Non-Drop Timecode isn't always vissible in QT PRO

Hello,
We have some clips that show the non-drop TC in QT Pro and some clips don't... In FCP we are able to view the TC without any problem. So the TC is there.
http://vmltv.be/tc.png
Any options?
greetz,
Wim

Sorry to have taken so long to get back...
Here's an easy way to put a new timecode track into a Quicktime video.
Open the video you having timecode problems in Quicktime.
Do a Command+J, this will open the Properties window.
Hi-light the timecode track and hit delete button in the upper left of the Properties window.
Do a SAVE AS and rename the video.
Open Final Cut Pro.
Drop the new video into the timeline. This should open a window asking you, "Change sequence settings to match clip settings."...hit yes. If not, go to the sequence setting in the menu and set the sequence settings to match you video clip.
Go to Final Cut Pro Main Menu.
Go to File--->Export--->Quicktime Movie. (Don't use Quicktime Conversion.)
Use Curent Settings, include Audio and Video, make Movie Self Contain. Name your video and hit SAVE.
If you need to have the video start at a certain timecode time. For example, 01:00:16:09. Place the video on the timeline at that time. Place a IN and OUT Maker. Then export.
This should place a new timecode track and won't recompress or mess with the video.
There might be a faster and easier way to do this...but this will work. If your still having problems it might be that the prores video itself is the problem.

Similar Messages

Edit to tape confusing drop frame and non drop frame

This is a re-creation of a dead thread I found from June 6, 2006. This is the exact problem this other user was having.
OS 10.4.7
FCP 5.0.4
Dual G5 2.5
4.5 GB RAM
KONALH
Trying to edit to a Sony DVW-A500 (Digibeta) in Drop Frame mode.
Read Below for deets.
Problem: When working with a drop-frame sequence, and editing to tape, the program is edited to the tape with an offset of 3 seconds and 18 frames at the end of one hour.
Reproducible: Yes.
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Create a drop-frame sequence.
2. Edit the sequence in step 1.
3. Perform an edit to tape with the sequence edited in step 2.
What should happen: The sequence should be edited to tape at the time it occurs in the timeline.
What does happen: The sequence is edited to the tape 3 seconds and 18 frames after it should be!
Other observations: 3 seconds and 18 frames is exactly how much time is not in an hour of drop-frame time when compared to non-drop frame time. If you drop two (2) frames in every minute that does not end in zero, the math works out to 2*54=108 dropped frames in an hour. For the sake of simple mathematics, lets say there are 30 frames in a second. So 108/30= 3 with a remainder of 18, or 3 seconds and 18 frames.
It's as if FCP is getting confused about drop and non-drop timecode when the sequence is drop-frame. If anyone can offer any insights, confirmation, or resolutions for what I am seeing, it would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading!

So is the timeline a drop frame timeline, starting at 1:00:00:00?
And then is the DBeta tape prestriped (at least enough to do an assemble edit) to start the program at 01:00:00:00?
In other words, is the FCP timeline timecode matching the Dbeta tape timecode in a 1:1 relationship before you attempt to Edit to Tape?
Thinking further: FCP can't really confuse the two timecodes, it's dependent on the operator to tell it what to do. When it outputs it's not outputing timecode or looking even really looking for timecode. It's looking for your IN point in the Edit to Tape tool.
Message was edited by: loyed256

