Just a note about the FPS counter and audio playback....

I am currently doing a show through South America and we are running content that is 29.97.

Yes, I am running content on Catalyst and no, I did not want 29.97 but we are also using the content on playback decks as well so 30fps was not an option.

The content has to run frame accurate with the timecode of the show because the content was created exactly to the music of the set. In fact, we placed the music on the content as reference.

Since the show timecode exceeds the total allowable length of time that a Catalyst frame counter can recognize, I have had to program the presets to be triggered from the SAM cuelist. Basically meaning the cuelist starts the file and then it free runs until the next SAM cue fades it out.

I know this is a bit of a tangent but my point is simple.

In order to make the files play frame accurate (roughly) to the timecode, I needed to use the audio playback mode because it will use the audio as a time base reference for playing the files.

Yes, I drop frames this way and my whole team is aware of it. However, when the vocalist is shown in the content, lip syncing the same lyrics she's actually singing then the audience is more likely to notice voice slip than a few missed frames.

Not the correct way to do things, but since day to day we might have 50hz or 60hz, power and PAL or NTSC, it's the only way to cover all bases.

Take these thoughts as insight but try not to use this method if a better alternative is available.