The Rewriteable Consumer Timecode (RCTC, RC Timecode, or RC Time Code) is a nearly frame accurate
timecode method developed by
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
for 8mm and Hi8 analog tape formats.
[Sony CCD-V801 Manual](_blank)
Page 9 covers RC Timecode and Data Code formats. The RC timecode is written by the video camera directly to analog tape tracks and records the hour, minute, second and frame for each frame of video recorded to tape. Officially, RCTC is accurate to within ±2 to 5 frames. The RC timecode information is written in a separate area of the track so as to not disturb the audio or video information recorded on the tape. The RC timecode was used in conjunction with the datacode to record date, time and frame information directly to the 8mm tape tracks.
On several video camera models,
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
included the ability to search by date/time (appropriately called Date Search) and to index positions within the tape so that the index mark could be returned to with the press of a button.
The RC timecode is a different technology than the
SMPTE timecode
SMPTE timecode ( or ) is a set of cooperating standards to label individual frames of video or film with a timecode. The system is defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in the SMPTE 12M specification. SMPTE revised ...
,
linear timecode
Linear (or Longitudinal) Timecode (LTC) is an encoding of SMPTE timecode data in an audio signal, as defined in SMPTE 12M specification. The audio signal is commonly recorded on a VTR track or other storage media. The bits are encoded using the ...
(LTC), and
vertical interval timecode
Vertical Interval Timecode (VITC, pronounced "vitsee") is a form of SMPTE timecode encoded on one scan line in a video signal. These lines are typically inserted into the vertical blanking interval of the video signal.
With one exception, VITC ...
(VITC).
At least one manufacturer (Octochron) created tools to capture the information from the RC timecode on tape and export it via Serial or USB to the computer.
A partial list of camcorders which supported RC timecode.
Sony documentation engine
/ref>
See also
*Linear timecode
Linear (or Longitudinal) Timecode (LTC) is an encoding of SMPTE timecode data in an audio signal, as defined in SMPTE 12M specification. The audio signal is commonly recorded on a VTR track or other storage media. The bits are encoded using the ...
(LTC)
*Vertical interval timecode
Vertical Interval Timecode (VITC, pronounced "vitsee") is a form of SMPTE timecode encoded on one scan line in a video signal. These lines are typically inserted into the vertical blanking interval of the video signal.
With one exception, VITC ...
(VITC)
*CTL timecode
Control track longitudinal timecode, or CTL timecode, developed by JVC in the early 1990s, is a unique technique for embedding, or ''striping'', reference SMPTE timecode onto a videotape.
Similar to the way VITC timecode is embedded in the verti ...
*MIDI timecode
MIDI time code (MTC) embeds the same timing information as standard SMPTE timecode as a series of small 'quarter-frame' MIDI messages. There is no provision for the user bits in the standard MIDI time code messages, and SysEx messages are used t ...
*AES-EBU embedded timecode
AES3 is a standard for the exchange of digital audio signals between professional audio devices. An AES3 signal can carry two channels of pulse-code-modulated digital audio over several transmission media including balanced lines, unbalanced ...
References
Timecodes
Film and video technology
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