Drop-Frame v. Non-Drop Frame and Edit to Tape

System Configuration: G5 Dual 2.0, QT v7.0.4, FCP v5.0.4, OS X v10.4.6, KonaLH, Keyspan USA-28x USB-->Serial Adapter
Problem: When working with a drop-frame sequence, and editing to tape, the program is edited to the tape with an offset of 3 seconds and 18 frames.
Reproducible: Yes.
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Create a drop-frame sequence.
2. Edit the sequence in step 1.
3. Perform an edit to tape with the sequence edited in step 2.
What should happen: The sequence should be edited to tape at the time it occurs in the timeline.
What does happen: The sequence is edited to the tape 3 seconds and 18 frames after it should be!
Other observations: 3 seconds and 18 frames is exactly how much time is not in an hour of drop-frame time when compared to non-drop frame time. If you drop two (2) frames in every minute that does not end in zero, the math works out to 2*54=108 dropped frames in an hour. For the sake of simple mathematics, lets say there are 30 frames in a second. So 108/30= 3 with a remainder of 18, or 3 seconds and 18 frames.
It's as if FCP is getting confused about drop and non-drop timecode when the sequence is drop-frame. If anyone can offer any insights, confirmation, or resolutions for what I am seeing, it would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading!

This may be related to a "bug" or issue that has been around since FCP1. When FCP is using deck control over firewire, The timecode display will default to DF, even if the tape is NDF. Look closely at the timecode dispays in the edit to tape window. If you see a semicolon before the frames place, FCP is seeing the tape TC as DF. Play the tape until you see the TC display change to NDF, then re-set your in point. This has worked for me in the past.
Hope this helps.

I'm confused...what is drop frame vs. non-drop frame...

And why does it matter guys...?
How would I know what I recorded in? Is it on my camera settings, or on FCP5 settings? Where would I look to find out?
Thanks guys...
Jeremy

In NTSC video, since the actual playback rate is 29.97 fps, drop frame timecode accounts for it not really being 30fps... so the editor can actually come to real timing on the program.
If non drop timecode is used in a sequence setting, and you mark an in and out point on say a 30 minute program, it will report the wrong duration (as compared to actual time). Most all DV cameras record drop frame only, but it really wouldn't make a difference if these clips were non drop. It's the sequence settings for TC that would determine the actual length of the program. Unless you have a very high end camera (AKA over 5k new) it's doubtful you can change the TC type. It's just a numbering system difference, and there really aren't any frames actually dropped when you use drop frame TC. When you look at the camera's on screen display of TC, drop frame usually is noted by separating the numbers with semi colons where non drop uses colons. It varies a bit, but FCP will recongnize the proper code when you capture from the tapes... it's really a non issue with source material though. it's still NTSC video playing back at 29.97 fps drop frame code or not.
Jerry

Drop AND Non-Drop?

If I had my way, all my FCPX templates would work at whole numbers of fps.
However it is polite to consider the colonies that don't use that standard, I also have to muck about with drop and non-drop timecode.
At the moment, I seem to have both at the same time...
Does anyone know how to control the timecode and timeline display so they both show drop or non-drop timecode?
@alex4d

Only two project settings use drop frame: 29.97 NTSC and 59.94 NTSC (23.98 NTSC is non-drop).
Best thing I could recommend is to add a Timecode generator to the project and manually set it for the alternate version from the Timecode base option. So if you have a 29.97 (non-drop) project, set the Timecode generator to 29.97 Drop, or vice versa. Or easier -- add two TC generators and set one to drop and the other to non-drop.
HTH

Why SDK always generates non-drop-frame clips?

I've created a sequence in Premiere: NTSC DV, Codec: DV NTSC, 29.97fps, 720x480, Drop-Frame Timecode.
When I try to render a clip with MXF OP1a preset file (DV25 NTSC) by SDK, it always generates non-drop-frame clip.
If I use 'File->Export->Media...' with same preset file, it's drop-frame exactely.
'Drop-frame' seems to be an option from sequence and there is no place to config it in preset settings dialog.
How can I generate drop-frame clip by SDK (exporter controller)?

I also meet the same problem.
I have created a 'Export Controller' plug-in. when export media using this plug-in, and choose the preset 'DV 25 NTSC', MXF OP1a.
Confirm that sequence setting is 29.97 drop-frame.
But export mxf file is always NDF.
However, using Export->Media, and choose MXF OP1a + DV 25 NTSC, will export DF mxf file.
Could you help to double check it?
I have check from code, it will get correct result (DF or NDF) after call function 'GetTimecodeDropFrame' in 'Sequence Info Suite' , so what's the problem would be?
Thanks,
Iris

What's the deal with Drop-Frame / Non-Drop-Frame Timecode?

