Timecode Break Issues when Importing, but plays back in camera fine?

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Level 1

8 points

Timecode Break Issues when Importing, but plays back in camera fine?

Hello,

I am having several timecode break issues. The tapes play fine on the camera in "playback" mode but once I try to import through firewire into final cut express it gives me multiple clips. I have tried using Imovie and QuickTime Pro for importing the footage. Imovie gives me delays in the footage and so does QuickTime Pro.

Why am I getting timecode breaks when importing through final cut express, but then it plays back fine in the camera? I am using a Macbook pro with Maverick and a Sony HVR Z5U camera.

Any helps would be great. The footage is in DV.

Thanks

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Jan 6, 2014 9:34 AM

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Answer 1

MartinR

Level 6

19,061 points

Jan 6, 2014 11:04 AM in response to QDigital

Why am I getting timecode breaks when importing through final cut express, but then it plays back fine in the camera?

Because the camera basically ignores the timecode when you just play back a tape in the camera. While it may display the TC on the LCD screen as the video plays, the camera really doesn't care about TC during plain old playback. However, with 3 different apps all encountering problems capturing the video, it would appear there are actual TC breaks.

Questions

Is this a problem with one or a few specific tapes, or all tapes you try to capture from?
Also, the HVRZ5U is an HDV-DVCAM-DV camcorder ... are you downconverting HDV material to DV?
Do you have *ANY* other FW devices connected to you Mac when you try to capture video from the camera?

In FCE, you might try using the DV NTSC DV Converter easy setup, which ignores timecode, instead of the default DV NTSC easy setup.

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