Bizarre SMPTE display in Logic 8 and QuickTime display of burn in TC

Question

I'm getting a bizarre divergence between my QuickTime window and Logic 8. I stopped Logic at an even bar, set it's smpte view offset to match the on screen burn in timecode of a QuickTime movie. I started advancing the play head one frame at at time, and the QT, curiosly, advanced two frames while Logic advanced one. Both are at to 29.97df. As I jump around to various locations, the divergence can get to as much as 25 frames. This certainly makes for some worry for the editor inserting my music in the film. The key command for advance one frame seems to be broken and will only advance or retard two frames at a time. The readout in the transport is totally off with the film......and yet everything seems to play fine. Just the visual timecodes are facocta.
Anyone else notice this?

Answer 1

Just for yuks I tested this out in LP7 (didn't have a 29.97d movie so instead I used a 24 fps movie). The nudge commands worked fine there. So this one is a "hmmmm...."
I'd like to suggest that you open a new session and try those commands; see if the behavior is the same. Then, load up only the movie file, set your offsets, and try the commands again; see if the behavior is the same.
Finally, I'd suggest that if the problem continues that you forego Logic's SMPTE display and pop (or trim) your files to the picture's timecode burn. That way you will be 100% safe. But... regardless of this problem, in any and all cases of trimming or popping cues for delivery, make sure that you trim (or pop) to the leading edge of the frame. Don't go by Logic's SMPTE counter, i.e., when it says you're at 01:00:30:05.xx, for example, you may or may not be on the leading edge of the 5th frame. You should scroll the bits value backwards until you see the previous frame, and then scroll it forward until the actual first frame of your cue comes into view. Repeat this process once or twice to ensure that your SPL is located at the leading edge. Then trim or pop.