GoPro Hero 12 Time Code - Demo, Accuracy Test, Aligning in Premiere
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- čas přidán 14. 09. 2023
- The Hero 12 has timecode compatibility built in now without needing gopro labs firmware.
Timecode firmware site:
gopro.github.io/labs/control/...
Buy the hero12 Here:
amzn.to/3EDHJT5
Filmed on:
A6700: amzn.to/44TEWQ8
Microphone:
amzn.to/45RrptT
Lens:
amzn.to/45Ubnza - Věda a technologie
Just noticed you can access the timecode QR code in the GoPro app as well.. hit the 3 dots next to your Hero12 and choose sync timecode.
If you are using a Tentacle Sync E timecode generator, you can also use the Tentacle Sync Time Bar app to generate a QR code in order to sync the cameras. Tentacle Sync's knowledge base has an article on this topic.
@@RobertBoerner I tested this and unfortunately it did not work well. The GoPros still had some back and forth drift and in general if you use the default latency in the sync app QR generator, it is also half a second off. I tried altering the latency based on how many frames off it was calculating the miliseconds and it seemed to make no difference. I returned my Sync E because I wanted to use it on my Insta360 X3 and then use the QR code on my 2 gopros but all 3 cameras ended up all over the place taking about the same time to realign as without the tentacle sync. Using 2 hero 12's with this accuracy means I only need to manually align the Insta360 X3 (which somehow offers 0 metadata for time in).
Using the Tentacle Sync, I also had issues with the windows tool not recognizing the audio timecode on my action camearas to add in metadata.
The "perfect" solution is a Tentacle sync with a 3 way headphone splitters going to each camera, then you have no issues with delay and all 3 cameras get the exact same audio timecode, but testing that I had about 10% of the files match in the windows tool and the rest the program failed to detect timecode audio. One of the other downsides to the tentacle sync is that the scratch mic was near useless, they really should put a mic input on them so left channel is audio timecode and right channel is good audio from a real microphone. They would want to sell more devices and make you buy one for an audio recorder and each cameara, which is fine for professionals but not for action camearas where they are 2/3s the code of the camera each.
@@mainelyhobbies Thank you for the additional information. I didn't encounter this issue myself when testing with a GoPro Hero 11 and a Tentacle Sync E, so your different results are interesting (I don't have Hero 12 yet).
I'm tempted to try the sync again for my insta360 X3 since the hero 12 is so much more accurate... I just also have to factor in that the insta360 files aren't read by the tentacle Windows app to convert audio to metadata timecode.. so it turns into a long process of reframing and rendering in the slow insta360 tool vs directly doing that in premiere... so it's a lot of extra time before I can edit.
You're navigating around premiere is so chaotic haha :D I love it
I've spent so much time doing the same thing over and over testing out timecode issues on my hero 10 and 11... yeah chaos. It's also not my usual desktop and the mouse was awful.
good stuff. thanks for making this. I heard you say you do fishing videos which is exactly why I was searching for this. I do multi cam and was looking for a quicker way to sync up.
Checked out your stuff, you have a bigger boat which would be perfect for multiple gopros. I'm on a kayak and feel like I need a 360 camera in the mix because I'm always facing forward even when I cast to the side. That is my lingering problem.. trying to get a 360 camera to sync with my gopros.
If you use gopros and do this syncing, are you going to be able to keep your chest mounted camera on the whole time? Battery in your pocket or change it out every couple hours? Once the camera shuts off the timing won't be precise until you rescan the QR code.
@@mainelyhobbies I think you do a good job without the 360. The switch back and forth helps make the video easier on the eye.
My current work flow is:
I use two cameras, GoPro 7 on chest mount and GoPro 8 mounted behind me on the boat console. The 8 has a media mod that I have a Deity Pocket Wireless external mic plugged into.
I keep both cameras off and use the quick capture to start and stop recording. I just try to start them at roughly the same time and shut them both off if I’m making a move or change batteries or something.
When I get home I import both sd cards and go through the footage on GoPro player. I use the clip feature to cut the main bulk clips from the GoPro 8. For example one clip might be “fish #5” or something I said that I want included. I then go into the chest camera and try to clip the same clips and label them the same (ex “fish #5”). Once I have all the clip I think I want to use I import to editing software (I use Davinci Resolve).
Once in the software, I select each matching clip by name and tell the software to sync based on audio and it usually does a good job. Once the individual clips are paired with their counterpart, I move to timeline and begin to edit.
That whole process takes a couple hours so I was searching for a way to just go straight to the editing software and pair the whole trip at once and just do all the cutting in the software. That’s why I was curious about the GoPro 12 timecode sync option.
