Frames to timecode converter
Editing and encoding tools sometimes report only a frame number. Enter it with the frame rate to see the timecode shown on the timeline.
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Processing and privacy: The result is calculated inside your browser and your data is not sent to any server.
How to use it
- Enter frame count and frame rate.
- The result appears straight away and updates as you edit.
- Copy the result, or copy a link that keeps the same values to share it.
How it is calculated
Without drop-frame: frames = remainder after dividing by the nominal rate, and the rest splits into hours, minutes and seconds. With drop-frame, first add 2 (or 4) for every minute passed except each tenth, then split the same way.
Example
Inputs: Frame count = 1,800, Frame rate = 29.97 fps drop-frame (NTSC DF). Result: Timecode: 00:01:00;02; Real time in seconds: 60.06.
Limits and caveats
- Timecode wraps at 24 hours, so the frame count must be under one day at the chosen rate.
- Drop-frame output puts a semicolon before the frames, the common convention; some tools print a colon or a dot.
- 23.976 is counted at 24 with no dropped labels.
Questions about this tool
What is 1800 frames at 29.97 drop-frame?
It is 00:01:00;02, because labels 00 and 01 at the start of the first minute are not used.
When should I use drop-frame?
In broadcast work at 29.97 or 59.94, as in North America and Japan, when timecode must match the running time on the clock. The 25 fps used in Arab countries and Europe does not need it.
Why does real time differ from the timecode?
29.97 and 23.976 run slightly slower than 30 and 24, so one hour of non-drop timecode actually lasts 3603.6 seconds.