[Matthew Reyes]

Sony Vegas Pro has been updated to Rev C. According to the What’s New Page, I do not see listed as a solution to this problem, and I have not had the time or energy to followup on an upgrade that I don’t apparently need yet.

That said, v8.1 has also been released for 64bit systems…which I may upgrade to next chance I get. Will report back if and when I’ve installed it.

[Matthew Reyes]

John–

Thank you, I believe that this is a fair conclusion based on my own tests as well.

Your post is very seriously appreciated!

Matt

[Matthew Reyes]

At the risk of becoming an annoyance, here are several more sites that describe similar problem with no answer:

Sony Creative Software Forum: Media Manager Original Date Time Stamp

Sony Creative Software Forum: Acessing embedded date/time in video file?

Sony Creative Software Forum: Date/Time Stamp Sort Problem

Sony HDV Info: HDR-HC1 Date Code & Vegas 7

[Matthew Reyes]

So, I’ve not stopped trying to solve this problem. I’m a little disheartened that nobody is responding, but perhaps if I keep it up someone will realize my desperation!

First off, I am not the only person having this specific trouble. I’ve found at least two other sites where people are asking the same still unanswered question.

CNet Forums: Audio & video software: Sony Vegas 8 and date/time stamp

Digital Media Net Forum: Media Manager Original Date / Time Stamp

I’ve also just discovered a new piece to the puzzle.

I decided to examine the M2T files for the their data content and see if there was a problem during the capture process or if it’s simply a display issue. I decided to use HDVSplit given its capability of splitting existing HDV files by their DATE/TIME stamps, with the option of renaming the file based upon the detected DATE/TIME stamp of the event’s recording.

Lo and behold, after running a few thru HDSplit, all of my M2T files indeed have the correct DATE/TIME stamp! The data is properly embedded and readable, so now the question is:

How do I get Sony Vegas and/or Media Manager to read, and organize the HDV, M2T files’s embedded DATE/TIME stamp code?

Someone in this forum MUST be using Vegas for HDV work. Can anyone at least verify that they don’t have this problem?

Help!

[Matthew Reyes]

For standard def, “DV” video, you are mostly correct. I have noticed subtle compression and header scheme differences between resultant Quicktime and AVI files captured from the same DV video clip, but sure, I hear what you’re saying.

However, the original poster and I have issues with our M2T file management, and that implies 1080i HD video. In this case, while Apple Quicktime does use the same file extension .MOV, it is VERY differently encoded and managed than the MainConcept MPEG-2 .M2T file that is captured by Sony Vegas. I’ve had major problems going back and forth between the two, but those problems go beyond the scope of this post and forum.

I have posted a new question to the root of the forum in hopes that a clearer description of my problem may yield a more relevant answer.

Thanks!

[Matthew Reyes]

Okay, that’s what I understood. So I guess I’m back to square one.

I thought the original poster and I were pretty explicitly talking about HDV format .M2T files and not DV .AVI files. Oh well.

[Matthew Reyes]

Ahh, but does Vegas save DV video files as M2T?

I know the title of the thread suggested DV, but it seems the topic of the discussion surrounded M2T files, which in my experience implied HDV files.

Perhaps this is an issue HDV .M2T format? Is there not there not the metaspace to store the DATE/TIME data code as there in the Quicktime .MOV?

[Matthew Reyes]

Previously I noticed this:

In the process of troubleshooting, I’ve also discovered that there is an External Video Capture tool that comes with Vegas. From Options>Preferences…>Video tab there is a check box that allows for the capture to be managed from an external application, for which the greyed out default is:

C:Program FilesSonyVegas Pro 8.0VidCap60.EXE

Apparently this utility does not capture HDV, but DV.

[Matthew Reyes]

Ahh, this is helpful. You have cited things that I do not see…my gut is telling I’ve done something incorrectly.

To insure clarity, let me describe the “obvious” details:

I am using Sony Vegas Pro 8.0b in Windows XPSP2 on an VAIO laptop. All videos were recently recaptured from the original camera (Sony HDR-HC7) by firewire to the VAIO via the Vegas internal Capture Video tool (File>Capture Video…)

The transfers captured on the MacBook Pro that had the correct DATE/TIME annotation were done with the same camera, so I believe it’s not the camera.

From within Vegas’s view tabs “Explorer” or “Project Media”, I can Right-click on a file to give me the following Properties:

General
Name: TapeSix 122.m2t
Folder: F:\Video\Galapagos\16Dec08Interview
Type: MPEG-2 Transport Stream
Size: 1.47 GB (1,506,953,728 bytes)
Created: Monday, April 28, 2008, 7:40:12 PM
Modified: Monday, April 28, 2008, 7:47:58 PM
Accessed: Sunday, May 04, 2008, 12:00:00 AM
Attributes: Archive

Streams
Video: 00:07:41.161, 29.970 fps interlaced, 1440x1080x32, MPEG-2
Audio: 00:07:41.161, 48,000 Hz, Stereo, MPEG Layer 2

ACID information
ACID chunk: no
Stretch chunk: no
Stretch list: no
Stretch info2: no
Beat markers: no
Detected beats: no

Other metadata
Regions/markers: no
Command markers: no

Media manager
Media tags: no

Plug-In
Name: m2tsplug.dll
Folder: C:\Program Files\Sony\Vegas Pro 8.0\FileIO Plug-Ins\m2tsplug
Format: Sony M2TS
Version: Version 1.0 (Build 908)
Company: Sony Creative Software Inc.

From the “Media Manager” view tab, although the display is different in the Properties Pane, the pertinent data is identical. I cannot copy these fields altogether or attach a screen grab to this post…but take my word for it.

In your response, you cite a “Capture” section with “Tape Name” and “Recorded” fields. Tell me, where did you see this section with those fields? I do not see even a blank field in the “Media Manager” section, even though there are other blank fields such as “Camera Make”, “Camera Model” etc.

Also, when using Vegas, did you use the internal Capture Video tool (File>Capture Video…)?

In the process of troubleshooting, I’ve also discovered that there is an External Video Capture tool that comes with Vegas. From Options>Preferences…>Video tab there is a check box that allows for the capture to be managed from an external application, for which the greyed out default is:

C:\Program Files\Sony\Vegas Pro 8.0\VidCap60.EXE

I confess I have not tried this program, and will do so ASAP to see if the results are different. In the meantime, some additional data from you will be helpful!

Lastly, I am very appreciative of your time and attention. THANK YOU for helping solve this very frustrating problem. Hopefully the original poster is finding this useful.

[Matthew Reyes]

I appreciate the quick response, but the problem I’m having is far more serious than understanding the UI. 🙁

On my systems, the times and dates provided from Windows Explorer and within Sony Vegas’s Properties>General tab are precisely the same. It is also the same information that is displayed by the Media Manager SQL database’s Properties pane.

Can you clarify that on your system, when you transfer video from tape, your .M2T files’ properties indicate the camera’s DATE/TIME Data Code from day the event was recorded to tape?

Also on your systems, are the Windows Explorer properties different from the Properties found within Vegas? (Aside from the extra metadata such as Streams, ACID Information, etc)

If you are capturing the correct DATE/TIME Data code, can you clarify your method of video capture? Do you use the native Vegas Video Capture tool?

Please provide details, thanks!