I'm having trouble with 30fps Drop-Frame and 30fps Non-Drop-Frame timecode formats! I thought 29.97fps means 30fps Drop-Frame, but now I'm all confused.
I'm working with DSLR footage filmed with a frame rate of 29.97. For example, this one clip is listed as (in Project panel)
Media Start: 11:16:11:23
Media End: 11:22:42:22
Duration: 00:06:31:00
Frame Rate: 29.97fps
If I open this clip directly in Source Monitor, the timecode display (yellow, on lower left corner) says 11:16:11:23 at the beginning and 11:22:42:23 at the end. OK. But if I right-click on the timecode display, the pop-up indicates "Non-Drop-Frame"(!!). If I manually change that to "Drop-Frame", the start and end timecode would become 11:16:52:11 and 11:23:23:23, and the duration display (white, on lower right corner) becomes 6:31:12.
Now I create a new sequence of 1080p30, which has a 29.97fps time base. I right-click the yellow timecode display on the upper left corner of the Timeline, it says "30fps Drop-Frame". I drag the said clip onto the sequence. It occupies a length of 6:31:12. If I double-click the clip to open it in Source Monitor, now the Source Monitor timecode display indicates "Drop-Frame", and the start/end timecodes are 11:16:52:11 and 11:23:23:23. Huh??
Now I apply the "Timecode" effect on the clip. The timecode burn-in says 11:16:51:11 at the first frame and 11:23:23:22 at the last frame. I then go to the Effect Controls tab and look at the Timecode effect. It says
Format: SMPTE
Timecode Source: Media
Time Display: 30 Drop Frame
Just playing around, I switch "Timecode Source" to "Clip" - now the timecode burn-in goes from 00:00:00:00 to 00:06:31:11 - and then I switch it back to "Media". Now the Effect Controls tab says:
Format: SMPTE
Timecode Source: Media
Time Display: 30 Non-Drop Frame
And the timecode burn-in says 11:16:11:23 at the first frame and 11:22:42:22 at the last frame!
HUH??
Just for kickers, I switch "Timecode Source" to "Clip" again... Now "Time Display" stays on "30 Non-Drop Frame", and the timecode burn-in goes from 00:00:00:00 to 00:06:30:29.
What's the REAL length of this clip? Is it drop-frame or non-drop-frame? What are the REAL timecodes for it?
Also in a general sense, since I can change the "Time Display" field in the Timecode effect at any time, and change the Timecode display format of the Timeline at any time... How do I avoid creating mismatching timecodes??
Thanks in advance for any clarification!!

So obviously, only one of them could be "correct" in terms of reflecting what actually happened. The other one is slightly sped-up or slowed-down. You might say "oh that's a tiny difference, it doesn't matter".
Zooropa75, just for matter of clarification I want to make sure you understand that no matter which you use, it won't actually speed up or slow down your video. TC, wether it is non-drop or drop, is only a counting system. For that reason, it doesn't even matter which you use to reference edits, so long as everyone editing uses the same TC basis.
If you want actual time accurate TC, as was already mentioned, use drop-frame.
I'm going to kill two birds here. The "drag clip to new sequence button" action I was referring to in my earlier post is dragging your clip to the icon seen below. It should create a timeline using your videos format.
Also, remember I recommended looking in the manuel for "actual" time used? You can see below a snapshot I took from your cameras manuel. You're not shooting in whole numbers for anything unless you're using the 50hz system and shooting at 50p. That is the ONLY exception. ...and this is good for everyone to remember. Very few US digital cameras shoot frames per second in whole numbers. If it says you're shooting in 24p, 30p, 60p, etc. ad nauseum, you can bet your biscuits it's actually the multi-decimal NTCS counterparts like you see below And that should be your final answer. *chuckle*

