Time Code Headaches

[Kell Smith]

My deck (and thus Final Cut) is reading time code differently than when I logged it on my PD170. Which is creating a capture nightmare. I guess I'll try to capture from my camera so it matches what I logged and wrote down. But I can't do that all the time. Any suggestions what might be going on? Thanks.

Deck is a Sony GVD-1000.

[Shaun Roemich]

I'm sure I overstate the obvious but I need to ask anyway: you are viewing Timecode and not Control Track Counter while playing back in VTR, correct?

I've never heard of a TC related issue like yours before. Is it offset by a certain number (you can take care of TC offset in FCP) or is it another problem altogether?

[Kell Smith]

In my camera on the LCD panel it shows as 14:09:26:03, in the upper right of the display when playing in VCR mode. In Final Cut, it shows as 00:17:30:11 in the counter on the top right above the picture in the Log and Capture section. On the deck in the upper right display on the LCD, 0:17:30:11.
Am I making a really dumb mistake here, somewhere, or is there possibly an issue with my equipment?

[Daniel Epstein]

Certainly sounds like the deck is reading control track and not Timecode. Not sure why the GVD-1000 wouldn't be reading the timecode but that is where I would look at the manual. I don't see any mention of DVCAM in the manual which is the only way Sony let you record Timecode as opposed to counter in DV mode. Maybe the deck can't read the Timecode. Have you gotten it to work before? If you can't get the deck to read the timecode then you can't expect Final Cut to either. Your camera is the best bet then.

[Kell Smith]

I usually log the timecode from the deck rather than watch it in the camera, so I assume it was working before, but haven't tested it.
I'll look tomorrow and see how to reset the deck.
I'd have to check the settings in the camera, but I'm pretty sure it was in DVCAM mode since that's how I usually do it. Also the flasher came on at 5 min left for the tape, and I don't think it had been 60 min so it must have been DVCAM.

[Bill Pryor]

Try capturing with the camera and see what FCP reads. That would let you know if the deck's not reading properly. Have you captured DVCAM with that deck before?

[Vito DeFilippo]

Originally Posted by Kell Smith

In my camera on the LCD panel it shows as 14:09:26:03

I find it weird that your tape shows a start at 14 hours. Is this a reused tape? Or are you shooting DVCAM instead of DV, and you chose a starting timecode for your tape?

Timecode on the camera should start at 0 hours, unless you set it manually in DVCAM mode.

[Kell Smith]

I'll have to do a capture test with the camera.
The tapes were brand new out of the package.
That counter in the LCD on the pd170, at the top right in VCR mode, that's time code, right?
As far as I am aware it has been in DVCAM mode - I just leave it there.

[Cary Lee]

Did you have your settings in the camera set to free-run vs rec-run? That maybe what your seeing in FCP is rec-run.

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Vito DeFilippo

Timecode on the camera should start at 0 hours, unless you set it manually in DVCAM mode.

In DVCam mode, the camera will continue from the last timecode used rather than resetting to 00:00:00:00 when a new tape is installed. In DV mode, it will reset to 00:00:00:00.

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Cary Lee

Did you have your settings in the camera set to free-run vs rec-run? That maybe what your seeing in FCP is rec-run.

Free Run and Record Run affect the way the timecode is written to the data track (and assumedly the VITC as well) so Timecode is Timecode, once it hits tape. Free Run generated Timecode would have TC breaks between takes whereas Rec Run would not but it's not as if there are two different timecodes written to the same tape.

[Vito DeFilippo]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

In DVCam mode, the camera will continue from the last timecode used rather than resetting to 00:00:00:00 when a new tape is installed. In DV mode, it will reset to 00:00:00:00.

Are you sure, Shaun? You mean if I manually set a tape to start at 01:00:00:00 and record and hour, take it out and insert another tape, that tape will automatically start at around 02:00:00:00? I always thought the next one would ALSO start at 01:00:000:00 unless you changed the preset.

But I rarely use DVCAM mode, so I'm not sure.

[Shaun Roemich]

Nope, Vito. On Sony decks, you would be required to go back into the menu, reselect Timecode "mode", and select Timecode PRESET to set the TC back to one hour in your example. That's a holdover from the Betacam days at least. Again, this is DVCam only. "Standard" DV mode always wants to reset TC to 00:00:00:00 so "you'll know how long your recording is".

[Vito DeFilippo]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

Nope, Vito. On Sony decks, you would be required to go back into the menu, reselect Timecode "mode", and select Timecode PRESET to set the TC back to one hour in your example. That's a holdover from the Betacam days at least. Again, this is DVCam only. "Standard" DV mode always wants to reset TC to 00:00:00:00 so "you'll know how long your recording is".

So then if you do nothing, the second tape WILL start around 02:00:00:00?

Thanks for the info, Shaun. Very illuminating...It's been a long time since I messed with DVCAM mode.

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Vito DeFilippo

So then if you do nothing, the second tape WILL start around 02:00:00:00?

Yes, ASSUMING that your last timecode was EXACTLY 01:23:59:29. (also assuming NTSC at 29.97 NDF - DF would start the next TC at 02:00:00:02)