Timecode from QT files

sean90291

Veteran
Does a QT file exported from say Final Cut or After Effects come with embedded timecode (from the original source footage)?

I've imported a QT file, and it seems that my Avid assigns new timecode to the footage, rather than reading anything from the original footage. (I only know this because the guy on Final Cut burned the original timecode onto the image, and that timecode does not match anything I'm seeing in my Record Monitor.
 
An unfortunate byproduct of the way Avid imports and handles media--ie. creating new OMF/MXF files instead of just linking to the originals--is that original TC gets stripped and reset to 01:00:00:00. I've been trying to find a way around this for a long time--like when I export QT refs of an HD file to import into an SD project. I'd give somebody a dollar if they had an import solution.
 
Avid has no method of reading a Quicktime Timecode track unfortunately.
To do it manually you need to have a Tape ID assigned to the clip first. The simplest way to work round this in Avid is:

1 - Import the QT file
2 - Choose Modify and assign a Tape to the clip.
3 - Back in the Bin, type a new Start TC.

This will work for most project types, but if you find it does not work, as in the case of some film project types, try this:

1 - Import the QT file.
2 - Delete the master clips media, but keep the master clip in the bin.
3 - Unlink the Master Clip.
4 - Choose Modify and assign a Tape to the clip.
5 - Select the master clip and choose Batch Import.
6 - Once the media is back in, type in a new Start TC.
 
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