Mini DV time code fury
 

can anyone recomend the best way to manage time code on mini DV? im sure its down to my intense lack of proffessionalism (im not even sure how to spell it), but it seems that no matter how hard i try to prevent it, final cut reports broken time codes during batch capture. Also, its annoying that the camera begins a new time code every time you record a new clip if it doesnt overlap with the previous one.
One solution i discovered was to record nothing (ie record with the mic disconected and the lens cap on) over an entire tape, thus recording a time code, then to shoot footage over that. However everyone says recording over a tape more than once is a bad idea.
any thoughts would be welcome, many thanks
alex

The recommended method to absolutely ensure unbroken timecode is, as you say, 'black' the tape by recording for the full length of the tape.

Probably do this in a deck to save wear on your camera transport.

Personally, I don't own a deck and I just make sure that if I rewind and watch the tape, I only play up to about a second before the video ends, then switch back to camera mode so it overlaps and picks up the timecode.

Broken time code. Are you shooting with a Panasonic 100 camcorder? If you have control over the pre-roll time for batch capture add a few seconds to it, that may help the broken time code issue.

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Are you sure the broken time code issue only happens when you stop and start the camcorder?

Why not use a long camera take and experiment by batch capturing within the same shot. If FCP says there is a time code break within the same shot then it would probably has nothing to do with where you stopped and started your camera recording.

As mentioned above in the previous post, switching from playback mode to camera record mode just before your tape signal finishes should ensure continuous time-code recording.

Remember to always start shooting a few seconds before you really need to start, and definitely keep shooting for a few seconds even after some one yells cut or you think the shot is done. This will give you a safety margin should you decide to review the take and then need to recue the tape to the end without going into the blank part of the tape.