Timecode and BetacamSP
 

I've got a DecklinkSP with my Mac G5 2.0 so I can print to tape from FCP to my BetacamSP deck. I read somewhere that you have to lay down timecode first on blank Beta tapes. Does anyone know if that is true and if so, how you do it? Thanks!

I'm not sure about the decklink, but it sounds like you are controlling the deck through the copmputer. You should be able to do an assemble edit, which would lay down TC. You will however get a TC/ control-track break at the end of the edit.

If you have a blackburst generator, you would connect that to your deck and assemble (or crash edit it's also called) and lay down black and TC on the entire tape.

Using "blacked" tapes, you would perform an "insert" edit of your final edit master from the computer.

Jeff Patnaude

I am controlling the deck with the computer so I would be able to do the assemble edit with the edit to tape function. Would there be a problem with the timecode break at the end of the edit? I'm going to be sending these tapes out to a cable company. If I gave a :30 tail of black w/ timecode after the end of the commercial, do you think that would be a big enough buffer?

I'm new to broadcast so I don't really know the specs they want or require.

My setup is similar to yours.

I'm assuming you have your decklink card routed in a way so that you don't need a blackburst generator. Send the Decklink's Y-Out cable to the Betacam's "Ref Video" input.

The 75-ohm switch above that should be "off".

Connect a short patch cable from the other Ref Video input to the Betacam deck's "Y" component input. This "loops" the Decklink's "Y" signal through the Betacam deck and provides the necessary blackburst signal to keep the deck in sync with the Decklink card.

Set your deck's starting timecode so that it matches the starting timecode on your edited program's timeline. Note that you will actually need to set the deck's timecode 5 seconds earlier than the program's timeline to accomodate the deck's need to do a short roll-back during assembly.

Note that you can view your FCP program through your Betacam deck. Put your CTI on your timeline so that it displays black or color bars and start recording about 15 seconds of material. You don't have to stripe the entire tape, just a little past the starting point since you're doing an assembly edit.

Hit "stop" on the deck, and begin the assembly edit process in FCP.

Give about a minute of black at the end of the program. As a rule of thumb, I try to fill out the rest of the tape to the full hour mark (plus 30 seconds) since our show is an hour-long.

Hope this helps!

Thanks Dean! That was exactly what I was wondering. On a different note, I tried to loop the signal for sync, but it would only work for a little while and then I'd get the dreaded "No Ref!" Warning on the deck (a Sony UVW-1700G by the way). So I spent the money on the blackburst and haven't had problems since.

Wonder why the "loop" trick didn't work?

I have a Horita blackburst generator that's just sitting around ever since I got the Decklink card. I could have gotten you a good deal on a slightly used one!

:-)

Oh damn...As I'm staring at my "put me slightly over budget" brand new Horita blackburst!