quick question about HDV and timecode

Yoyodyne wrote on 2/2/2006, 12:43 PM

I know that Vegas does not capture the timecode when capturing HDV :(

I have downloaded HDV split so that looks like a solution but I'm wondering this...

Does any NLE, or Cineform, capture the timecode when capturing HDV? I'm a little out of the loop with Avid and FCP etc so I'm just curious.

I've got someone who wants window dubs of HDV footage on DVD. Of course all my HDV captures start at 00:00:00:00 so I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this, or how they could do it themselves.

Thanks a bunch for any info,

Yoyodyne

Comments

winrockpost wrote on 2/2/2006, 1:02 PM

I think FCP does, but has a few issues,

Shannon Rawls wrote on 2/2/2006, 4:46 PM

HDV Split does not capture timecode either. All your captured .m2t files will begin with 00:00:00;00 in Vegas as well.

HDV Split is great for scene detection with RECRUN recorded footage only from the Sony FX1. It does not work with or FREERUN timecode from a Z1U. and it doesn't work for the Canon XL-H1 in ANY mode (including 60i) at all.

Still to this date...nobody can handle HDV FREERUN timecode. it's sad.

- ShannonRawls.com

PeterWright wrote on 2/2/2006, 4:59 PM

I've often given clients window dubs on DVD - I always capture tapes as single clips, so at least the timecode is continuous.
And - the thing is that even if the captured timecode may be a few frames different to the camera tape, the window dubs had the same numbers as the captured footage, so if the client said start at 00:12:04:13 , I could just do that.

No good if you're trying to synch with other cameras, but ok for single cam.

You can also work out exactly how much difference between cam T/C and captured T/C, by noting the last frame of colour bars at the beginning.

Yoyodyne wrote on 2/2/2006, 6:45 PM

Thanks for the replies guys - this timecode thing is a killer.

In my specific situation I'm going to hook up an HDV deck to a stand alone DVD recorder/burner and do the window dubs that way. It doesn't have to look good and it's the quickest solution for me.

For some reason I kind of thought they would have the HDV timecode problem worked out by now...how can the deck see it but not the editing software? Also I'm still unsure if FCP captures HDV timecode - I kind of think it does but have no first hand confirmation. Anybody done it?

Thanks again,
Yoyodyne

PeterWright wrote on 2/2/2006, 7:28 PM

I just did a quick check - two tapes from a current job, and the captured timecode was identical to camera timecode, to the exact frame. It also carried through to the Gearshift widescreen DV proxies.

This was captured with Vegas Internal capture - from memory I just rewound the tape, hit the record button in Vegas and let it do its thing.

I know this doesn't mean it's always that way, and it only seems to work if you capture the whole tape as a single clip, but at least something's working.

Shannon Rawls wrote on 2/3/2006, 8:13 AM

Peter,
I can almost bet both of your tapes originally began at zero and you were in RECRUN. Well that's never been a problem.

The problem is for those people whose tapes do not start at zero. Some people like to preset their tape reels to 01:00:00;00 or even 15:00:00;00 at the very beginning. Other people like to use FREERUN timecode where the timcode counter freely and continuously runs at the same time as the clock on the wall. Herein lies the problem.

- ShannonRawls.com

PeterWright wrote on 2/3/2006, 5:23 PM

Yes Shannon, I know there's lots of ways in which HDV timecode ain't doin' what we're used to. Fortunately I can work within the limits of where it does work, but it's hard on those who can't.

I remember trying to capture just the second half of a tape and of course the captured T/c began at zero unlike the camera tape. I hope there can be some change in what capture software can do, but haven't heard any encouraging noises yet!