View source for Engineering:Rewritable consumer timecode

The '''Rewriteable Consumer Timecode''' ('''RCTC''', '''RC Timecode''', or '''RC Time Code''') is a nearly frame accurate [[Timecode|timecode]] method developed by [[Company:Sony|Sony]] for 8mm and Hi8 analog tape formats.<ref name="ccdv801p9">[http://www.docs.sony.com/release/CCDV801.pdf Sony CCD-V801 Manual]{{snd}} Page 9 covers RC Timecode and Data Code formats.</ref> The RC timecode tags each frame with the hour, minute, second and frame for each frame of video recorded to tape.  Officially, RCTC is accurate to within ±2 to 5 frames.<ref>[https://www.videomaker.com/article/2941/ Videomaker] article discussing timecode technology</ref> The RC timecode can be used in conjunction with the datacode to record the date and the time. The data and RC codes are written between the video and the PCM audio tracks. It may be added to any 8-mm tape without altering the information already on the tape, and is invisible to machines not equipped to read it.
On several video camera models, [[Company:Sony|Sony]] included the ability to search by date/time (appropriately called Date Search) and to index positions within the tape so that the index mark could be returned to with the press of a button.<ref name="ccdv801p9" />

The RC timecode is a different technology than the [[SMPTE timecode]], [[Engineering:Linear timecode|linear timecode]] (LTC), and [[Engineering:Vertical interval timecode|vertical interval timecode]] (VITC).

At least one manufacturer (Octochron<ref>[http://www.octochron.com Octochron]{{snd}} Manufacturer of RC Time Code converter devices for PC video capture.</ref>) created tools to capture the information from the RC timecode on tape and export it via Serial or USB to the computer.

A partial list of camcorders which supported RC timecode.<ref>[https://esupport.sony.com/perl/select-system.pl?DIRECTOR=DOCS Sony documentation engine]</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!''NTSC Camcorder Models with RC Timecode''
|-
|Sony CCD-SC55
|- 
|Sony CCD-TR101 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR2300 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR3000 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR3300 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR3400 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR555 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR700 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR910 
|-
|Sony CCD-TRV101
|-
|Sony CCD-TRV81 
|-
|Sony CCD-TRV99 
|-
|Sony CCD-V801, the first camcorder with RC timecode
|-
|Sony CCD-VX3 
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!''PAL Camcorder Models with RC Timecode''
|-
|Sony CCD-SC55E  
|-
|Sony CCD-TR2200E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR2300E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR3100E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR3200E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR3300E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR3400E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR555E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR825E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TR845E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TRV69E 
|-
|Sony CCD-TRV77E
|}

==See also==
*[[Engineering:Linear timecode|Linear timecode]] (LTC)
*[[Engineering:Vertical interval timecode|Vertical interval timecode]] (VITC)
*CTL timecode
*MIDI timecode
*AES-EBU embedded timecode

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Film and video technology]]


{{Sourceattribution|Rewritable consumer timecode}}