Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 1737)

386 Part V Appendixes
Timecode on Tape
There are several kinds of timecode recorded on videotape, each stored in a different
part of the video signal. LTC timecode is stored as an audio signal, while VITC is stored
in a line of each video frame.
 LTC (longitudinal timecode) is typically recorded as an audio signal on a dedicated
timecode track. You can add or change LTC timecode on your original tapes even
after they’ve been recorded because it’s recorded on its own independent track. LTC
is also used with professional audio formats, such as DAT and other multitrack audio
recorders. Because LTC is audio, it can be interpreted by a timecode reader even
when the tape is fast-forwarding, but it can’t be read when the tape is paused or
moving extremely slowly.
 VITC (vertical interval timecode) is recorded as part of the video signal, using several
video lines that are normally masked by consumer televisions. You can see VITC as a
series of white dots at the top of the video frame if you view the video on a
professional monitor in underscan mode. Because VITC timecode is part of the video
signal, it can only be changed on your original tapes if you also replace the video
itself, which is rarely worthwhile. The VITC part of the video signal is not captured as
part of a Final Cut Pro clip’s video frame, but the VITC timecode can be captured
directly from the device control connection. Because VITC is part of the video signal,
which most decks can show in slow motion or even pause, VITC can be read at very
slow speeds, but it breaks up when fast-forwarding or rewinding.
Most timecode readers can automatically switch between LTC and VITC if they are both
available. In Final Cut Pro, you can choose this setting in your device control preset:
 LTC+VITC: If you choose this setting, Final Cut Pro looks at both timecodes so that
accurate timecode can be read no matter what speed the tape is playing (LTC is used
for normal and high-speed playback; VITC is used for slow motion and pause).
LTC timecode is most easily read when a deck is in fast-forward, and VITC is most easily
read when a deck is in slow motion. Most professional video decks can read both
signals and automatically send timecode from the one that’s clearest at any moment.
The LTC and VITC timecode signals on most tapes are almost always identical.
Important: Video decks capable of reading both LTC and VITC timecode usually have a
switch that lets you select whether a deck outputs one or the other, or both. Unless
the VITC and LTC signals on your tape don’t match for some reason, leave this switch
set to both.
Unlike DV and professional video formats, analog tape formats don’t always have
timecode written onto them. If you’re using S-VHS or Hi-8, you need to make sure
you’re using a device-controllable deck and, if your tapes don’t already have timecode
on them, that you post-stripe timecode onto them. For information on how to do this,
see the documentation that came with your video deck.