[Larry Brewer]

Just to clarify. I am using script “add TC to all Media”, and it is adding real tape timecode to all my media. But, the window is in the center of the raster. I need to move it.

Also, while it is correctly displaying the hrs, mins, and secs of the orig tape timecode… the frames is replaced by decimals showing to the nearest 1/thousandths. .393

[Larry Brewer]

In spite of the fact it says smpte timecode, it is just referring to the timeline position. Starts at 00:00:00:00. no relation to the tape timecode.

[Larry Brewer]

I used the script “add timecode to all media” from the tools/scripts/add timecode to all media.

While the Sony timecode effect is in the correct position and is movable, it only shows “timeline timecode” not smpte tape timecode, so it wouldn’t work for my purpose.

And that’s why I used the script “add timecode to all media”, and NOT the Sony timecode.

So I get the smpte timecode that I want, it’s just in the middle of the screen.

[Larry Brewer]

That would be the way to move the timecode window if I had used Sony timecode effect from the effects window. I used the script “add timecode to all media” from the tools/scripts/add timecode to all media.

While the Sony timecode effect is in the correct position and is movable, it only shows “timeline timecode” not smpte tape timecode, so it wouldn’t work for my purpose.

Thanks just the same.

[Larry Brewer]

Thanks Steve, I have discovered the issue and it’s with the camcorder. The time/date battery is dead and therefore no time/date stamp is being recorder. Apparently scene detection uses time/date info to detect scene changes. I switched my capture software to Scenaylizer and I think everything is going to be ok. Scenalyizer use optical sensing to detect scene changes.

[Larry Brewer]

Thanks Mike for the quick reply.

Got it! That was too easy.

[Larry Brewer]

I’m from a broadcast background and the supers I mentioned are CG titles “superimposed” over video backgrounds. Or “keyed” over the background. Sometimes called “supes”

[Larry Brewer]

Obviously, the more, the faster, the better, when it comes to RAM and CPUs.

I use a quad core i7 @ 3.07G with 12 GB ram.

But my suggestion was for you to lower the preview quality and perhaps you could use your current configuration with better results.

[Larry Brewer]

Most likely your CPU can’t keep up with the processing needed to display transitions. You may also notice a freezing when playing back segments that have supers, especially those with soft edges and semi transparent drop shadows.

Try setting the preview quality lower. You’ll find this as a drop-down menu above the preview window. Try setting it to “preview (half)”.

You can also render a region by placing a region over the area you want to view and pressing shift “B”. This is only good for very short segments depending on the amount of RAM in your PC.

[Larry Brewer]

It seems I’m back in the DVD closed caption business. This has always been a multiple step process for me, but I assure you DVDs can support line 21 closed captions.

The trick is to use DVD software called “DVD LabPro 2” I can’t recommend it for authoring but one thing it does very well is muxing scc files into mpg2 files to deliver DVD files. After that, edit the IFO with IfoEdit to turn on closed caption flags. Then you can burn a DVD that, in fact, will deliver line 21 data when played on a standard DVD player. Your TV will then display them when the CC button is pressed on your remote control. (will not work thru HDMI)

Having said that, the whole process is a royal pain. Maybe 6 or 7 steps to get there.

Understand that this is not a 486 line vs 480 line issue. With DVD LabPro2, the scc data is muxed into the 480 x 720 mpg2 file as it is converted to VOB files. It matters not that 480 line files do not have a place for line 21. The DVD player inserts the actual line 21 signal your TV or monitor is looking for.

Sony Vegas 10e will greatly simplifies this up to a point. Creating captions with Vegas 10e couldn’t be easier. Exporting the SCC file is simple. In fact, an scc file is automatically generated when any video file is rendered.

But as far as I can tell, with Vegas there is no muxing of the scc data with the mpg2 file. But if you render to a 486 line file the the CC data is visible in the upper part of the frame when played on Windows media player. This is not “muxing” as I understand it, this is “inserting” and not the desired function I am looking for.

All this said, Vegas 10 is a great way to generate the captions. But for now a 3rd party solution is necessary to finish the DVD.