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Activity Forums Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy mp4 Running Timecode doesn’t match BI timecode

  • mp4 Running Timecode doesn’t match BI timecode

    Posted by Matthew Cohn on April 3, 2012 at 1:05 pm

    Hello,

    I’ve done some reading up on this but I was hoping for a little more clarification. I recently noticed that when creating an mp4 by sending a sequence out to Compressor from FCP, the running timecode for the mp4 doesn’t match the burnt in timecode added using the timecode generator in Compressor. In other words, if I set the timecode in my sequence in FCP to start at 00:59:58:00, the burnt in timecode added in Compressor reflects this, but when I open the created mp4 in QT7 or a transcription program like Inqscribe, the timecode reads as starting from 00:00:00:00. This is confusing because then there is a difference between what the burnt in timecode says and the timecode the playhead reads. I originally thought that the mp4 would have the same timecode setting as my sequence in FCP. Is there any way to create an mp4 with an inherent timecode setting the same as the FCP sequence it’s created from?

    Thank you,
    Matthew

    Matthew Cohn replied 14 years, 1 month ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • Neil Patience

    April 4, 2012 at 11:26 am

    I am pretty sure that .mp4 files do not support timecode.
    So when you create an .mp4 file it reverts to a simple frame counter hence starting at 0:00:00 again.
    Obviously the BITC still reflects the TC of the sequence.

    I think H264 supports T/C so try using that instead of a .mp4 file

    best wishes
    Neil
    http://www.patience.tv

  • Matthew Cohn

    April 4, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    Thanks Neil,

    In all my various search inputs into Google with mp4 and timecode, that answer did not appear anywhere. Very helpful to know!

    Best,
    Matt

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