Time Code settings

J

jgschmidt

Member
I have used a consumer Panasonic MiniDV camera (DV-910)and am used to the timecode resetting for each new tape, and continuing smoothly despite starts and stops to the end of the tape, and continuing with the time codes when I switch tapes around. I would like the same behaviour from my new DVX100A.

How do I set the time code to start at zero at the start of a tape? Currently it appears to be cumulative.

The manual is rather cryptic and I have not found any posts that explain the significance of the various settings. I don't know what the different UB and TC modes mean. I also would like the time code to display constantly. ???

Thanks for any help.

BTW - I just got my camera last Friday. I've been lurking on this list for a while and it has been a great help in preparing me for using the camera. And, I've already ordered the battery. Keep up the good work.

Jurgen Schmidt
San Antonio, TX
 
Re: Time Code settings

If the time code generator is set to REGEN, then it'll start at zero at the beginning of every tape.

If it's set to PRESET, then the timecode will be set according to whatever you programmed into the TC Preset generator, unless there's already timecode on the tape, at which point it'll pick up the already-existing timecode.
 
Re: Time Code settings

jg - Hi !

I was similarly stuck in the first few days of ownership of my dvx! - Barry'll put you right tho! . Also , open LCD for access to 'COUNTER' button . Press it repeatedly whilst watching the display on LCD. until TC 00:00:00:00(or other timecode) is displayed.
 
Re: Time Code settings

Is there a free run function I might have missed, if I wanted to run time of day timecode?
 
Re: Time Code settings

[quote author=PFP_VIDEO link=board=Events;num=1093896752;start=0#4 date=08/31/04 at 17:36:08]Is there a free run function I might have missed, if I wanted to run time of day timecode?[/quote]

Yes you can do this but, you NLE will hate you for it. Might rather try putting your Time of Day into the User Bits, and keep the first forty bits in Rec Run for continuous time code.

In playing back this foottage you can monitor the User Bits so that you can find things by time of day, butthe NLE will be looking at continuous code and be able to batch capture without TC breaks.

Hope that helps,

Jan
 
Re: Time Code settings

What's the advantage in having timecode reset to zero for every tape? I would think it would be a bit confusing, compared to having a unique TC for every frame on every tape.
 
Re: Time Code settings

Regen is used a lot more often than Preset. For multi-tape programs I can't think of why you'd want it, but for single-tape productions, starting the tape at 0:00:00:00 is handy...
 
Re: Time Code settings

Barry,

Question lets say I'm shooting a music video what would you use preset or regen when filming. Also say I'm shooting over a two days.

thanks

rob
 
Re: Time Code settings

Preset is cleaner and more organized for the editor, provided you take the time to update the first tc on tape changes, and provided you don't tape over 60 minutes on any tape (which would give you duplicate timecode at the end of one tape and the beginning of the newly-preset next tape, provided you manually reset the first tc field).

Takes more effort in the field, but makes your editing more organized. But normally we just shoot regen and work with it as-is.
 
Re: Time Code settings

i have always used regen so it always starts with 0...

i might try using an ongoing timecode on one project just to see if i'm missing something.

i have got to go in and set it so that it gives me the date/time in the userbit because six months later you totally forget what day or month you shot something!

matthew
 
Re: Time Code settings

Work flow protocol for me always has been Tape one is 01:00:00:00, tape two is 02:00:00:00 and so on..... a simple and effective system that aids logging and editing processes.

00:00:00:00 to me is no tape and 99:59:59:24 is a problem I have not had to deal with yet... ;D
 
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