Beyond SMPTE Time Code — the TLX Project

SMPTE Timecode (ST 12) and its transport, storage, display, and association to video and audio, has been a cornerstone of media production since the 1970s. ST 12 is both easy to understand and easy to use; its application is almost universal for media, and the standard has found application in other industries. However, ST 12 is constrained by design choices that, while appropriate at the time, represent substantial shortcomings today. — This paper reports on an ongoing project to define a new time label that is more appropriate for modern workflows and new media. This project is expected to produce a new “extensible time label” (TLX), to be defined by the ST 2120 suite of documents. While providing all the capabilities of ST12, TLX is intended to accommodate new user requirements and leverage new system capabilities to provide a comprehensive labeling system. — The paper describes the proposed structure of TLX and its components, and a system of Profiles intended to facilitate configuration of TLX labels to meet the needs of diverse applications.