Timecode, Timespan, Position, SMPTE

3 replies. Latest Post by JohnDeutscher on February 18, 2009.

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Timecode, Timespan, Position, SMPTE

06-17-2008 2:33 PM |

Can I manipulate the SilverLight player via SMPTE timecode? I want to mark a timecode then come back to it. I know there are markers but I am not sure that timespan and timecode are the same.

Does time timespan correlate to timecode? Or is there a conversion?

Here is more information from Wikipedia about SMTPE timecode.

"SMPTE timecode is a set of cooperating standards to label individual frames of video or film with a timecode defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in the SMPTE 12M specification.

Timecodes are added to film, video or audio material, and have also been adapted to synchronize music. They provide a time reference for editing, synchronisation and identification. Timecode is a form of media metadata. The invention of timecode made modern videotape editing possible, and led eventually to the creation of non-linear editing systems."

Others have asked the question regarding timecode and its compatibility with Silverlight.

http://silverlight.net/forums/p/1277/4818.aspx#4818

Also, we know the Silverlight supports WMV which supports the SMPTE standard. Looking at the Silverlight FAQ

http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/overview/faq.aspx

"VC-1 is an industry-standard video format, recognized by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). Windows Media Video 9 (WMV-9) is the Microsoft implementation of the SMPTE VC-1 standard video codec. Microsoft initiated development of the standard with the release of WMV-9 to SMPTE. "

Been looking for an answer here and no one seems to know.

Is there anyway to find out?

Bryan Reynolds C# consultant
Laminar – .Net consulting’s

gjhdigital

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301 Posts

Re: Timecode, Timespan, Position, SMPTE

06-20-2008 9:19 AM |

MS Expression Endocer Feb 2 help file says the following:

Once you create markers, you can export them as an XML file. The file contains the time code location of the markers that you set. Conversely, you can import XML files that contain marker information. Expression Encoder 2 reads an XML file and inserts markers in your video that correspond to the time-code location indicated in the XML file. Marker files are specific to the particular video that they refer to, and can function as a cue list.

For example, outside of Expression Encoder 2, you could view a video, make notes, and create an XML file that includes the time code where you would like to add markers. You can then give this file to another editor, and that editor can import your video into Expression Encoder 2 along with your XML marker file and have the markers that you specified automatically applied to the imported video.

I remember in Final Cut and Media100, you could export your smtp log to an xml file, maybe thats the same? If not, Encoder has "Markers".

Greg
www.GJHDigital.com

JohnDeut...

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8 Posts

Re: Timecode, Timespan, Position, SMPTE

02-18-2009 5:26 PM |

Not exactly....

At least not in the way the old WMP.ocx would allow you to navigate based on the embeded per-frame Data Unit Extension that is in the Format SDK

However, you can easily convert the TimeSpan object that is reported back from Silverlight's MediaElement to SMPTE 12M timecode using a class that I wrote that is included in the Expression Encoder 2 SP1 player templates.

If you have Expression Encoder 2.0 SP1 installed. Go to this location to see the Timecode class.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Expression\Encoder 2\Templates\en\SL2Standard\Source\MediaPlayer\TimeCode.cs

This is a Stuct that works a lot like a TimeSpan in .NET. You pass it the TotalSeconds from the CurrentPosition timespan of the MediaElement and the SMPTE 12M framerate that you want calculated (say for example SMPTE 29.97 Drop Frame), and the Struct will give you back a valid SMPTE timecode string.

You can also use it in reverse. Pass it a time and framerate that you want to go to, and get back the Absolute time in seconds, then set the current position to that.

JohnDeut...

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8 Posts