Hi,

This is quite a general question. I am helping maintain a tape library where we have to enter frame rates of our tapes, among other things.

I suppose my main question is, is there only drop-frame timecode for HiDef? People write on HD tape 1080i60 and 1080i59.94 (which is obviously drop frame) but I think that sometimes 1080i59.94 is written as 1080i60 just for convience sake. I would like to know whether there is ever a true 1080i60.

When using a HDW-M2000P it actually displays DF when using a drop-frame tape, but ideally I want to check tapes on a J-H3 (as its cheaper).

Also, does anyone know how to distinguish between a SD NTSC drop-frame / non drop-frame on a deck? Like a J-3 or a J-30

DF and NDF denotes the timecode type.

1080i / 59.94 and 720 / 24p denotes the frame rate.

A label that says 1080i 59.94 says that the frame rate is 59.94 fields per second.  It doesn't tell you anything about whether the TC is DF or NDF.  You're correct in that there's a lot of shorthand going on that's wrong.  For example sometimes 23.976 footage is noted as 24 fps.

Regarding distinguishing TC type on the J series decks I think they'll display a period instead of a colon if the TC is DF.  Also, you could simply jog the tape at the top of the *minute to verify the TC type.

*  With the exception of the 10 minute marks. 

Thank you, thats really helped!