High quality video sharing systems

Abstract

Current video sharing systems, particularly systems sharing sports videos suffer from lots of users sharing low quality video recordings. High quality video is manifested primarily in capturing interesting content and good camera handling. These qualities may be achieved by amateur videographers by employing automated video recording devices, using highlight finding software to obtain short but interesting video clips, and augmenting the video clips with special effects and musical soundtracks. Systems and methods provide for sharing videos recorded by automatic video recording devices. The system plays video files at a user's request accompanied with music clips if desired and permits users to participate in improving video quality by providing feedback to the video sharing system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A video sharing method comprising:
 a) providing a host computer system configured to receive video files uploaded from a plurality of automatic video recording devices, said automatic video recording devices comprising video cameras and designed to be capable of automatically orienting their video cameras at moving subjects and to be controlled and operated by a first set of independent users;   b) providing computer memory associated with said host computer system to store uploaded video files;   c) enabling a plurality of said automatic video recording devices that are capable of automatically orienting their video cameras at moving subjects and being controlled and operated by said first set of independent users to upload video files to said host computer system; and   d) enabling a plurality of a second set of users to connect to said host computer system and to play said video files that have been uploaded to said host computer system.   
     
     
         2 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of limiting duration of uploaded video files to about 60 seconds. 
     
     
         3 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of playing the uploaded video files live. 
     
     
         4 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of finding highlights in the uploaded video files and automatically editing the uploaded video files to feature highlights. 
     
     
         5 . The video sharing method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of enabling said second set of users to limit playing videos that are automatically edited to feature highlights. 
     
     
         6 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of configuring said host computer system to receive video files irrespective of hardware used to record and upload said video files. The video sharing method of  claim 6 , further comprising the steps of using said host computer system to synchronize video files recorded simultaneously by multiple cameras belonging to at least one user or recording footage of at least one subject and combine said video files recorded simultaneously by multiple cameras into a single video featuring the at least one user or at least one subject. 
     
     
         8 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of automatic video recording devices comprises a base unit and at least one remote unit, wherein said at least one remote unit is co-located with a subject being recorded and each said remote unit is configured to communicate with a base unit. 
     
     
         9 . The video sharing method of  claim 8 , wherein some of said remote units are configured to connect to said host computer system. 
     
     
         10 . The video sharing method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of initiating upload of video files to the host computer system from the remote unit. 
     
     
         11 . The video sharing method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of displaying video to be uploaded to the host computer system on a screen of the remote unit. 
     
     
         12 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of replacing a soundtrack of the uploaded video files with music when said video files are played. 
     
     
         13 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of building a searchable database of uploaded video files. 
     
     
         14 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of using said host computer system to receive music files from a third set of users. 
     
     
         15 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
 a) enabling input, by said first set of independent users, of credits to be shown as part of a videos uploaded by users and storing input credits in said computer memory associated with said host computer system; and   b) automatically including input credits in videos uploaded by said first set of independent users.   
     
     
         16 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
 a) displaying said video files as a newsfeed comprising a list of selectable videos available for viewing by said second set of users;   b) soliciting and accepting positive or negative feedback from said second set of users regarding videos from said list of selectable videos; and   c) using feedback from said second set of users to selectively display video files on the newsfeed.   
     
     
         17 . The video sharing method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of
 a) evaluating feedback from said second set of users and associating positive feedback with those users who uploaded video files that received positive feedback from said second set of users; and   b) rewarding those users who uploaded video files that received positive feedback from said second set of users.   
     
     
         18 . The video sharing method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
 a) displaying said video files as a newsfeed comprising a list of selectable videos available for viewing by said second set of users;   b) soliciting and accepting positive or negative feedback from said second set of users about soundtracks associated with videos from said list of selectable videos;   c) using feedback from said second set of users regarding soundtracks associated with videos from said list of selectable videos to selectively display video files on the newsfeed;   d) evaluating feedback from said second set of users and associating positive feedback with those users whose soundtracks received positive feedback; and   e) rewarding those users who uploaded video files with soundtracks that received positive feedback.