What Is Drop-Frame Timecode?

Direct definition

Drop-frame timecode is a numbering system for 29.97 fps (and 59.94) video. It skips certain frame numbers so the timecode display stays close to real elapsed time. It does not delete video frames.

The sections below explain how drop-frame timecode is used in transcription and subtitle work, what people often mix up, and which VideoText workflow applies when the next step is a file or review pass.

Key takeaways

• Drop-frame is a label convention, not a render mode.
• Mixing DF and NDF on one sequence is a classic sync bug.
• SRT milliseconds are wall-clock; SMPTE DF is a different counting system.

The thing people often get wrong

Editors sometimes hear “drop-frame” and think frames were removed from the movie. Only numbers in the clock are skipped.

Related terms

• SMPTE timecode
• frame rate
• timecode
• All glossary terms

Sources

1. SMPTE: SMPTE ST 12 timecode family