• VEGAS Pro

  Datecode/Timecode overlay problem – Vegas Platinum 8.0d – advice please

  Posted by Bill Johnson on November 2, 2008 at 4:57 am

  Hi.

  I’m having a major problem regarding footage filmed using a Sony Handycam DCR-DVD110.

  It’s a hybrid device, recording straight to DVD in this case.

  When I play the files on the Handycam itself, in review mode, I can toggle on-and-off the date and time code appearing on the display of the footage; said date and time code reflecting the actual date and times i recorded the footage at, which is what the client needs.

  However…

  … when uploading these files to my PC (as both VOB files – the original files, and as rendered MPEG-2 files – i.e. converted files), I find that only Sony’s own software (i.e. software that came with the camera, and other software I’ve since had to buy – Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 8.0d) will clumsily recognise them.

  To make matters worse, the video reviewing software (Sony’s own PMB – Picture Motion Browser) does not show the timecode overlay on the footage of the MPEG-2 files when played, but when clicking on file ‘properties’ , it lists the correct date and time i.e. the time the footage was filmed at.

  This data must be encoded in the file somehow.

  And the actual ‘all singing and all dancing’ (nightmaringly complicated) footage editing software: Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 8.0d plays the footage but… does not show the correct timecode overlay when the timecode ‘plug-in’ is used… and does not appear to give the correct date and time of the footage either (when clicking on file ‘properties’ ) – only the date and time of the day and time the footage was actually uploaded from my camera to my computer, and not the date and time it was filmed at.

  The client needs the footage ASAP.

  Does anyone else use Sony Vegas, or know anything about VOB and the other weird files that this model of Sony Handycam creates? When I film something in one session, I get several files created instead of one, such as:

  VTS_01_1.VOB
  VTS_01_0.BUP
  VTS_01_0.IFO
  VIDEO_TS.VOB
  VIDEO_TS.BUP
  VIDEO_TS.IFO

  God knows what they all are.

  It could simply be that I can’t find the correct menu option in the pull downs, and that Sony have given a weird name to a commonplace and logical ‘date and time stamp’ option or ‘timecode’ option (as in date and time, not just time)… and called it ‘Rubble effect’ instead.

  Any help would be useful, as I’ve now been up till 4.40am trying to sort this very irritating issue!

  And… I’ve tried hooking my Handycam up to my TV, DVD player, video recorder and used splitter leads instead of a USB cable to hook it into my laptop, and I copied the VOB files straight off the mini-DVD and onto my laptop directly, via my laptop’s DVD drive.

  The damn date and times are in these uploaded files, I know they are, I just cant get them to display… and considering smashing my Handycam through the living-room bay window isn’t a viable option!

  Many thanks in advance.

  John Rofrano replied 17 years, 10 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  John Rofrano

  November 2, 2008 at 3:13 pm

  The fact that none of the software you have shows the date and time is a good indicator that the timecode overlay is not recorded into the MPEG2 files. There may be an option on your camera to do this, but most modern cameras do not burn in the date overlay by default like they use to. Check the owner’s manual. For now, you may have to create a text overlay event in Vegas Movie Studio and manually type in the date and time where needed.

  ~jr

  http://www.johnrofrano.com
  http://www.vasst.com

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