time code / batch capture problems

videoguy wrote on 1/8/2003, 6:26 PM
i have a sony dcr-trv30 ntsc camcorder. i recorded 4 different clips on the camcorder. one clip is about 15min of my son, another about 10min of something else, another about 12min and so on. The problem that i am having is when i go to capture all 4 or 5 clips into vegas using batch capture the time code on the clips start over. For example on the first clip you would have xx:xx:xx:xx - xx:xx:xx:xx so the end of the first clip might be 15min. ok, you would think that the second clip's time code would continue but it starts all over at xx:xx:xx:xx. is this a setting with my camcorder or with vegas because this really messes me up. i thought that i captured the right thing come to find out that it was something else. What is going on. hope everyone understands what i am trying to explain here. i think that at times this fools the software. What do you think? Please help me out with this one.

Comments

Grazie wrote on 1/8/2003, 11:57 PM
I'm not sure this is relevant but . . . . Is the footage you filmed continous? Did you place any "blank" space between the clips?

Grazie
videoguy wrote on 1/9/2003, 9:21 AM
no, the camcorder does it on it's own. i just point and shoot. if it does i am going to have to look into turning it off. Does your camcorder do this?
Frenchy wrote on 1/9/2003, 9:56 AM
videoguy:

The problem you are describing is discontinuous timecode, and I have experienced it - it's user error. I have a TRV310, and if you just record and stop (turn off), record and stop (turn off) - you will have no problems. If however, you review the recently recorded video and/or remove the tape from the transport mechanism, and are not VERY careful to make certain that you are NOT past the end of the most recently recorded segment of tape - you will have discontinuous timecode.

If and when I have reviewed the recently recorded segment, after pressing STOP, and prior to recording again, I make certain that the timecode displayed either in the LCD on the side of the camera, or in the viewfinder after pressing the "display" button (I believe that is how it is labeled) is NOT 00:00:00. If it IS 00:00:00, teh timecode will be discontinuous, and will manifest itself as the batch capture problem you described. Another alternative is to pre-stripe the entire tape with black prior to recording anything (I'm not this dedicated, and it doubles the wear and tear on the camera). I believe SF has addressed this issue in the KB, or the manual.

frenchy
videoguy wrote on 1/9/2003, 2:16 PM
that you so much for helping me out but what is the KB. this is wonderful news. i will get a tape now and try it for myself to see what i was doing. You are the best.
Zulqar-Cheema wrote on 1/9/2003, 3:32 PM
Have you tried, Capture Tape that would get round to the problem, don't use batch capture. The time breaks as mentioned above, you must be reviewing the footage before re-recording so causing a break, I have the TRV20 (PAL) and it has some + & - buttons on top use these to align the tape back to the end of the last recording.
videoguy wrote on 1/9/2003, 5:32 PM
i see that on mine as well. Can i use this to align the footage back to the previous footage?
Frenchy wrote on 1/9/2003, 5:51 PM
KB = Knowledge Base - check under "support" - above

I did a quick look, and couldn't find the article I think I was referring to - it might have been in these forums somewhere - the bottom line is that one MUST have continuous timecode for batch capture to work as designed. Another thing I've done under "Advanced Capture" is to log my tapes, and make a note in the comments field if sections of tape has "BAD TC" - ie discontinuous timcode - then doing a batch capture including a part of that particular tape is more tedious. See these threads on logging techniques and using the logging feature of vidcap:

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?Forum=4&MessageID=110551
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?Forum=4&MessageID=104702

As zcheema said, in some cases, you may want to capture a particular tape continuously without the batch capture utility.

Have fun

ps - I just saw our postings cross - the buttons zcheema refers to should do what you want - I usually end up pressing stop (in VTR mode) prior to the end of the last segment - I sometimes lose a second or two at the end of a particular segment (if that makes any sense)

frenchy