Timecode labels the frame. Genlock controls the timing.

Two questions that sound alike

Timecode gives frames a shared label. In Epic’s documented video-input workflow, a timecode provider adopts incoming labels while a custom timestep can lock Unreal’s updates to the reference cadence. Those are distinct settings. The documentation explicitly warns that this area changes between engine versions, so follow the page for the actual show build.

Source: Timecode and Genlock

Matching labels are only one check

Atlas analysis

When a problem appears only during movement, do not immediately blame the tracking system. Write down which signal arrives where: camera video, tracking, rendering, display output, and the monitoring feed. Your team needs a map of that path before it can decide what to measure.

A frame identifier helps locate material. It does not, on its own, demonstrate acceptable delay from physical motion to the recorded background. Conversely, a convincing static frame can hide timing problems. The acceptance test needs motion that is representative of the planned shot, not just a frozen chart.

A useful test record

Atlas checklist

Ask the stage engineer to record the reference source, frame rates, timecode interpretation, and observed lock status. Then record the camera moving past a clear physical/virtual alignment reference. Repeat after the system has been running for a while. Save the result with the configuration, and agree who investigates if it changes.

This is a briefing checklist, not a substitute for a system-specific sync procedure. Hardware, plugins, and display processing determine the implementation.

• Verify labels and reference cadence separately.
• Use motion to check the captured result.
• Log dropouts and configuration changes instead of guessing.