Keep in mind that my GoPros are set to chapter the video every approximately 10 minutes so before I do any clipping I have about 30 files from each camera. Sorry for long message but just wanted to explain since you are the first person I’ve seen working through same issue.
@@Jar_Fishing yeah it's rough basically.. I'm just starting to play with DaVinci and I think it has better audio sync capability than premiere from my testing so far. It's adding a 3rd camera that really made things painful.
Recently, I have bought 2 GoPro 12 and had no idea how to sync it. Thank you very much now I’m on a step further to make my first vr 180 🙏
I am also about to dip into VR 180 with two GoPro Hero 12s. I have everything needed ready to go except I'm waiting on my second max lens mod 2.0.
Nobody's mentioned it yet but for VR180 I think the easiest way to guarantee a sync is to just show that QR code with the time visible to both cameras. That way, even if they are time synced with the QR code and off by a frame you can easily tell in Premiere since the time code says the exact frame. Everyone else is saying they clap but I find aligning claps to the exact frame difficult sometimes. Maybe at 60fps it'll be easier.
Are you going to be posting on this channel you commented on? I'll subscribe if so to see what you end up with
Nice. I switched from GoPro to Osmo Action 4's for my filming (Kayak Fishing) this year. One of the issues that caused me to switch was that, according to GoPro support, you couldn't sync the GoPro 12 to an external timecode generator. I know you can do that with the Labs firmware (GP11, etc.). Did they ever get that in the 12 though? Also, you may want to test if the file sequences have the correct timecode! In other words the 002, 003 etc. when the GoPro chops the video up by itself. That can cause you grief if the timecode is off in the 2, 3, 4, etc. files. It will cause gaps in the timeline of a frame or two that you'll need to close up by hand.
" Also, you may want to test if the file sequences have the correct timecode! In other words the 002, 003 etc. when the GoPro chops the video up by itself."
Ive done a few fishing sessions and had no issues with the loop recording files.. it is consistently 1-2 frames between cameras and easy to adjust. HINDSIGHT though.. that breaks timecode once you go past the 30 seconds of hindsight.
Is it possible to use the GoPro 12 better Timecode feature in combination with other cameras like Sony a7 and tentacle sync? Of I use the tentacle Timebar app with GoPro 12, will it also drift a few frames after time like the GoPro 11 does?
I found that that tentacle QR code was not accurate for the GoPro. I think it stayed in sync for the most part within a frame or two, but using that code I had a half second delay in all clips when I tested all my Hero 11 compared to tentacle auduo. I ended up returning the tentacle sync before I got a Hero 12.
From what I'm reading you need to program the tentacle time bar app with -1100 milliseconds delay for it to be accurate, it's something with how the camera works.
I have found on with Hero 11 Black and Labs on long videos with multiples segments, time code can get off by 1 frame and cause overlap or gaps when a you create an multi-camera sequence based upon timecode. Time code shifts as the camera is filming. Of course i am running on the extrema with 7 Hero 11 running continuously for over 3 hours. In that set-up I got 2 overlaps and one gape of single frame. Maybe I am picky but the 1 frame off sounds like a reverb effect that muddies the audio. I am curious if the Hero 12s have the same issue.
It'll get a frame off for me with hero 12s and echo a bit. It has been a huge improvement over my hero 10 and 11 though.
The bug you describe is also currently in the Osmo Action 4! The segments that the camera itself does can create gaps that look like missing frames between segments all because the timecode for the 1st frame in an automatically generated segment may be off by 1 frame. I've only seen gaps though, never an overlap.
I note you are re-syncing the four cameras at the beginning of each test session. And then the test sessions only run for a minute or so. It would be helpful to find out if the 12 stays "in sync" longer than the 11 and 10. (Historically, the 11 and 10 drifted off from correct time-sync in as little as half an hour. Is the 12 doing any better??? Do you have a precision (TXCO or better) external time source to compare against? A tentacle sync or similar?)
I am not resyning them at the start of each test session. The QR code to re sync timecode only works while it isnt recording. I made sure to not show the QR code until the cameras were recording. I have tested against a tentacle sync and a rode wireless PRO, and they are far from accurate, they drift quite a bit.. but the Hero 12s seem to drift well together.
What is the purpose of presenting the QR code AFTER recording begins?
That is to verify the timecode in post and see how far off it has gotten.
Thanks a bunch for doing this test! I had been trying this year to get my Hero8s to sync using the labs firmware, but the drift would be on the order of several frames immediately after syncing with the QR code. The drift basically killed the project I was working on. Given the 12's ability to frame perfectly sync, I feel like I could pick up a couple and restart my project! Have you had any issues with syncing since this video?