Drop Frame vs. Non Drop Frame Timecode in DVDSP3

The manual is rather spare in its discussion of the issue of timecode, but it does say that the first video asset determines whether the timecode in DVDSP is drop frame or non drop frame.
Question 1: Does this refer to the first video asset in the V1 track or the first video asset imported into the project?
Question 2: If video is encoded using Compressor prior to import into DVDSP, is the choice of drop frame or non drop frame set by Compressor, or does it automatically use the timecode inherent in the original video?
Question 3: Does the DVD spec require a particular timecode (or is either acceptable)? In other words, will DVDSP convert non drop frame video assets to drop frame (or vice versa) during the build process in order to conform to spec?
I am having timecode issues and I am trying to narrow down the culprit. It can be either FCP, Compressor or DVDSP, or some combination of the three. Since my timeline in DVDSP has a semicolon separator between the minute and second values, I am assuming DVDSP is operating using drop frame timecode.
How can I confirm the timecode of my video assets? Is there a way to get this information? I tried opening the video in QT and viewing properties but I could not find the info. QT does not seem to display frames so I cannot check the separator to see if it is a semicolon or not.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
TN

How can I confirm the timecode of my video assets? Is
there a way to get this information? I tried opening
the video in QT and viewing properties but I could
not find the info. QT does not seem to display frames
so I cannot check the separator to see if it is a
semicolon or not.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
In the browser in Final Cut it will tell you all the information regarding your video assets or clips.
DVDSP lets you pick what time code you want in encode window and will conform your clips accordingly.
May I ask what kind of timecode issues you are having?
Dual G5, iMac G5, PowerBook G4, IBook G4, G3, 604e Mac OS X (10.3.4)

Caption inconsistencies and timecode display is non-drop only?

In QT 7 Pro, the time display has an option for "Timecode: Non-Drop-Frame". I'm pretty sure that I have tried multiple videos that are drop frame, but the only option in the display is non-drop.
Also, a lot of caption files that I add seem to drift, and are late by about 2 seconds after 45 minutes of video. These same video/caption files line up perfectly in other systems.
Just wondering if anyone can help me understand what might be happening.

I am using the easy setup. FCP does differentiate between DF and NDF with the semi-colon and colon respectively. I have tried manually putting in a semi-colon, but it still makes it NDF. I currently log all of the clips. Then I control click on the media end time of each clip and it gives you an option to make it DF or NDF. But when I do this it changes the media out times due to the conversion. Also, if I go to batch capture my clips and I don't have a tape in my deck yet, I will receive a warning saying something like "You are about to capture drop frame media from a device currently detecting a non-drop frame media source." I don't get this warning if I already have the tape in because once the tape is in it sees it as DF.

DV NTSD drop-frame vs. non-drop-frame??

My impression has always been that DV NTSC is non-drop frame. I'm having to capture a 100 hours of DV tapes from a Sony WV-DR7 deck. FCP capture is giving me this warning:
"You are about to capture Non-Drop Frame media from a device currently detecting or configured for Drop Frame media. If you proceed, you may experience changes in logged in and out points, problems relinking media, or removal of master clip relationships."
The Sony is all in Japanese, and the rough translation manual does not mention drop frame \ non-drop frame setting choices on the deck.
Would anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?
Ben

Sorry to be confusing~~~~
What I meant was, since I wasn't sure if the VTR you are using actually shows the timecode window, or just a timecode counter (the Sony DSR-11's display does not show the colon/semicolon difference in the display that is supered on the non-digital video outs), I thought the quickest way to assess what flavor of TC you had was to play the tape and use "Capture Now" to capture a few seconds. Then you can look in the bin, check the media start column and see if there are semi-colons or colons. This would be helpful particularly if FCP is balking at capturing from your logged marks.
The other thing I was talking about was a case where I had been given DVCam copies of camera masters, to use for a rough cut. Because these tapes were work prints, they used old DVCam tapes. One of the tapes had originally had DF material on it. When the tape op made the workprint, he started recording the new NDF material about 10 seconds into the tape, he therefore left 10 seconds of DF bars at the head of the reel (the old material). I put the tape in a DSR-11, fast wound up to picture, and started logging. When I was at the end of the reel, I hit rewind on the machine so it would rewind while I was clearing up spelling errors, etc. The machine backed all the way to head of the tape, into the DF area.
So when I hit batch capture, the machine reported back to FCP that it had a tape with the correct name loaded, but the time code was in the incorrect format - the message you received. It took a while to figure it out, but when I wound the tape forward, so that it was in the picture portion of the reel, the machine was then outputting the code that FCP was expecting. So by "parking" the deck in the picture portion of the tape, it would cue correctly from the logged point.
Hope this explains it. hope you have a simple solution, too.
Message was edited by: Meg The Dog to fix typo

