Video Frame Calculator
Convert a timecode into a total frame count, or a frame count back into hours, minutes, seconds and frames — at any frame rate. Both calculators run on your device, so nothing is uploaded and the result updates as you type. Below them is a reference for every standard frame rate and a straight answer on drop-frame timecode.
Timecode to frames
Working only in this direction? Open the timecode to frames calculator for the formula and a duration lookup table.
Frames to timecode
Need the reverse in detail? Open the frames to timecode calculator for common frame counts and their durations.
Frame rate reference
Frame duration and hourly frame counts for every standard rate.
| Frame rate | Exact rate | One frame | Frames per hour of timecode | Drop-frame | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.976 fps | 24000 ÷ 1001 | 41.708 ms | 86,400 | Not applicable | Film-look projects finished for NTSC territories and streaming. |
| 24 fps | 24 exactly | 41.667 ms | 86,400 | Not applicable | Cinema, DCP delivery, most narrative work. |
| 25 fps | 25 exactly | 40.000 ms | 90,000 | Not applicable | PAL broadcast: Europe, Australia, much of Asia and Africa. |
| 29.97 fps | 30000 ÷ 1001 | 33.367 ms | 108,000 | Yes — 107,892 frames/hour | NTSC broadcast in North America, Japan and South Korea. |
| 30 fps | 30 exactly | 33.333 ms | 108,000 | Not applicable | Web video, screen recordings, some cameras and phones. |
| 50 fps | 50 exactly | 20.000 ms | 180,000 | Not applicable | PAL-region sport and high frame rate broadcast. |
| 59.94 fps | 60000 ÷ 1001 | 16.683 ms | 216,000 | Yes — 215,784 frames/hour | NTSC-region sport, news and 60p broadcast delivery. |
| 60 fps | 60 exactly | 16.667 ms | 216,000 | Not applicable | Web video, gaming capture, smooth-motion social clips. |
Frame duration is 1000 ÷ fps. "Frames per hour of timecode" counts the labels the counter shows, which is why 23.976 and 24 fps both reach 86,400 — at 23.976 those frames simply take 1.001 times as long to play.
Drop-frame vs non-drop
NTSC frame rates are their nominal rate multiplied by 1000/1001: 29.97 fps is exactly 30000 ÷ 1001. Timecode, however, still counts in whole labels — 30 per second. Over an hour that mismatch adds up, and drop-frame timecode is the correction.
Non-drop (NDF) counts every frame in order: 00:00:00:00, 00:00:00:01, … Numbers are never skipped, so a non-drop hour is a fixed frame count and the timecode drifts away from the wall clock.
Drop-frame (DF), written with semicolons like 00;01;00;02, skips two frame numbers at the top of every minute except every tenth minute — four numbers at 59.94 fps. Nothing is removed from the video, only the labels go unused, and the counter lands back within a few milliseconds of real time.
| Rate | Skipped / hr | NDF drift |
|---|---|---|
| 29.97 fps | 108 | +3.6 s |
| 59.94 fps | 216 | +3.6 s |
Practical rule: use drop-frame when the running time has to match a broadcast clock, and non-drop for film-rate projects, VFX counts and anything where a continuous frame number matters more than the clock. 25 fps and true 24 fps never need drop-frame, because their timecode already runs at the same speed as real time.
Full drop-frame clock comparison
| Rate | Real length of a non-drop hour | Real length of a drop-frame hour |
|---|---|---|
| 29.97 fps | 1:00:03.600 | 0:59:59.996 |
| 59.94 fps | 1:00:03.600 | 0:59:59.996 |
Worked examples
The four we get asked for most.
- 10 seconds at 24 fps240 f
- One hour at 29.97 DF107 892 f
- 1 000 frames at 25 fps00:00:40:00
- A 3-frame handle at 23.976125 ms
Frequently asked
How many frames are in one second of video?
Exactly as many as the frame rate: 24 frames at 24 fps, 25 at 25 fps, 30 at 30 fps. The NTSC rates are the exception — 23.976, 29.97 and 59.94 fps count 24, 30 and 60 frames per second of timecode, but each of those seconds lasts 1.001 real seconds.
How do I convert timecode to frames by hand?
Turn the timecode into seconds, multiply by the frame rate, then add the leftover frames: frames = (hours × 3600 + minutes × 60 + seconds) × fps + frames. At 25 fps, 00:01:30:12 is (90 × 25) + 12 = 2262 frames.
What is the difference between 23.976 and 24 fps?
23.976 fps is 24 fps slowed by a factor of 1000/1001 so it fits the NTSC colour standard. The two look identical, but a one hour programme at 23.976 runs 3.6 seconds longer in real time than the same frame count at 24 fps, which is why mixing them in one timeline causes sync drift.
Does drop-frame timecode throw away frames?
No. Drop-frame skips frame numbers, not frames. Every picture is still recorded and played; the counter just omits two labels at the start of most minutes so the timecode stays in step with the clock.
Why does my timecode read less than the running time?
Because non-drop timecode at 29.97 fps counts 30 frames per second while the video actually plays 29.97. After a real hour the counter is 3.6 seconds behind. Switch the sequence to drop-frame timecode if the number has to match a broadcast clock.
How long is a single frame in milliseconds?
One frame lasts 1000 divided by the frame rate: 41.667 ms at 24 fps, 40 ms at 25 fps, 33.333 ms at 30 fps and 16.667 ms at 60 fps. The frame duration table on this page lists every standard rate.
The same maths, pre-run for the values people ask about most.