, and the reason is because there is no standard for what you are asking,

Contour embed the information in the video using a custom format that only they use (hence their website can geocode the movie file, but id you open it in anything generic then it will just ignore the geo location data)

as for the iphone, there are apps that do what you want, such as this
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iphone-application-dashcam-incorporates-video-gps-and-google-maps-to-create-a-complete-video-recorder-black-box-for-drivers-at-a-fraction-of-the-cost-123016953.html

But they all do the geo location coding in a different way, so you will have to make do with what there is

clicknz

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#724211 28-Nov-2012 14:34

Hi - well, the iPhone video should be not too much problem I would think, as it certainly records GPS coordinates with the video.
I have a tweak on my jailbroken iPhone 4 that shows photo/video metadata from within the stock photo viewing app. Just tested it with a few videos from within the camera roll and it works very well - drops a pin on a map to show location where the video was shot. So if this can do it from within the phone I would imagine there must be something that can also replicate this.
I tested it also with videos that have been removed and then added back onto the phone into different albums and it doesn't show locations for these, but it does with photos...

Cheers,
Mike

Photographer/Videographer clickmedia.nz

BlueToothKiwi

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#724837 29-Nov-2012 19:23

Thanks Mike and Thanks WellyGary.

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz