Our conversations about the SyncBac PRO usually follow a familiar pattern. SyncBac PRO generates timecode for GoPros, right? Correct. And this is embedded at source on the camera’s MP4 file? You got it. Does this mean no more long, hard edits meticulously lining up GoPro footage in post? Exactly.

Cue lots of excitement, relief and sometimes even grateful hugs from crew members who are typically at the end of their tether with balancing the amazing benefits GoPros bring to their productions, with the inability to easily integrate footage from these cameras into traditional broadcast workflows.

It’s a show stopper

SyncBac PRO has definitely attracted the attention of the broadcast industry since we launched the product at the NAB Show in April 2016. As well as being one of the first GoPro accessories to be verified by the Works with GoPro initiative, SyncBac PRO has also won an IABM Game Changer Award, and we’ve been flooded with requests from production teams eager to use it on their shows.

We knew that synchronising GoPro footage was a struggle in the professional film and broadcast world, but we’ve still been astonished by the huge demand for SyncBac PRO. But why has timecode got everyone from the studio floor to the edit suite so excited?

In short, timecode saves time

Whether filming a reality show, a live event, or a documentary, it’s become commonplace to use multiple cameras to capture multi-dimensional content from a variety of angles. If the cameras are not timecoded, post production becomes a highly laborious task. Hours and hours are spent manually lining up each shot to sync with each other and with any separately recorded audio. However, if each camera is running timecode, they can be synced and the footage can then easily be dropped into the edit timeline and automatically aligned.

What’s different about GoPro footage?

As popular as the HERO4 and HERO6 range of cameras are in the broadcast world, they aren’t specifically designed for professional use in television productions. As they don’t come with timecode included out of the box, integrating footage into the edit workflow has been a time-consuming, manual process. Now, clipping a SyncBac PRO to these cameras can solve this problem. By enabling the GoPro to generate its own frame-accurate timecode at source, stamped directly onto the camera’s MP4 file, the SyncBac PRO gives the ability to wirelessly timecode sync multiple GoPros with pro cameras and pro audio devices over long-range RF. With up to 50 GoPros sometimes capturing content on shoots, it’s easy to see why SyncBac PRO is causing such a stir.

And the great news is wireless, embedded timecode for GoPro HERO4 and HERO6 cameras is now a reality.