Vegasaur 2 can extract date/time metadata, convert it to a subtitle file for DVD and superimpose onto the video - inside Vegas Pro

I am discussing media timecode from the source, not extracted runtime from timeline in the VegasPro NLE. I have not looked at Vegsaur 2 docs, but sounds like the formula that the Russian built app SVDTS had in place, but has since been discontinued.

So I would like clarification on whether, Vegasaur 2 can extract media source timecode, if so, which file formats and containers can it extract from, which versions of VegasPro that it would work with to do that. Also should not a subtitle format extraction be brought into a Blu-ray disc authoring system?

I am aware that VegasPro13 should be reading media timecode from some codecs in mov containers natively - but I have not tested that thus far.

I'm seeing Vegasaur use recorded (media) date/time stamp, not the timeline timecode. Works great for subtitle and text creation. Used successfully for MP4 clips shot with Sony AS-100 and MTS clips shot with Panasonic GH2.
It's not timecode, but time stamp though. But I think vMTS is for time stamp only, too.

VMts - yes, stamp if you like, but down to the frame as I see DSLR progressive video.
Marco, good to hear your report of the MP4 on the Sony with Vegasaur. Is that down to the frame, or the running second with Vegasaur 2?

There are several choices but the deepest display is based on seconds then, not frames.

But what I forgot to mention is, the Vegasaur text wizard used without subtitles would not count the seconds then (except I oversaw an option). The display is based on the information given by the first frame of the media and it is fixed then.
Vegasaur's subtitles carry counted seconds. So you can create data code subtitles and use the subtitles for the text wizard to generate counted seconds text overlays.

vMTS extracts datecode, i.e. date/time metadata (not timecode) as well as Vegasaur.
Short video example here

The author of SVDTS is Paavo Jurvelin - he is a Finn, not Russian, although Finland was part of the Russian Empire ;)

Time stamp with seconds and ability to create subtitles with same is a great plus for Vegasaur 2. Still would like to know what codecs and formats that it has been tested against.

When I am using a camera generating timecode - down to the frame count - I need that for post production workflows and particularly digital intermediate handling. DVMPro5, VDTS, and VMTs are up to the task.

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Altarvic, maybe it's possible to enhance Vegasaur's Recorded Date/Time Subtitle tool.

There's already an option to modify the given date/time format strings. Though setting it to "HH:mm:ss:" will not output a frame counting subtitle, still seconds only. Also using such a subtitle (which would contain counting frames) as input for the Text Generation Wizard would generate one text event for each single frame (which would be thousands for several minutes of video).

Maybe there is a way to extract first frame's data code and use this as start time for the Create counter tool of Vegasaur. This would prevent creating thousands of text events.

To be clear I do not advocate rendering individual frames to subtitle events. As pointed out that is just too much for typical DVD construction.

However frame output burned to Digital Intermediates - particularly lossless frame codecs like the new MagicYUV - or even the included Sony MXF is a desired form for communicating in a professional workflow.

if you need frames - why not use Timecode FX?

I wondered same – then realized many cameras don't allow recording real time timecode, but record valid data codes. For example the Pana GH2. I could not use its timecode information because each clips starts at 00:00:00:00. But I can use the data code within Vegasaur. Data code with counting frames would be perfect replacement then :)

It is possible to convert date/time metadata to timecode (custom timecode field in Media properties).
Then we can use standard Timecode FX. Maybe 1-click command in the next update?

There maybe some mis-understanding going on here. Cameras that can deliver timecode are generally more expensive than the timestamp variety of equipment.

The timecode format can be set as to how the camera delivers it, again more prosumer type. Now the code gets embedded into the codec, if at all possible. A good example of this is HDV timecode which for VegasPro in all of its iterations has never been able to read. That's the reason for a special app like dvmpro5.
Quicktime containers which host a variety of codecs often carry timecode or timestamp but as far as I know, VegasPro13 maybe the only version to natively read that - and not in all codecs either.

For time stamping which Vegasaur 2 has been designed to do - there is a good opportunity to write out subtitle files which can either be hosted by VegasPro as a track, OR even output to a DVD/Blu-ray authoring system. The problem of resolution down to frames is not important especially on the optical media - because the resolution of host desktop players even with extreme slow - motion internal control can not resolve better than every half-second. I know this because I use a special built JVC player with a true jog-editing wheel aboard. They don't make a single optical disc player like that anymore.

However, the largest mis-understanding that I see in this thread - is that you must have the tools aboard in VegasPro (which it cannot do natively) to construct timecode from media sources of many common known containers and codecs. The aboard native operation is fine for customizing and creating runtime of the project timeline.

"It is possible to convert date/time metadata to timecode (custom timecode field in Media properties)."

You mean it's possible via scripting or via coding, yes? In the dropdown list of the custom timecode field there is no such a selection.

"Maybe 1-click command in the next update?"

Would be great!