Drop Frame being read as Non-Drop Frame

Hey,
I'm working in FCP HD 5.1.4 and our guys are shooting audio at drop frame, and video at drop frame, and yet when we import the media into FCP, the Video is in Drop frame, but the audio appears to be Non-drop so we're getting BAD sync (some clips 30 seconds, others up to a min.). We're using TOD T/C and it's really important that we convert it cuz we'll shoot 8 hr days, and the first few clips arn't that bad but after so many hours, the sync gets worse and worse.
We're using XDCAM Sony PDW-1500 deck for the video transfer and the audio is BWFs from an external Audio receiver, then it's backed up on lacie drives (prob using compressor) then we're syncing in FCP.
Any thoughts?
Fraser

FraserPost, according to Apple in the Late-breaking FCP news PDF on pg.4, Broadcast Wave Audio Files imported will always be interpreted with non-drop frame TC.
Highlight the clip in the bin, choose Modify Menu option and choose Timecode. You can then change it to drop frame in the options panel.
Then your material should synch up.
For future reference but still notable, if you import an aiff, mp3 or another type of audio file without TC, the file will create TC dictated by the Sequence preset setting. This I found out the hard way. One has to shut down FCP and start it up again for the change to take effect on material imported.
Macbook Pro 2.16G Intel Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Drop frame video to non-drop frame clip warning (again)

So my most recent search of why this warning comes up reveals no good answers (unless someone can point me to a thread I overlooked...cuz I can't narrow it down without getting threads about folks who have gotten dropped frames during capture, which isn't the same situation)...
I shoot on an XL2 (drop frame) and capture with a DSR-11. Once in a while I will finish going through log and capture (in the log and capture window), setting ins, outs, etc. but I go to batch capture and it gives me the warning. All my ins/outs have semi-colons, I haven't changed the setting on my camera since I started using it more than 18 months ago, and it doesn't happen all the time. I do have the "abort capture on dropped frames" box unchecked as well (if that matters).
99.99% of the time, I've captured and there's no problems with syncing or anything. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Jonathan

If I recall right someone suggest to have your tape playing while opening Log and Capture, but I might recall wrong
I already have the "Abort on dropped frames" and "report dropped frames" unchecked.
Don't be mistaken: Dropped frames are a totally different issue from non-drop and drop frame timecode.
Drop frame timecode drops (or better: skips) timcodenumbers while counting the videoframes. That is a system to compensate for the 29,97 frames per second in order to calculate the correct length of a clip.
Dropped frames (as in "Abort on dropped frames" and "report dropped frames") is an error. Due to some reason the hardware isn't capable to record/digitize every single videoframe to your harddisk. e.g. Your captured file will have 2000 frames, while your footage on tape had 2003. Three frames were dropped then during capture. And your video will noticeble stutter at these points.
So I'd strongly recommend to do check the "Abort on dropped frames" and "report dropped frames"-options. You don't want stuttering video do you. So if your hardware couldn't handle the videofeed somehow, it would resp. abort capture or warn you that it happened.
Rienk

