Need To Regenerate Timecode On Original Video Clips

[Michael Gissing]

What’s the camera and how did you get it into FCP? People shooting with the Canon 5D and using Compressor or MPEGStream clip find their clips timecode doesn’t get transfered. So is it a problem with the actual clip or the transcoding into an edit codec that is the issue?

FCP will let you set a unique reel number and I believe it can set unique code as well, but save yourself some time and batch this with https://www.videotoolshed.com/product/42/qtchange/2

[Mark Fanjoy]

Unfortunately, I do not know the name of the recorder system, but this was a Sony HD Professional camera with a recorder chip configuration on board. It records QT file clips, and is basically the same process as a Panasonic MXF file recording. The difference being, it outputs QT type files as opposed to MXF files.

I am viewing the original raw media clips in FC and the timecode original clip timecode is duplicated. Weird. Never seen this.

Mark Fanjoy

Wherever I am…I’m lost!

[Michael Gissing]

What is the codec of the camera QT files?

[Mark Fanjoy]

I have no idea of the Codec. I am very layman on the technical side.

HOWEVER, your first suggestion to use QTChange WORKED! It was a snap. Within 5 minutes, I converted 90 files into usable timecode.

Even cooler, The replacement files copied onto the original files in the same directory, and when I re opened FC, my edits remained 100% in tact with only the timecode changes.

By the way, I did back those files up prior to this exercise! 😉

Thank you for your quick response and a VERY GOOD solution. $25 and it was worth ten times that to me.

Mark Fanjoy

Wherever I am…I’m lost!

[Michael Gissing]

My concern was that you had dropped H264 or mpeg2 files directly from the camera into FCP, rather than using Log & Transfer to correctly import non edit codec files.

You can see what the codec of your files are by right mouse clicking on a clip, Item Properties> Format or in the codec column in your footage bin. This is absolute basic knowledge. Editing without knowing the codec of your source material and how to setup a FCP sequence is required before the first frame is edited to avoid costly and potentially catastrophic problems later.

Although I am glad that the software solved your immediate problem, I am trying to make sure you are not now wandering into a minefield with a new pair of shoes.

[Mark Fanjoy]

Michael, that is very cool of you to pursue this and “hold my hand” to ensure I am covered. Very cool. Thank you!

The clips were not MXF-types and thus Log & Transfer was not necessary. The clips are recorded and originate as QT files. The files were ready and able to be imported directly into my Project bins.

The CODEC is XDCAM HD422 1080i60 (50Mb/s). As for the Sequence settings, I allow FC to dictate the setting by recognizing the clip I bring in, which it did effectively.
y from the camera into FCP, rather than using Log & Transfer to correctly import non edit codec files.

And although the QTChange software warns it can be a destructive process to the file if not careful with settings, the replacement files changed so fast I could tell it did not alter video compression or quality, but only striped new timecode. My examination of the resulting clips seems to support that assessment.

Anyway, even though I’m “shooting in the dark” a bit knowledge-wise, I think I accomplished my goal, thanks to your direction.

Any additional comments/cautions/direction is greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking your time for me.

Fanjoy

Wherever I am…I’m lost!

[Michael Gissing]

XDCam is good. There are a lot of posts here about people trying to drop H264 QT files from Canon camera directly into timelines with less than happy results. FCP not only needs QT files but a limited variety of codecs for editing. XDCam is a codec that FCP can edit.

I was curious as to how the timecode might have been reading zero which can happen when clips are converted via Compressor or MPEGStreamclip so I was fishing for that possibility.