Frame rate converter
Convert timecode from one frame rate to another, keeping the real time or as a speed change, and see what happens to the running time and the sound. Paste a whole list to convert it at once.
Counted from 00:00:00:00. For a programme that starts at 10:00:00:00, convert its durations, or the time since the start.
Every line
| In | Frames | Real time | Out | Frames | Real time |
|---|
Questions
What is the difference between the two methods?
Keep real time changes the frame rate but not the running time: frames are added, dropped or blended so the film lasts just as long, and a cut at 10 minutes is still at 10 minutes. Speed change keeps every frame and plays them at the new rate, so the film runs faster or slower and the audio has to be sped up to match. Converting 24 to 25 fps this way is the PAL speed-up.
What happens to the audio in a speed change?
It has to change speed by the same amount, which also raises or lowers the pitch unless it is corrected. 24 to 25 fps is 4.17% faster, about 0.7 of a semitone higher; 23.976 to 24 is 0.1% faster, too small to hear.
What is drop-frame timecode?
At 29.97 and 59.94 fps, counting 30 or 60 frames a second makes the timecode drift behind the clock by 3.6 seconds an hour. Drop-frame timecode skips frame numbers 00 and 01 (00 to 03 at 59.94) at the start of every minute except every tenth, so the timecode matches the clock. No frames are thrown away, only numbers. It is written with a semicolon: 01:00:00;00.
How do I take a 23.976 film to a DCP?
Use a speed change to 24 fps. It plays 0.1% faster, so a 90-minute film becomes about 5.4 seconds shorter, and the audio is sped up by the same tiny amount. DCP software such as DCP-o-matic does this for you.
Can I convert a list of timecodes?
Yes: paste one timecode a line, for example markers, cut points or a cue list, and every line is converted at once. Copy the results back out as a list.