Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 815)

This chapter covers the following:
• About Timecode in Final Cut Pro (p. 815)
• Displaying Timecode in Final Cut Pro (p. 816)
• Modifying Timecode in Media Files (p. 822)
• Modifying Sequence Timecode (p. 825)
• Working with 60 fps Timecode (p. 827)
• Working with 24 @ 25 fps Timecode (p. 827)
• Generating Timecode Window Burns (p. 828)
Timecode provides a unique address for each video frame on your tapes. Timecode is
the vital organizational link between your original camera tapes, media files on disk, and
clips in your Final Cut Pro project.
About Timecode in Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro works with SMPTE standard timecode, which is displayed in the following
format:
hours:minutes:seconds:frames or HH:MM:SS:FF
Each frame on a videotape has a unique timecode number, which helps you keep track
of video frames. The frame counter (FF) changes depending on the frame rate. For example,
with 30 fps (frames per second) timecode, the frame counter counts from :00 to :29, and
then back to :00 again. The frame counter in 25 fps timecode counts from :00 to :24.
Note: Some videotapes that are recorded improperly may have the same timecode
numbers in more than one location (for example, multiple occurrences of 00:00:00:00),
which makes it hard to identify where on a tape a particular shot is located. For more
information about handling these tapes, see
“Capturing Video from Tape.”
815
Working with Timecode 51