Final Cut Pro 5: Timecode accuracy when using the Import Panasonic P2 function

If you acquire clips via the Import Panasonic P2 function in Final Cut Pro, the timecode on an acquired clip may not always match the timecode on the P2 card under some circumstances. This can happen when media is copied to a Panasonic AJ-SPD850 DVCPRO50 P2 deck using external timecode.

In most situations, when you record to a P2 card using a P2 camera or VTR, each segment of audio/video media and timecode is recorded on the card as an individual clip. But if media gets recorded from sources with existing timecode, the result on the P2 card may include timecode breaks, without the P2 recorder creating a new clip. In such cases a single clip on the P2 card may contain non-continuous timecode that otherwise would have been made into separate clips.

When Final Cut Pro imports clips from a P2 card, it expects each clip to have a single progression of continuous timecode. If Final Cut Pro attempts to acquire a P2 clip with timecode breaks, it is unable to assign the non-continuous timecode to a single clip. Attempting to acquire such a clip can result in inaccurate timecode values in the clips in your Browser.

To work around timecode breaks on a P2 card, try these suggestions:

• If you are recording media with known timecode breaks to a P2 device, simply stop and restart the recording process around the point where the break occurs. This will cause the P2 device to create a clip break and Final Cut Pro will treat the media as two clips and can correctly assign the timecode. Be certain to stop recording prior to the timecode break and begin recording again after the break.
• If the media has already been recorded to the P2 card with timecode breaks contained within a single clip, then try capturing the media over FireWire or with a third-party capture device using analog or SDI/AES inputs and serial device control. Using Capture Now will automatically detect breaks in timecode and separate the media into clips with the correct timecode. You could also log the individual timecode segments and batch capture. If you do Batch Capture, remember to leave several seconds of room for pre-roll operations. Even though there is no physical tape, the pre-roll operation will be completed prior to each capture.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple's recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.