Thanks to Covid we have had to be creative, think outside the box and continue with work, relationships, adapt and stay ahead of the game. Live Coaching Remote Systems have popped up all over the world when you can no longer hop onto a plane and go for your much needed holiday. For us riders, we no longer can fly and train overseas neither can we invite clinicians to come to us. Our options have been limited due to the global situation. Perfect Stride will review the top 2 most popular products that can help overcome this hurdle. This month we will look at the Pixio and Pixem by MoveNSee.
MoveNSee provides a range of packages depending on your needs and budget. Which might get confusing, think of it as parts:
Machine.
Recording device/Video
Audio Device and connectors
HDMI card reader
Tripod
For recording you need only: 1, 2 and 5. For live coaching, 1,2,3,4 and 5.
Before we look at the functions in depth, below shows a basic comparison of Pixio and Pixem.
Let us review the tracking function for the MoveNSee
Although MoveNSee Pixio system is currently the most expensive product on the market, it is practical if you ride in a yard that always has other people in the arena - MoveNSee robot is the most suitable for you. It comes with the robot (Pixio or Pixem), 3 beacons and a tracking watch - therefore it only tracks You while sharing the arena.
The beacon set up is pretty tricky, MoveNSee has 2 standard set ups illustrated in their manual. We found when the camera is set up at A/C/B/E it tracks the best as compared to if you place the camera in either of the 4 corners.
The beacons also require a clear line of sight of each other in order to 'talk' and track smoothly. We found depending on your arena 'fence' a couple of rubber bands help secure the 'feet' of your beacon. The rubber backs that cover the charging port of the beacon is rather flimsy and tend to pop out. Be careful because these silicon ports protects the charging point from dust and liquid.
The robot also has a cable that is attached to the camera (Pixio) or phone/tablet (Pixem) - this controls the zoom in and out function. You can control the zoom function remotely via an app you download onto your phone, or set it up before you start and the machine will continue using the settings you've programmed.
Check out the smoothness of the robot as it follows the grey horse:
Pixio/Pixem robot does not get confused 'which' horse to track:
If you are using a compatible filming device, to start recording it must be done by pressing the button on the tracking watch. If you press 'record' on your camera, you will have 284 short clips of your ride instead of 1 recording of your session. (yeh we made that mistake)
Live Coaching function via PIXIO
You need 2 things, a laptop and an audio device. Pixio sells the Ceecoach, but you may also ride with the phone attached to your belt and communicate with your coach via Whatsapp. This is the cheaper option plus it allows the camera to pick up the audio from your laptop and record the audio. This is super useful when you are watching your recording and digesting what your coach said. Connecting an external audio system to the laptop such as the Ceecoach or Whis will not capture your coach's comments. This is because the audio converter is plugged into the laptop, feeding the audio directly into the laptop to and from your coach and the rider.
The video is conducted via zoom/skype. To feed the video from the camera to your laptop, you need a HDMI USB 3 reader and the respective wires which will be provided by MoveNSee. For the more budget conscious and IT savvy, you can purchase the wires separately online or at your local IT shop. We went to SIM LIM SQ in Singapore, the wires and HDMI card were purchased at $176. Which means you only need to buy the Pixio Robot camera man retailing at approx $1083 (robot, beacons and watch only) instead of "Pack Pxio Live Coaching" retailing at approx $2871 SGD (robot, beacons, watch, camera, HDMI card reader and tripod)
What you can do to make sure it streams well with minimal lag:
We found Whatsapp to be the best way to reduce the lag time. With the phone attached to the rider's belt, Creative Outlier One Bluetooth worked the best. It's features are sweat proof and light weight. (if you would like us to review the best headphones for riding, whether it is to listen to music or your coach let us know in the comment section below)
Hot spotting off your phone for your laptop plus using it call WhatsApp breaks the connection. It is much more stable to use an external Internet dongle. We used Huawei LTE USB Stick - Huawei E3372 retailing online at Lazada for $74.50 SGD and TPG Internet provider at a monthly cost of $10 SGD for 50GB.
If you buy the package with the camera from Pixio - they will install the software into your robot for you. We sourced for a budget friendly Sony model installed it following the clear instructions from MoveNSee - Super easy!
Key points about the PIXEM
Pixem is a more compact version of the Pixio. It tracks the same way as the Pixio via the beacons and the watch. The difference is, instead of using a compatible camera, you can use either your phone or tablet to record.
If you want to do live coaching on your Pixem, you need an adapter for your robot to attach the phone/tablet instead of the camera. You do not need a laptop which makes this set up a lot more portable. The live coaching is done via an app provided by MoveNSee called tv.movensee. They offer 1 month subscription and 6 months subscription - unlimited use, meaning you can have as many or few remote lessons a month. This is the main difference between the Pixio and Pixem.
Both robots require a tripod - we got a heavy tripod at $80 with a 3/8" male thread included. The Pixio/Pixem robot attaches onto your tripod - this is important if you decide not to buy the tripod from MoveNSee. Most tripods have a 1/4" male thread. Don't worry if that's the tripod you got - the solution is to buy an adapter (1/4" female to 3/8" male) online or Cathay Photo Store in Singapore, they retail at $2.50 SGD.
Pixio VS Pixem - What's what
MoveNSee Customer Service
For most of us who know more about horses than IT, customer service is super important. MoveNSee offers great customer service, they are very responsive on their Facebook page and there is also an unofficial group to join on Facebook. The delivery took less than 7 days!
Overall we think MoveNSee has done a great job keeping up with the times and delivering a piece of equipment that truly benefits riders. We love the smoothness of the robot and the seamless transmission of the live coaching function. Cons - - especially for the not so tech savvy it does require some getting used to and familiarize with the cables. The set up although sensitive and a considerable amount of effort to put together and take down - the results are definitely worthwhile. If live coaching is your main use - the Pixio is definitely the way to go. If recording is your main purpose and you have a high resolution recording device (phone or tablet) the Pixem might suit you better.
There are many similar products on the market such as the Pivo which does NOT belong to MoveNSee. We will review it next month, so if you have anything in particular you want us to test out - let us know in the comment section below!
Perfect Stride aims to provide functional equipment and knowledge to the riding community in South East Asia. Let us know if you have any other questions and comments regarding the MoveNSee systems in the comment section below.
*Not a sponsored review
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