Capturing Timecode from Sony UVW-1800

[Lee Berger]

You can only get timcode from the RS-422 port on your 1800. You need a USB to Serial adaptor such as the Keyspan Twin Serial Adapter.
https://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA28x/
You will also need a DB9 Male to Mini Din 8 Male cable to connect from the Keyspan Adapter to the RS-422 serial control port on your 1800.
The bonus is that this will allow you to control your 1800 using device control.

[Bret Williams]

Don’t forget to set a frame offset of -1 in the capture settings. There is a 1 frame delay on the video coming in through the converter, but no delay on the TC coming in through RS-422, so it’s actually 1 frame ahead.

[Lee Berger]

Good Point! Thanks.

[Ron James]

Does this offset apply to DV decks, also, like the Sony DSR-40? I can’t *see* any offset with my deck and the Keyspan control. It appears to be dead on.

??

[Dean Sensui]

I’m using a Blackmagic Decklink SP card. It also provides deck control, reads timecode, has component in/out, etc.

Works well and hasn’t given me any trouble.

Dean Sensui — http://www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com

[Kevin Hedin]

FOR SALE: I have a Keyspan Twin Serial Adapter and a Pipeline Digital Serial Cable to attach to your UVW-1800.

This is exactly what you need to get TC from your UVW-1800 deck.

Call me for details.

Digital One, Inc.
Kevin Hedin
907-245-2669

[Buddy Unidas]

Thanks guys! I appreciate ya’ll sharing the expert knowledge. Looks like it’s time to upgrade the studio….

BUd

[Ron James]

Bret, I just doublechecked my DSR-40 and there doesn’t appear to be any offset. Now I’m wondering, though, if I’m missing something.

Do newer updates of the Keyspan software take this into account or this irrelevant?

[Bret Williams]

Don’t know. Just check it. Easiest way with beta is to capture a clip with bitc on. If you can’t do that, digitize a clip and check the timecode on an obvious frame like a cut point.

[Ron James]

Thanks, Bret.

I did check it and it was dead on. But now I’m confused by LTC vs. VITC. When I created a Capture Preset for RS-422, the default was LTC and I left it like that and captured an hour tape on the DSR-40. The TC was dead on.

Now I get a tape that is labelled with VITC, so I switched the setting in the preset and the clip was one frame off! There’s also a “LTC + VITC” setting available.

Is this something that needs to be changed all the time? Most of the time I’m not even sure which it is b/c the tapes I’m given aren’t labelled with this info and I have no idea if there’s a way to detect which is present on the tape. I’m searching for answers, but if you have any advice, please let me know!

Cheers,

James