Multiple views of digital video

Recordings of moving pictures can be displayed in a variety of different ways to show what they hold. The historical and most absorbing way is to display the images through a rapid succession of full screen frames. However different forms of presentation can be used to emphasize different attributes. The video streamer positions frames of digital video sequentially in front of each other with a slight offset from frame to frame; visually this appears as a three dimensional extrusion of the video stream in time which emphasizes differences along the side and top edges of adjacent frames. In this way the video streamer helps us see characteristics between frames and across shots such as transition types and cutting rhythms. While viewing the video stream one can select bounds of interest in time; this area can be adjusted using a rubbing motion along the stream. The micro-viewer shows us more precise frame to frame relationships, based on the portion of the video stream we have currently selected. The shot parser uses a frame differencing algorithm to offer a helpful element of machine assisted abstract analysis. These three components, the video streamer, the microviewer, and the shot parser, are described in terms of functionality and their relationships to one another. An architecture for a more extensive parsing algorithm is suggested. And some possible applications for these tools are also discussed.