video tool
Timecode calculator
SMPTE timecode counts hours, minutes, seconds and frames, written HH:MM:SS:FF. Pick a frame rate, type two timecodes, and the calculator adds or subtracts them and converts the result to a total frame count and real seconds, with 29.97 drop frame counted correctly.
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- Runs on your device, nothing is uploaded
- Free, no sign in
- No watermark, no file limit
How it works
- 1
Pick the frame rate
Use the rate of the project or the edit decision list. Drop frame uses a semicolon before the frames.
- 2
Type the timecodes
As HH:MM:SS:FF, such as 00:01:30:12. Colons, semicolons or full stops between fields all work.
- 3
Choose the sum
A plus B to join durations, A minus B to find the length between two points, or A alone to convert it.
- 4
Read frames and seconds
The result shows as a timecode, a frame count and seconds of real time.
What the four fields mean
Timecode gives every frame of a recording an address. 01:02:03:04 means hour 1, minute 2, second 3, frame 4. The frame field counts from zero up to one less than the frame rate, so at 25 frames a second it runs 00 to 24 and then the seconds tick over. Because the address depends on the rate, the same frame count is a different timecode at 24, 25 or 30 frames a second, which is why the calculator always asks for the rate first. The standard behind it is SMPTE ST 12-1, Time and Control Code.
Drop frame explained with one minute counted
Colour television in North America runs at 29.97 frames a second, not 30. Counting it as 30 makes the timecode run slow: an hour of timecode takes about 3.6 seconds longer than an hour of the clock. Drop frame fixes that by skipping two frame numbers, 00 and 01, at the start of every minute, except every tenth minute. No frames are thrown away, only labels. So the frame after 00:00:59;29 is 00:01:00;02, but the frame after 00:09:59;29 is 00:10:00;00. Over ten minutes, 18 labels are skipped, which brings the count back into line with the clock.
Frames per second and frames per minute
At 24 frames a second a minute holds 1,440 frames; at 25, 1,500; at 30, 1,800; at 50, 3,000; at 60, 3,600. A 29.97 drop frame minute holds 1,798 frame labels, except every tenth minute, which holds the full 1,800. An hour of 29.97 drop frame timecode is 107,892 frames. These are the numbers behind every conversion here, and the frame count shown with each result is what an editor uses for exact trims.
23.976 and other fractional rates
Film shot at 24 frames a second and shown on 29.97 systems runs at 23.976. Its timecode still counts 24 frames a second, so the labels look like 24 frame timecode but the clock runs slightly slower. There is no drop frame version for 23.976, so an hour of its timecode lasts 3.6 seconds longer than an hour of real time. The calculator counts timecode at 24 and shows the real seconds using the true 24,000 over 1,001 rate, so durations for broadcast schedules come out right.
Subtitles and edit points
Subtitle files and edit lists often mix timecode with milliseconds. SRT and WebVTT captions use hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds, not frames, so convert a timecode to seconds here before shifting captions with the subtitle shifter. When an editor asks for a cut 2 seconds and 12 frames after a point, add 00:00:02:12 to the point's timecode at the project rate. The video builder renders every template at 30 frames a second, so use 30 when working out timings for its exports.
Common mistakes
Mixing drop frame and non drop timecodes from the same project gives results that are off by seconds over long durations. Typing a frame number above the rate, such as 27 at 25 fps, is an error the calculator rejects. And subtracting across midnight on a 24 hour timeline needs the day added back, which is why negative results are shown with a sign rather than wrapped.
Limits
- Drop frame is offered for 29.97 only; 59.94 drop frame is not included.
- Timecode rolls over after 23:59:59 and the last frame of the day, as it does on a timeline.
- 23.976 is counted as 24 frames a second of timecode, which is how editing systems label it; the real time shown accounts for the slower rate.
- A result that would be negative is shown with a minus sign rather than rolling backwards.
What it does not do
- It does not read timecode from a video file.
- It does not convert between frame rates; a duration in frames means different times at different rates.
- It does not store anything.
Questions people ask
How do I convert timecode to frames?
Multiply hours by 3,600 and minutes by 60, add the seconds, multiply the total by the frame rate and add the frames. At 25 fps, 00:01:30:12 is 90 seconds times 25 plus 12, which is 2,262 frames. Drop frame needs the skipped labels subtracted, which the calculator handles.
What is drop frame timecode?
A way of numbering 29.97 frames a second video so the timecode keeps pace with the clock. It skips frame labels 00 and 01 at the start of each minute except every tenth minute. No picture frames are removed. Drop frame timecode is written with a semicolon before the frames, such as 00:01:00;02.
How many frames are in a minute at 25 fps?
1,500: 25 frames a second times 60 seconds. An hour at 25 fps is 90,000 frames. PAL regions such as Australia, the UK and much of Europe traditionally use 25 fps for broadcast, which has no drop frame because 25 is a whole number.
Is 30 fps timecode the same as 29.97?
Not in time. 29.97 non drop timecode labels frames as if the rate were 30, but the video actually plays slightly slower, so its timecode falls behind the clock by about 3.6 seconds an hour. Drop frame timecode corrects that. Genuine 30 fps video, common from screen recorders, keeps time exactly.
Why does my editor show a semicolon in the timecode?
A semicolon, or sometimes a full stop, before the frame field marks drop frame timecode. A colon marks non drop. The calculator accepts either separator, but the frame rate setting decides how it counts, and results at 29.97 drop frame are shown with a semicolon.
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Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .