Using the Linear Timecode Generator

Enabling LTC

SettingsSettings

To enable LTC output, the first step is to select the output device in the Settings. Press F12 and select the desired device from the drop-down. GinormoTime supports both DirectSound and WASAPI output, WASAPI is recommended if available since the output latency should be lower than DirectSound.

Once output is enabled, the output mode can be selected from the LTC Generator panel as well as the required offset and overrun.

Configuration

Linear Timecode Generator UILinear Timecode Generator UI

Since different output devices and timecode decoders have different amounts of processing latency, a frame-offset can be applied to the LTC output in order to compensate for the end-to-end latency. The easiest way to determine the end to end latency for a specific combination of PC and decoder is to generate and ingest timecode and take a photograph which captures both the input and output. The difference in frames can then be determined and the relevant offset dialed in. Once the offset is applied take another photo to verify the offset is correct. Since there is inevitably some variance in where frames begin and end it may not be possible to reliably remove all varation, but achieving a reliable result within one frame is usually possible.

By default the offset is only applied when the playhead is moving, which should make sense if you think about it: when the playhead is stationary no offset is required because the end-to-end latency is irrelevant, the LTC generator is simply sending the same timecode over and over after all. When the playhead is moving the offset is required since each frame will be delayed by the end-to-end latency.

However in some situations it may be desirable to keep the offset enabled all the time, since it by necessity introduces a jump in the timecode when transitioning from a stopped to a playing state. This may be interpreted by some receivers as a "glitch" causing a momentary loss of timecode sync each time the playhead starts, especially with particularly large offsets. For this reason it may be desirable to leave the default behaviour enabled for programming sessions, then switch to "Always Enabled" offset when running the final show.

The offset can also be disabled, which can be useful to quickly re-verify the timecode offset is still correct using the photo method described above.

See Also