Video Killed the Radio Star

While I don't expect that I will do a lot of video analysis -- at least in the short term -- I was impressed by all of the features that Transana has to offer. The video overview was helpful in showing some of the powers of the software. I was especially intrigued by the potential to view multiple transcripts at once from different points of view, all synchronized with the video. I think the example from the film making perspective really highlighted this potential. The Dempster & Woods (2011) was also helpful in seeing how the software could be used collaboratively between researchers. As explored the Transana website (and experienced a little sticker shock over the cost), I had a few questions about the software:

1) If you buy the standard version of the software, is it possible to upgrade to professional at a discounted rate?

2) I know from the article that multiple users can code synchronously online. Is it possible for multiple people to code the same video asynchronously and then combine the files/codes to compare? It seems like this could be a useful teaching tool if you wanted to see different interpretations of the same video from several different users.

3) How memory intensive is the software? What computer specs would be considered optimal for Transana's needs?

One thing that intrigued me from the Paulus, Lester, & Dempster (2014) chapter this week was the idea of asynchronous video coding through collaborative video annotations. That seems like such a great teaching tool for both preservice teachers and in-service teachers. I can imagine a lot of potential professional learning that could center on watching and annotating videos. The vignette described using Microsoft Movie Maker, Microsoft Paint, and a PHP script, but that seems complicated since it's potentially three different programs. Is there a cheap, easily accessible, streamlined equivalent that could do the same things? I'd love to be able to use something like that with some of my colleagues and the preservice students I mentor, but I don't foresee getting them to download ATLAS.ti or Transana anytime soon...

I may have to brainstorm a research project that uses video so I can play with more of these toys...