How this calculator works
Timecode counts frames, not fractions of a second. At 25 frames per second, frame 0 is the first frame, frame 24 is the last frame of the first second, and frame 25 begins the next second. Dividing the frame number by the rate gives the elapsed time, and the remainder after the whole seconds gives the frame within the second. The result is written hours:minutes:seconds:frames, with each field padded to two digits except for hours beyond 99. This page uses non-drop timecode, which assumes an integer frame rate and therefore runs slightly fast against the wall clock when the real rate is 29.97 or 23.976.
Formula
total seconds = frames / frame rate. hours = floor(total seconds / 3600), minutes and seconds follow the same way. frames within the second = frames - (whole hours x 3600 + minutes x 60 + seconds) x frame rate. Timecode = HH:MM:SS:FF.
Worked example
Frame 1800 at 30 frames per second is 60 seconds exactly, so the timecode is 00:01:00:00. Frame 3601 at 24 frames per second is 150 seconds and one frame, giving 00:02:30:01. Frame 90000 at 25 frames per second is 3600 seconds, which is exactly one hour, so the timecode is 01:00:00:00.
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Frequently asked questions
What is drop-frame timecode?
It skips selected frame numbers so that timecode stays close to the wall clock on a 29.97 or 59.94 frame per second sequence. The media does not lose frames; only the labels are skipped. This page uses non-drop numbering at whole-number rates.
Does frame 0 or frame 1 come first?
Timecode begins at zero, so frame 0 is the very first frame. Some applications display a one-based count, which shifts every label by one, so check the convention before comparing.
Why is my timecode different from my player?
Players may start the sequence at an offset, or use fractional rates. A 29.97 frame per second sequence needs drop-frame labels to stay aligned with real time, and this page uses integer rates only.
How many frames are in an hour?
At 24 frames per second there are 86,400 frames in an hour, at 25 there are 90,000 and at 30 there are 108,000. Multiply the rate by 3600 to get the figure for any whole rate.