Used in films from the James Bond series to Marvel, the wireless sync technology from Timecode systems is now part of Atomos, making effortless collaborative filmmaking an on-set reality. It’s all about time!
Timecode Systems, a world leader in developing wireless sync technology, burst onto the market in 2012, receiving a prestigious IABM award for innovation before even shipping its first product. The company launched the first-ever Wi-Fi-enabled digislate, created the only timecode sync solution for GoPro cameras, and pioneered and patented a timecode-over-Bluetooth timing protocol. We.ve covered the company multiple times here at ProVideo Coalition, most recently with the UltraSync BLUE, which uses Bluetooth pairing to connect to a device, removing the restrictions of a wired connection when transmitting timecode.
Small, light and affordable, the UltraSync BLUE is a key timecode solution as small crews are growing in importance. UltraSync BLUE, introduced one year ago, was the first product to use the company’s new patented timecode sync and control protocol, to transmit timecode directly into the media file of a connected device over Bluetooth, with sub-frame accuracy.
From AtomXSync to now
Atomos also invested in timecode solutions, and in 2018 the company showed at IBC its new Atomos AtomX Sync module for the Ninja V monitor recorder, able to make, as Atomos said then, “your audio and video syncing issues a thing of the past.” Well, it seems that the search for timecode solutions led Atomos to acquire Timecode Systems, to accelerate this appetite for innovation further and transform content-creation workflows.” AtomX Sync will now get integrated Timecode Systems technology.
Together, the companies are building tightly integrated multicamera workflow solutions that unify all recording devices on set, allowing these devices to work together more cohesively. This allows production teams to experience, for the first time, the full impact of truly collaborative video and audio content creation across all types of program making.
With demand for video bigger than ever, content creators are using more separate devices to add angles and be creative. But they are limited by the time it takes to edit, align, and finish videos that combine multiple sources of video and audio, especially when using prosumer and consumer devices to film alongside professional cameras.
From James Bond to Top Gear
“Right now, this disconnect between recording devices is holding back multicamera content creation. To truly shoot collaboratively, everything needs to work in perfect, frame-accurate sync — there has to be a robust wireless connection. The Timecode Systems RF protocol is this bulletproof link. Working together, we now have the glue to create a truly connected multicamera solution.” Said Jeromy Young, CEO and founder of Atomos.
Paul Scurrell, CEO and co-founder of Timecode Systems added: “The drive, energy, and desire to push boundaries is what excites me most about entering this new era with Atomos. Both companies have a history of executing successful collaborations with best-of-breed technology partners; this just takes it to a whole new level. The impact is going to be industry-changing.”
Timecode Systems solutions have been used in some of the biggest shows on television around the world – Gold Rush, Top Gear, Grand Tour, and The Island with Bear Grylls, to name a few) as well as the James Bond and Marvel movies, but the system is designed and priced to adapt equally well to lower budget documentaries and corporate productions, as ProVideo Coalition noted previously, when announcing new products from the company.
Atomos product range will benefit
“Our ambition has always been to create solutions that are scalable and can be combined to work across a whole variety of filming environments. Atomos shares this commitment. Now, together we can take everything both companies have created to date and push it so much further”, Says Paul Bannister, chief science officer and co-founder of Timecode Systems.
The Timecode Systems wireless sync standard will not only feature across the next generations of the entire Atomos product range but will also be packaged as a free SDK for third-party manufacturers. As a result, existing Timecode Systems and Atomos customers can expect to unlock even greater value from their current systems from this collaboration. The AtomX Sync module for the Ninja V and the Neon series of monitors will be the first Atomos products to feature integrated Timecode Systems technology.