What is drop frame timecode?
Drop frame is a way of counting timecode at 29.97 and 59.94 fps. Since these videos run slightly under 30 frames per second, the timecode skips the numbers ;00 and ;01 (;00 to ;03 at 59.94) at the start of every minute, except every tenth minute. No images are thrown away: only the numbering changes.
Also called: DF, drop frame timecode
The skip at the top of the minute
In drop frame, 00:00:59;29 is followed by 00:01:00;02. The numbers ;00 and ;01 do not exist in that minute. At minute 10, the count does not skip.
| Previous frame | Next frame | Skipped? |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00:59;29 | 00:01:00;02 | Yes, ;00 and ;01 |
| 00:01:59;29 | 00:02:00;02 | Yes |
| 00:09:59;29 | 00:10:00;00 | No, a multiple of 10 |
Why drop frame exists
Without it, an hour of 29.97 fps video counted as if it were 30 fps would end at 00:59:56:12, about three and a half seconds short of the clock. For broadcast, where schedules are timed to the second, that gap does not work.
For editors, the risk is mixing the two counts. A list in drop frame read as non drop frame points to the wrong frames, and the error grows with the running time.
Drop frame in FilmScribe
When you export to your editor, on Studio and Agency, each segment points to the exact spot in the original media, and the editor shows timecode in your project's format. To convert or add drop frame timecodes, the free calculator accepts the ; and checks that the frame exists.
Timecode calculator with drop frame Add and convert timecodes at 29.97 and 59.94 DF, change frame rates and process a whole list at once. Calculate in drop frame →Avoiding drop frame mistakes
- 01
Choose once, at the start
Set the project to drop frame or non drop frame before the edit begins and keep every export the same. Switching midway makes earlier notes, lists and caption files point to the wrong frames.
- 02
Ask when the spec is silent
Broadcast specs usually state DF or NDF next to 29.97. When they do not, ask before you deliver, because a list in the wrong count drifts further the longer the program runs.
- 03
Know the size of the gap
An hour of drop frame skips 108 frame numbers: two per minute in 54 of the 60 minutes. If two counts of the same hour differ by about that much, someone mixed DF and NDF.
Related terms
See all terms →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between drop frame and non drop frame?
Non drop frame counts every frame number without skipping. Drop frame skips ;00 and ;01 at the start of every minute, except every tenth, to match the clock. The images are the same; only the numbering changes.
Is there drop frame at 25 or 24 fps?
No. It only makes sense at the fractional rates of 29.97 and 59.94 fps. At 23.976 fps, timecode is usually non drop frame.
How can I tell if a timecode is drop frame?
By the separator before the frames: a semicolon (;) or a period means drop frame, and a colon (:) means non drop frame. Check your sequence settings in the editor too.
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