Studio Operations and Master Clocks
In television studio operations, longitudinal timecode is generated by the studio master sync generator, and distributed from a central point. Central sync generators usually derive their timing from an atomic clock, either using network time or GPS. Studios usually maintain two or three clocks, and automatically switch over if one fails.
A recent development is to mount small GPS-synchronized SMPTE timecode generators on each camera, which eliminates the distribution network for portable set-ups and shooting on location.
Longitudinal SMPTE timecode is widely used to synchronise music. A frame rate of 30 frame/s is often used for audio in America, Japan, and other countries which rely on a 60 Hz mains frequency and use the NTSC television standard. The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) standard frame rate of 25 frame/s is used throughout Europe, Australia and wherever the mains frequency is 50 Hz, and the PAL or SECAM television standards are used.
Read more about this topic: SMPTE Timecode
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