Timecode / Timestamp from AVCHD?

[helloguys]

To remind me when the video was taken, I'd like to have a timecode / timestamp overlaid on the video.

Per the VS X4 User Guide:

To enable timecode retrieval for AVCHD
1. In the Capture Step Options Panel, click Import from Digital Media.
2. Select the thumbnail of the video file. Click Start import to launch Import Settings.
3. In Import Destination, select Insert to Timeline or select Add video date information as title.
4. Choose Entire video to import the timecode of video file to appear as a title spanning the entire duration of the video. Choose Duration to import the timecode as a title within a specified duration. Click OK to apply the settings.

But the problem is:
When I edit the timeline (for example, trim/delete some of the clips), the title track didn't reflect the change. For example, I have a video clip imported to timeline which is 60 minutes long. I trimmed it down to 45 minutes. However, the title track wasn't automatically trimmed (synchronized) to 45 minutes.

Is there a solution for this?

Thank you very much!
Michael

[Clevo]

I'm not familiar with how your camera records timecode & datestamps but generally.

Time code usually means the frame count from 0 counted from the begining of the video and usually displayed like hh:mm:ss:ff (hour:minutes:seconds:frames)

a date stamp is a date & time recorded as metadata for a section of video on the tape: Normally like if you are on holidays and using one tape over the whole day or over a few days it'll keep that information.

With both of these you have an option of "burning in" this information at the time of capturing or toggling it on as an option. Burning in means just that and the stamp is permanent & part of the video and is therefor not flexible when you edit out scenes later on. Hence why it's generally regarded as not the best way of recording the date or duration as a reminder. Personally I tend to think it looks ugly if you are attempting a "pro look" finished product.

The solution? Well this will depend on how far you are willing to go and how important the date & time is to you.

on my tape based camera I keep a little running segment sheet happening on a piece of paper and keep it with the tape in a case. On digital cameras what I do is when I shoot I speak out loud the date & time before continuing to shoot the scene.

Having recorded this information if I need to I then use it to manually create this information using the "titles overlay" in a creative and attractive way.

[helloguys]

Thank you very much for your reply.

I guess date stamp is more important to me, though it would be better to see the time as well.

I have to switch to SONY Vegas Pro because it has a plug-in (http://www.elisanet.fi/paavo.jurvelin/) to export the meta data to subtitle. Whenever I wanted to know the date and time the video was taken, I just need to turn on the subtitle (close caption).

I wish Video Studio had such a plug-in (or feature). Though it looks trivial, it's actually the most important feature for all home videos.

Michael

[Ken Berry]

it's actually the most important feature for all home videos.

To you, it is obviously important. But you are only one of a small handful of people wanting such a feature in recent years. I -- and I suspect many (most?) other people doing video, like Clevo, consider it to be rather ugly... Nevertheless, I agree it would be a useful feature to be able to toggle on and off when or if needed. Mind you, Sony Vegas is a high end product, and I have no idea how much code -- and extra expense -- would be needed to include it in less high end products like VS.

[helloguys]

You made a point here.

For "high-end" (professional) users, a date/time stamp on the video was ugly.

But for "regular Joe" (or home users), home video is to preserve memories. date/time is very important.

Talking about "ugly", since you can turn the subtitle on/off at will, how it would be "ugly"?

Talking about "extra expense", the plug-in was provided for free by third-party.

Just my two-cents.

Michael

[Ken Berry]

In earlier versions of VS, back in the day when mini DV tape camcorders were the king, there was the possibility of using a plug-in that inserted the date stamp.No doubt some users took advantage of it, but I and others thought it was ugly and never used it. It did not toggle. Like a diamond, it was forever once inserted. I believe there is at least one other plug-in from a third party which works with current versions of VS. But I don't know whether it toggles or indeed whether it can be used as a switchable subtitle like the one that goes with Vegas. Someone else may be able to provide a link to it.

I recognise your point about 'ugly' being in the eye of the toggler, but nevertheless, even if there were such a feature and you could toggle it, the concept of an embedded datestamp would remain 'ugly' to users such as myself and the feature would never be used.

[Ron P.]

The only date/time stamp program that I'm aware of is DV Date, this is as the name implies, works with DV video, not a compressed format such as MPEG or AVCHD. I did however locate through a Google search, one package that might add the Date/time information, from www.avs4you.com . They have 2 programs, AVS Video Converter & AVS Video Remaker, that might add the date/time.

[rwernyei]

Or you could try this software.
http://www.dvmp.co.uk/

[aljimenez]

I thought I would chime in that I am in the camp of NOT wanting any date/time stamp on my media. Media is in files that are date/time stamped without needing any labeling obliterating the image. Recall when photos had no date/time stamp, then all photos were date/time stamped for awhile, and now one can stamp whatever one wants on the image. This is the way I want it. I would prefer VS adds many other features than this one... Al