Read DV AVI Timecode in FCP
by Scott Sawala
on
Jun 20, 2008 at 1:04:49 am
I have 19 hours of DV footage digitized with Vegas on a PC to AVI files. All of the files have timecode on the windows side but when I import into FCP I get no timecode...all clips media start times are 00:00:00:00. It is pretty essential that I see the timecodes to edit this project. Is there a way to embed or find the timecode in these files? Convert to QT...something. Please Help!
Re: Read DV AVI Timecode in FCP by Rafael Amador on Jun 20, 2008 at 1:59:38 pm
Hi Scott,
Sorry, you said before that FC couldn't read it.
I don't know much about AVID, but I think that is possible that QT can not read the AVID TC.
In a DV .avi or .mov, video and audio are writed in the same way. Perhaps QT and AVI use different kind of TC.
You can try to assign a new TC in Modify> Timecode.
Another solution can be just export them as QT movie from FC. Make sure that "Recompress All Frames" is unchecked.Your picture won't lose any generation, don't need any rendering. Your clips will be Apple DV.mov with a TC. You can even set the original TC of the AVI files.
rafael
Re: Read DV AVI Timecode in FCP by Scott Sawala on Jun 20, 2008 at 3:15:56 pm
It still doesn't work. I need a way to export or convert the AVI file to a QT with the AVI Timecode embedded. It would take days to modify all of my clips.
Re: Read DV AVI Timecode in FCP by Rafael Amador on Jun 20, 2008 at 3:25:06 pm
If you computer is fast you can do the transfer to DV QT in less that real time.
I know, 19 hours is a lot of footage, but I don't see any other solution.
Set the sequence with the original TC and export with QT.
rafael
Re: Read DV AVI Timecode in FCP by nevin styre on Jun 20, 2008 at 5:53:42 pm
If you open up the clips in quicktime, then go to Window->movie properties and under the video and audio tracks does it show a "Timecode Track"? If not you might be outta luck, if so resaving the file within quicktime might enable the timecode within FCP.
Note I'm using quicktime pro for this feature, you should have it if you are a final cut editor though(if not buy it).
Although I just checked some avi's captured with our old vegas station in quicktime pro and there was no timecode track visible to quicktime. This may be a difficult issue.
A Possible solution without re-rendering
If you can find some way to export the timecode tracks from your avid files on the avid machine you should be able to open up the timecode track in quicktime, select all, copy, then open up your corresponding avi clip, go to window->properties and paste the track in and resave(without transcoding).
This is theoretical, I don't know what would be involved in just saving a timecode track on your avid machine, perhaps someone else here could enlighten the subject.
Re: Read DV AVI Timecode in FCP by Scott Sawala on Jun 23, 2008 at 4:46:03 pm
Thanks for all your help. Nothing I've tried has worked. I've tried freeware shareware, demos...nothing seems to keep the AVI TC track when converting to QT. If anyone has another solution I'm willing to try it.