No issues still as of today. They are very accurate compared to my older gopros. I'm testing my hero 12s out in a 180 3D VR setup currently using 2 max lens mod 2.0s. Timecode is allowing me frame level alignment at 60fps where clapping and aligning my audio wave can be off 1 to 3 frames. I've been without power for 3 days (big wind storm).. Its killing me that I can't process the video I made to see how it looks on my Quest 3 haha.
@@mainelyhobbies sounds like an awesome project! Have you tested the sync at higher frame rates?
Hi Mr. Mainelyhobbies, I've just received my GoPro 12s, and I've been doing timecode tests. Unfortunately, I'm finding that the timecode drift is on the order of one frame every 5-10 minutes. I'm doing my analysis by importing the videos into Davinci resolve and importing the clips into the timeline based on timecode. While they are synced within a frame immediately after doing the QR code sync, within 20 minutes, they are about 4 frames different.
What settings are you filming with?
Can you sync timecode with an ultrasync blue?
If it was compatible I would think GoPro would be mentioning it and so far they haven't. GoPro will read audio timecode though from something like a Tentacle Sync.
Great test, do you know if its possible to have the same timecode on Røde Go Pro and GoPro 12, how to sync both cameras
The rode pro receiver can be used as a master clock to jam sync the GoPro using the gopros mic input on the media mod. I don't have one to test it, but it was in one of their tutorial videos. I had a tentacle sync for a while and the GoPro 11 with GoPro labs firmware was able to time sync via the mic input so I'm guessing it works the same.
I don't think there is a way to sync the rode with the gopros... It's a one way thing rode to GoPro only.
@@mainelyhobbies thanks! Was it GoPros own tutorial videos? I will try to search for it, share if you have it.
It was a rode video series when the pro came out. I'd search "rode pro timecode"
great one... please repeat the same process for dji's action series....😍😍
That is not in the budget lol. But Im seeing some in and out of focus videos out there with that larger sensor so I'm not sure I want to go that route anyway.
So no need to install GoPro labs for the hero 12, if you what to use QR codes?
Right the QR codes can be read without gopro labs now
@@mainelyhobbies nice
I have been testing with Hero 7, 9, and 10 using QRControl app, and FFProbe to view the metadata, and see how accurate the timecode from metadata is and so far it's very inconsistent for all cameras. When I view the 1st video frame while recording the displayed time code, that can be off as much as 30 frames before or after the timecode I am reading.
I am not sure why I have such discrepancy and not sure now even if FFProbe is correct. I am not using Premiere, so I don't have another editing program that I know can read it. Have you tried using QRcontrol?
I haven't tried qr control. I had issues with inconsist timing between models as well. I ended up buying a 2nd Hero12 even though I have a hero 11 still.
@@mainelyhobbiesIs it possible to share on the Hero 10 clips (that have video of the timecode being recorded) that you know the starting timecode and I can check it with FFprobe and see if they match?
I don't have them any more, this wasn't a project I kept the clips on when I cleared up space recently and sold the non Hero12 cameras. Just switching to only using hero 12s solved my problems.
@@mainelyhobbies Ok. Thanks anyway, Maybe another reader may have tried it and see if QRControl or FFProbe has the same issue.
I simply don't understand this move by GoPro... I've used GoPros countless times on productions large and small where we shoot on Sony FX9s, fs7 and fx6s where the GoPros always have to be synced to timecode in the worst hackerish kinda way to the main Tc-clock.
I get that they want to make TC within the GOpro ecosystem... But, why the fuck wouldn't they not make it more reliable for bigger productions...
I'm 100% with you.. I watch the TV show "Alone" which relies heavily on Gopros and wonder how they do it. The perfect device for my fishing use would be a tentacle sync with a mic input but it doesn't exist. Instead I'm stuck with a crappy scratch mic on the right channel if using tentacle sync forcing me to buy something else for time coded audio to match. $$ and more expensive stuff onboard a kayak that risks flipping over.
@@mainelyhobbiesI wonder if you can jam sync the new rode wireless pro to the GoPros?
I don't think it works in that direction, but even if you could, I have a suspicion the gopros aren't as accurate as the rode wireless pro.
@@gregclimbsThat's one reason why I switched from GoPro to the OSMO Action 4. I use the Wireless Pro receiver to jam sync the OSMO Action 4's. Works great.
@@mainelyhobbies A tentacle Track E is the device you'd need to capture audio and be able to sync it. Tentacle's timebar app integrates the GoPro QRCode technology. That's the only one I found that would work. And, in a cost savings move, Tentacle just released beta firmware that allows the Track E to be a timecode generator....so you really don't need a sync e for this scenario anymore. So the tentacle timebar app and the Track E are the only things you need to make this work.