Timestamps vs. Timecodes

Timestamps – the ‘running time’ of the audio or video recording as it plays.

Displayed by the player software of the platform. In the example below, the timestamp is in the bottom left, showing a screenshot at one minute and eight seconds, 1:08 of a 1:46 long video. The running timestamp is based on hours:minutes:seconds (hh:mm:ss) and always start at 00:00:00.

Timecode Transcription

Timecodes – video files that contain a burnt in time within the video itself.

Timecodes are a lot more specialized and refer only to specific video that has a timecode “burnt in” to the actual video file itself. The timecode is often seen as a black box, with numbers in it. In the example below the burnt-in timecode is in the black box on the bottom right – inside – the actual video and is showing 00:01:34:03.

NOTE: To make things confusing the running timestamp from the video player is also on the bottom left and is reading 0:38.

Format – where and when.

INTERVIEWS: Our standard practice is to place a timecode/timestamp at the beginning of each response and 30 seconds after that if the response turns into a monologue.

GROUPS/MONOLOGUES: For groups and unstructured talking (e.g. not a one-on-one, question and answer-based format), we will place a timecode/ timestamp every 30 seconds.