Timecode standards

Frame count (frames per second)

The frame count of timecode defines the standard with which it is labeled. There are 4 timecode standards:

24 fps Film (F)

This frame count is the traditional count for film. It is also used for HD video formats and commonly referred to as “24 p”. However, with HD video, the actual frame rate or speed of the video sync reference is slower, 23.976 frames per second, so timecode does not reflect the actual realtime on the clock for 24p HD video.

25 fps PAL (P)

This is the broadcast video standard frame count for European (and other PAL countries) television broadcast.

30 fps non-drop SMPTE (N)

This is the frame count of NTSC broadcast video. However, the actual frame rate or speed of the video format runs at 29.97 fps. This timecode clock does not run in realtime. It is slightly slower by 0.1 %.

30  fps drop-frame SMPTE (D)

The 30 fps drop-frame count is an adaptation that allows a timecode display running at 29.97 fps to actually show the clock-on-the-wall-time of the timeline by “dropping” or skipping specific frame numbers in order to “catch the clock up” to realtime.

Confused? Just remember to keep the timecode standard (or frame count) and frame rate (or speed) separate.

Frame rate (speed)

Regardless of the frame counting system, the actual speed at which frames of video go by in realtime is the true frame rate.

In Cubase the following frame rates are available:

23.9 fps (Cubase Pro only)

This frame rate is used for film that is being transferred to NTSC video and must be slowed down for a 2-3 pull-down telecine transfer. It is also used for the type of HD video referred to as “24 p”.

24 fps

This is the true speed of standard film cameras.

24.9 fps (Cubase Pro only)

This frame rate is commonly used to facilitate transfers between PAL and NTSC video and film sources. It is mostly used to correct for some error.

25 fps

This is the frame rate of PAL video.

29.97 fps

This is the frame rate of NTSC video. The count can be either non-drop or drop-frame.

30 fps

This frame rate is not a video standard anymore but has been commonly used in music recording. Many years ago it was the black and white NTSC broadcast standard. It is equal to NTSC video being pulled up to film speed after a 2-3 telecine transfer.

59.98 fps (Cubase Pro only)

This rate is also referred to as “60 p”. Many professional HD cameras record at 59.98 fps. While 60 fps could theoretically exist as a frame rate, no current HD video camera records at a full 60 fps as a standard rate.

Frame count vs. frame rate

Part of the confusion in timecode stems from the use of “frames per second” in both the timecode standard and the actual frame rate. When used to describe a timecode standard, frames per second defines how many frames of timecode are counted before one second on the counter increments. When describing frame rates, frames per second define how many frames are played back during the span of one second of realtime. In other words: Regardless of how many frames of video there are per second of timecode (frame count), those frames can be moving at different rates depending on the speed (frame rate) of the video format. For example, NTSC timecode (SMPTE) has a frame count of 30 fps. However, NTSC video runs at a rate of 29.97 fps. So the NTSC timecode standard known as SMPTE is a 30 fps standard that runs at 29.97 realtime.