Drop-Frame vs. Non-Drop-Frame Capture question

Hi,
I'm using Final Cut Pro 5 capturing 16:9 anamorphic video and removing an advanced 24 frame pulldown from my Canon XL-2. This is for a documentary for which I have captured over 30 full tapes of footage. I've been logging in the clips FIRST, then going back and batch capturing everything afterwards.
My question is this: I have logged everything the same way with seemingly all the same settings. However, when I capture some tapes I get the warning that I'm capturing Non-Drop frame media to a Drop-Frame clip and it could cause problems in the future with relinking. Then some tapes don't give me that message at all. Is there something I'm not noticing about how I log some tapes but not others? Would it have to do with the presets I have Final Cut set to when I'm capturing a tape? I'm fairly positive I've always setup FCP to the proper capture settings before logging anything...but could something else be causing this? Thanks for your help.
-JD

The thing to watch out for, both in logging and in capturing, is when you log or capture multiple tapes with mixed NDF & DF timecode.
There are three or four things that can affect this:
FCP5 and later allow you to set the TC format of the capture preset, such that the Log & Capture window would default to NDF if you are working with NDF tapes.
Otherwise, Log & Capture will still auto-detect during playback when logging, but you have to be sure to play the tape some before logging the clip. If you capture multiple tapes using capture now, You could easily start recording before the time code format updates. This kind of error results in a clip whose in point is the correct "number", but the format is wrong.
During Batch Capture, the device control is not always able to change the time code format. I'm not sure about FCP6, but I am in the habit of grouping my clips in batches according to the TC format. You ma be seeing this alert because you are switching the TC format of the tapes in the batch capture, but device control is "stuck" in DF mode, for instance. This is not an issue during logging, only capture.
I think it may also be possible to override the clip's logged TC format at capture by unchecking "use logged clip settings".
Capturing clips with the wrong TC format can really mess up recapture later. The offset that happens as the format gets converted back increases as the starting hour of the timecode gets bigger.
So basically you can have clips that get logged wrong, and clips that were logged correctly, but captured with the wrong TC. It's easier to miss it when logging, since there's no alert message to pop up. But the other alert is there to tell you there is a mismatch somewhere, preventing you from making the second kind of error. Your only error may only be that you had both DF and NDF clips in the same batch.
There is a trick to get the TC format to switch to the non-default for batch capture - Open Log & Capture and play the tape until you see the TC format update. Now start the batch capture with Log & Capture still open - device control will stay in that TC format now. Otherwise, I think device control switches to the format of the first clip in the batch, but stays there until you cancel and start a new batch.
Hope this helps -
Max Average

Drop Frame/Non-Drop Frame Warning

Hi,
First off, thank you to the experienced people out there who take the time to explain things and answer these questions.
About the following warning:
Warning: You are about to capture drop-frame media to a non-drop frame clip. If you proceed, you may experience changes in logged in and out points, problems relinking media, or removal of master clip relationships.
I logged about 40 clips by entering In and Out points (from a piece of paper), turned on my camera, went to Batch Capture, and it gave me this warning. I read a little bit about timecode (I know little about it) and realized that I didn't use semi-colons when entering my timecode in the Log and Capture window. Apparently this is important; I have a Panasonic GS500.
I captured anyway, and I have all the video I want; the "handles" inherent in the In and Out points I used should accomodate even several seconds of any timecode discrepancy.
My question: When I am done editing and go to recapture my sequences at full DV quality, will there be a difference between the In and Out points of my clips and the tape? Have I mis-captured media files in some way? How can I tell if the Media Start and Media End information isn't out of sync?
Cyrus

Just check your timecode accuracy before you get any further... i.e. does the timecode in the captured clip match the code that's on the tape. If so, you're good to go on... if not, I'd recapture using the proper TC... it's pretty easy if you do it from the tape in the Log and Capture window.
Jerry

Reverts to non drop frame without a tape

Whenever I try to just log timecodes into Final Cut without a tape, it reverts to non-drop frame timecode. How do I tell final cut to always revert to drop frame?

Well I wasn't typing typing either, but when I do type a semicolon it reverts to a colon

Non-Drop Timecode isn't always vissible in QT PRO

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for