Genlock and Timecode Explained

Before learning about Genlock and Timecode individually, it's helpful to understand that they solve two different problems. Although they're often used together in professional productions, one does not replace the other.

Genlock vs Timecode

Imagine four people standing in a row.

Genlock: Everyone Claps Together

Without Genlock, each person claps whenever they want.

👏
   👏
      👏
 👏

With Genlock, everyone claps at exactly the same moment.

👏👏👏👏
👏👏👏👏
👏👏👏👏

It synchronizes when each camera captures a video frame, allowing multiple cameras to stay perfectly in sync during live production.

Timecode: Everyone Numbers Their Claps

Now imagine each clap is assigned a number.

Without Timecode, we do not have labels for the claps, so we cannot tell which clap happened first.

With Timecode, every clap is labeled with a timestamp, so we can tell which clap happened first.

Camera 2
Clap #100
Clap #101
Clap #102

Rather than synchronizing when frames are captured, Timecode gives every recorded frame a common timestamp. This allows editing software to automatically align footage from multiple cameras and recording devices.

Do You Need One or Both?

That depends on your production.

If you're...	You typically need...
Streaming or recording with a single camera	Neither
Recording multiple cameras for editing later	Timecode
Running a live broadcast with multiple cameras	Genlock
Producing professional live broadcasts that will also be edited later	Both

For physical BNC connection instructions and specifications on the Rise 4K, see Broadcast Advanced Connections.