Apple MA261Z/A User Manual - Page 197

IV Â During production, pay attention to the position of your tape. Camcorders attempt to create continuous timecode by quickly reading the last timecode number written on tape. The process of generating new timecode based on the last stored timecode number is referred to as jam syncing timecode. However, if the camcorder doesn't see a timecode or video signal on the tape (for example, at the beginning of a blank tape), the timecode counter is reset to zero. DV camcorders tend to be fairly good at finding the last timecode number on tape as long as the camcorder has not been turned off. If the camcorder is turned off, the best solution is to rewind the tape by a second or two so that the camcorder can jam sync the timecode already written on tape when you start recording again. In theory, this technique can remedy most potential timecode problems. In practice, however, it can be difficult to always remember to rewind, or you may rewind too far and then spend time cueing your tape to make sure you don't record over part of the previous shot. One helpful tip when using this technique is to record several additional seconds well past the end of each shot. If your camcorder is turned off and on, you can rewind a few seconds into the previous shot without worrying that you are going to record over important footage. Chapter 14 Capturing Your Footage to Disk 197