Timecode SMPTE

Imago · Post by **Imago** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:13 am

Someone can explain me how it works?
On Wikipedia I found only confusing information about a time calculatin method for videos.

knunk · Post by **knunk** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:46 am

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Think of it as a reference...meta data kind of. Theres lots of different timecodes. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers timecode is standard for Film and TV. I dont know too much about it in depth (as the subject is really dull), and to be honest you dont need to know. I use the the timecode effect in After Effects which you can edit how you like. I have two for animatics.
The standard timecode, showing minutes, seconds, frames and above that an overall frame counter.

hope that helps.

Jez

Imago · Post by **Imago** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:50 am

Uhm... I think I've got it. It's a "Time Measure" that helps video editing, right?
Thanks, Knunk.
You must write this on the Wikipedia!

knunk · Post by **knunk** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:05 am

Thats pretty much what it is mate. When we have any issue with animation or a tech error you just give the timecode and everyone knows where the problems is to the frame. You know when a scene starts and ends. What frame a mix/dissolve starts and ends. The sound guys use it, animators use it, comp artists.....that way when it all comes together at the end it all works.

The subject obviously can get deeper than that, but thats all I've needed to know for the last 21 years. Engineer stuff makes me glaze over.

Rhoel · Post by **Rhoel** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:53 am

Time code comes in two varieties, VITC and LTC.

VITC is embedded in the Vertical Interval and is used in slow mo, shuttle and accurate frame to frame reading.
LTC or Longitudinal is read at normal playback speed.

The format is HH:MM:SS:FR. Broadcast tape programming usually starts on 02:00:00:00 or 10:00:00:00. eg: If you have a 30 second countdown clock, the clock would start at 09:59:30:00, the program content at 10:00:00:00

PAL TC is code HH:MM:SS:FR and NTSC is coded HH;MM;SS;FR

Its actually a very good system.

Rhoel

knunk · Post by **knunk** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:05 am

see I'm glazing over.......

joking Rhoel

Imago · Post by **Imago** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:45 am

A bit complex...

But it's another thing I must learn to do good movies!

Thanks for the information, Rhoel.

Rhoel · Post by **Rhoel** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:05 am

knunk wrote:see I'm glazing over.......

How do I get coffee out of my keyboard

I once had to hand-build a EDL editor (edit discussion lists are used in edit suites), so I got to know SMPTE well.

Now if you really want to have your head implode, try using SMPTE on an Ampex 1" where you have to take into account the odd and even fields, over a four frame span, just to get the video edit to cut frame accurate. Kids of today with their new fangled NLE's, sadly will never experience such fun playing with quad-helix video heads.

Timecode's not complicated, just damn useful: I use it in asp and Combustion as default.

Rhoel

knunk · Post by **knunk** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:09 am

quad-helix video heads.

great name for a band!!

Rhoel · Post by **Rhoel** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:50 am

knunk wrote:
quad-helix video heads.
great name for a band!!

the full title is quadruplex helical video heads but that ain't so snappy. For the kids on the forum, were are talking about one of these, a video recorder the size of a room. Just fab to work with, none of those 0's and bloody 1's you can't see.

Rhoel in a reflective "thems were the days" mood.

Imago · Post by **Imago** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 4:42 am

Wow, huge machine!

Old techology, huh? Still the best!