Timecode Systems Announces Shipping of New SyncBac PRO for GoPro HERO6
Timecode Systems Limited today announced that the SyncBac PRO for GoPro® HERO6 is shipping. The new, wireless, and embedded timecode sync solution for GoPro HERO6 Black action cameras is now in stock and available to order worldwide.
Since first launching the SyncBac PRO range in 2016, Timecode Systems’ wireless sync solution for GoPro action cameras has been enthusiastically adopted by film and television crews around the world. From high-action productions such as “The Grand Tour” and “Gold Rush,” to self-shot shows such as “The Island with Bear Grylls,” to fly-on-the-wall programmes such as “Hunted” and “Inside the Ambulance,” the SyncBac PRO integrates GoPro cameras effortlessly into broadcast production workflows.
“We’ve worked closely with a number of professional production teams that have adopted the SyncBac PRO for GoPro shoots, and what we’re consistently hearing is complete amazement at just how much time it is saving them when the footage gets to the edit suite,” said Paul Scurrell, CEO of Timecode Systems. “It’s not a few hours saved; it’s often days, even weeks of edit time. The feedback we’re getting from users suggests around 85 percent of postproduction time can be cut by using our GoPro sync solution rather than manually syncing non-timecoded GoPro media. The new SyncBac PRO now brings the same time- and cost-savings to productions as users update their kits to add GoPro HERO6 cameras.”
GoPros allow professional, multicamera film crews to capture authentic point-of-view shots and additional unique angles that couldn’t be achieved using more traditional broadcast cameras. However, this voyeuristic style of shooting creates large amounts of footage, and therein lies the challenge — searching, logging, and editing all that content into a story the show’s producers think will deliver the best entertainment value for viewers. Timecode is widely used in television production to streamline the edit process by making it easier to line up footage from multiple video and sound sources. However, GoPro cameras are built for the consumer first and foremost, so the HERO line of cameras doesn’t support timecode out of the box. If footage is not timecoded, edit teams can spend days manually searching and lining up shots to sync with each other and with any separately recorded audio.
By enabling the HERO6 to generate its own frame-accurate timecode, the SyncBac PRO creates the ability to timecode-sync multiple GoPro cameras wirelessly over long-range RF. If GoPro cameras are being used as part of a wider professional multicamera shoot, SyncBac PRO also allows them to timecode-sync with professional cameras and professional audio devices using Timecode Systems products for timecode. At the end of a shoot, the edit team receives SD cards with frame-accurate timecode embedded into the MP4 file. Eliminating the need to align content manually, SyncBac PRO makes it quicker and easier to transfer footage directly into the edit timeline for a swifter and far more efficient postproduction process that delivers huge cost savings.
“The new SyncBac PRO for GoPro HERO6 allows production companies to take full advantage of new features of the camera, such as advanced image stabilisation and new resolutions like 4K60, without adding days of additional edit time to a show’s budget,” Scurrell said. “Coming from a television production background, I’m always so excited to see any technical solution being used that allows genuine cost and time savings — putting ‘more money on the screen,’ as we used to say, rather than wasting resources on pointless manual edit tasks.”
Order yours now
SyncBac PRO remains the only timecode generator and sync solution that works with GoPro cameras; there is no alternative on the market. The new SyncBac PRO for GoPro HERO6 Black is now available to order via our network of international dealers or through our web store for customers in the UK and Europe. Full product details and an exclusive launch offer are available here.
Important notes: firmware
- For the initial release version of SyncBac PRO for GoPro HERO6 the remote power on and power off camera control function has been disabled on the BLINK Hub app due to GoPro HERO6 firmware currently not supporting this feature. This will be fixed in the camera’s next firmware update and we will then enable this feature on BLINK Hub. Other control functions including start/stop record and updating camera settings will be available in the launch release.
- To add the new SyncBac PRO for GoPro HERO6 to BLINK Hub, please update your :pulse to the 3.07 version of WebView. Simply plug into the updater app to add this new release.
- SyncBac PRO for GoPro HERO6 requires the camera to be running v01.60 onwards. Please ensure you update your camera software to the most recent version. You can find this here.