Timecode

This tutorial covers using the timecode override within a transcode target. If you’re looking for print_timecode, you’ll find that under Video Filters. Below are a few common use cases for defining timecode in your transcode targets.

Follow Source Timecode

If you need to force your transcoded output to use the timecode from the source file, you can use the timecode override on your transcode target to define the source as media:

"timecode": [
    {
        "source": "media"
    }

Specify Starting Timecode

If you need your transcoded output videos to have a starting timecode that is different from the source, you can use the timecode override on your transcode target to specify the exact start time of the timecode. Note that you can also specify dropframe vs. non-dropframe timecode here by using a : for non-dropframe timecode and a ; for dropframe timecode.

"timecode": [
    {
        "source": "start_value",
        "start_value": "01:00:00;00"
    }
]

You can also specify a start timecode value based on the source frame rate. In the example below, we’re overriding a target timecode to start at 00:00:00;00 (dropframe) if the source has a frame rate of 29.97, and a start TC of 00:00:00:00 (non-dropframe) for any other source.

"timecode": [
    {
        "source": "start_value",
        "overrides": {
            "start_value": "source.video.frame_rate == (30000/1001) ? '00:00:00;00' : '00:00:00:00'"
        }
    }
]

Convert between dropframe and non-dropframe timecode

For video assets with 29.97 or 59.94 frame rate, often times you may need to convert source dropframe timecode to non-dropframe timecode in the transcoded target (or vice versa). To do that conversion, you can add this override to your target:

"timecode": [
    {
        "source": "media",
        "force_drop": false
    }

The options for force_drop are true, false, or omitted:

• true
  • forces dropframe timecode, regardless of the source
• false
  • forces non-dropframe timecode, regardless of the source
• omitted
  • no conversion, same as source

Please note: drop frame timecodes are only applicable to video with a frame rate of 29.97 or 59.94

API Reference

• for the full list of options related to timecode, please refer to our API Page