SMPTE Timecode

This article describes SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) timecode. It also discusses how timecode is used in the production environment and lists some typical applications that rely on external devices. Finally, it describes how external device control is implemented in Microsoft® DirectShow® and provides links to the interfaces available to build VCR control- and timecode-enabled filters in DirectShow.

This article contains the following sections:

• Understanding SMPTE Timecode
• Typical Uses of Timecode
• Capturing Timecode
• External Device Control
• References and Suggested Reading