Quicktime 7.1.6 doesn’t see timecode from exported h.264 clips

[Tom Wolsky]

if you export you’re exporting a new QT file. It has no timecode. Not exactly sure what TC you expect, but an export function creates an original media file.

All the best,

Tom

Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 2 Editing Workshop” Class on Demand “Complete Training for FCP5” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy” DVDs

[Carsten Orlt]

you can check if there is timecode by opening the ‘movie properties’ command-j
no timecode track – no timecode
if you want to make sure it has one from exporting from FCP – always use the ‘export as FCP movie option’ if you don’t have a seq preset with H264 just create one via the audio/video settings.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Danrnw] “‘ll test some more tomorrow with various files at the office but it looks like
the only way Quicktime 7.1.6 sees timecode is if it’s from the original, captured file.”

It will have timecode if exported directly from the FCP timeline. I don’t know about original clips, but definitely when exported from an FCP timeline it will have TC. This is how SyncVUE worked and it was able to read TC from H.264 clips, but they had to be exported from the timeline.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Tom Wolsky]

You’re right if you export to QuickTime Movie. It’s based on the time display of the timeline, or on the timecode of the original clip. I can’t get it to that if you do a recompression such as exporting to H.264 the timecode is not retained. There is no TC track. At least not in 7.1.6.

Oh, and it still doesn’t display anamorphic material correctly.

All the best,

Tom

Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 2 Editing Workshop” Class on Demand “Complete Training for FCP5” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy” DVDs

[Jon Smitherton]

Wouldn’t it be good if you could assign TC to clips?

imagine outsourced shots/graphics coming back with a timecode reference to be resynced in FCP to…

can’t be that hard really to implement…

[John Heagy]

The timecode display is great, now I’d like to see source name displayed as well as real audio meters that show the actual discrete tracks in the movie, not a stereo mixdowm with those little parametric audio indicators it has now.

John Heagy
NFL Films

[Keyframe]

[jon smitherton] “Wouldn’t it be good if you could assign TC to clips?”

Have you tried adding timecode tracks to media files by using Modify > Timecode within FCP? Look at FCP 5 User Manual II-442 – II-448 (Also, II-47).

Up to three timecode tracks per file (source, Aux 1, Aux 2).

You can choose which timecode track to display within FCP (Item Properties — Timing — TC).

As an experiment, I exported a (one-clip) sequence to Compressor. I chose a H.264 100Kbps mov setting. Imported the resulting file back into the FCP Browser. Opened the clip in Viewer, placed the playhead at the desired frame, used Modify > Timecode to set an AUX 1 timecode track with a particular timecode setting starting at that current frame (could have chosen to start the timecode at the beginning of the clip). Opened the media file in QT Player; the new timecode was displayed. Went back to FCP and added a Source TC track starting at the same position–this time with a differenct hh:mm:ss:ff setting. Went back to QT Player. The media file opened with the source TC this time.

When I tried to add a TC track to a iPod mp4? file that I created with Compressor, FCP crashed while working with the file/clip. However, with the mov file, FCP seemed stable??

Steve Grimes

[Keyframe]

[keyframe] “When I tried to add a TC track to a iPod mp4? file that I created with Compressor, FCP crashed while working with the file/clip. “

Sorry, I should have typed m4v, not mp4.

Steve Grimes

[Dan Riley]

I just did a test. I put a clip in the viewer and exported, Quicktime Conversion to
h.264. Played back in Quicktime player, no timecode.
Next I exported a short sequence that started at 58:45:00. Same type of export.
No timecode in quicktime player.

The only place I see the new Quicktime 7.1.6 reading timecode is from my
original captured clips. This is not nearly as useful as I had hoped.
I’ve read the new Compressor in FCS 2 will be able to add the window burn
during encoding, so we’ll have to see it that works correctly.

Dan

[Keyframe]

[Danrnw] ” just did a test. I put a clip in the viewer and exported, Quicktime Conversion to
h.264. Played back in Quicktime player, no timecode.”

Import the new H.264 file into FCP. Select the clip in the Browser and select Timecode… from the Modify menu. If there are no timecode tracks, there will be nothing next to Source TC, Aux TC 1, and Aux TC 2. If you want a source TC track where there is none, check the box next to Source TC. Then, enter the desired timecode setting (hh:mm:ss:ff). WARNING: if there is a source TC track (e.g., from capturing the video clip), modifying this setting will alter the original (captured) TC. The Aux 1 and Aux 2 timecode tracks allow someone to create additional TC tracks (e.g., to help sync with whatever). Note that you select at the top of the Modify Timecode window which frame you wish to set to the entered TC (either Current or First).