exporting timecode:

http://developer.apple.com/samplecode/SimpleVideoOut/index.html
EXPORTING TIMECODE USING A SONY DSR-25 AND DVCAM NTSC TAPE FROM FINAL CUT PRO WITH THE HELP OF SIMPLE VIDEO OUT X

(This tutorial assumes you have a basic knowledge of Final Cut Pro)

YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR PROJECT AND YOUR CLIENT WANTS THE MOVIE TO BEGIN AT 1:00:00;00 WITH BARS & TONE, TITLES, CREDITS AND A 2-POP. HOW TO DO THIS:

1. Tone, Titles and 2-Pop, for me this was set to 00:58:00;00 to compensate for 90 seconds of bar & tone, 30 seconds of black which included the titles and the 2-pop, total was 2 minutes or 120 seconds that need to be substracted from FCP's default hour of 01:00:00;00 so before Exporting make your adjustments (Sequence>Settings>Timeline Options>Starting Timecode xx:xx:xx;xx whatever you need).

2. Quit all applications including FCP.

3. Opened the Self-Contained QuickTime movie using SimpleVideoOut X>Video Output Component Settings>Output: FireWire, Mode: Apple FireWire NTSC, OK>Select Your Movie

>Menu>TC>Exec> scroll down to DV IN TC> select External.

4. Make sure that the DSR-25 INPUT SELECT is set to DV and the Counter Select is set to TC (Timecode).

5. Push Rec + Play on the DSR-25 and select Play from the SimpleVideoOut X movie screen. Presto!

A few mistakes to be aware of:

1. No other application can be operating during the export. I decided to open the System Preferences on my G5 2.5 OSX 10.3.7 during recording which stopped the playing of the movie momentarily. So, I had to stop the process and rewind and restart the movie making all over again from the beginning. (From Step #3 above.)

2. With one movie I forgot to adjust the timecode in FCP, so rather than make another Self-Contained QuickTime movie I downloaded
http://www.dharmafilm.com/sebskytools and used Sebsky Tools to delete and add a new TC (Timecode).

Take note, using Sebsky Tools worked fine and did its job but on deleting the Timecode it crashed, but upon reopening Sebsky Tools the timecode was in fact deleted and the movie fine.
On adding a new revised timecode the application Sebsky Tools did not accept my OK selection but when I restarted the application the new timecode was there like I wanted it to be.

I now have a DVCAM movie with adjusted time code so that the movie begins at 01:00:00;00, with black leader, bars and tone, slate and 2 pop at the beginning of the tape.

Great tip Nick Meyers!

– victor maldonado