Frames to Timecode Calculator
Video editors count time in frames, but humans read it as hours, minutes and seconds, and timecode bridges the two. This calculator turns a raw frame number into standard non-drop timecode written as HH:MM:SS:FF. The method is plain division: divide the frame number by the frame rate to get the total number of whole seconds, with the remainder being the leftover frames inside the current second. Then split those whole seconds into hours, minutes and seconds in the usual way. A frame number of 3,725 at 25 frames per second works out to 149 whole seconds and 0 leftover frames, which is two minutes and twenty-nine seconds, written 00:02:29:00. The frames field always runs from 0 up to one less than the frame rate, because frame 0 is the first frame of each second. Use it to locate an edit point, label a clip, or line up footage shot at different rates. This tool produces non-drop timecode and treats the frame rate as a whole number; drop-frame at 29.97 follows a separate rule. Every figure is computed deterministically from your two inputs, never estimated, with the method and a worked example shown below for verification.
Divide frames by frame rate, then split into time fields: HH:MM:SS:FF from frame / fps. Frame 3,725 at 25 fps is timecode 00:02:29:00.
Frames to timecode formula
total seconds = floor(frame / fps)
FF = frame mod fps
HH = floor(total seconds / 3600)
MM = floor((total seconds mod 3600) / 60)
SS = total seconds mod 60
The frame number divided by the frame rate gives whole seconds; the remainder is the frame field. The seconds are then broken into hours, minutes and seconds.
Worked example
Convert frame number 3,725 at 25 frames per second.
- Total seconds = floor(3,725 / 25) = 149
- Leftover frames = 3,725 mod 25 = 0
- Minutes = floor(149 / 60) = 2, seconds = 149 mod 60 = 29
- Hours = 0
- Timecode = 00:02:29:00
Frame 3,725 at 25 fps is 00:02:29:00. These are the calculator's default inputs, so the result above matches the widget exactly.
Common frame rates
The frames field runs from 0 to one less than the frame rate.
| Frame rate | Frames field range |
|---|---|
| 24 fps | 0 to 23 |
| 25 fps | 0 to 24 |
| 30 fps | 0 to 29 |
| 60 fps | 0 to 59 |
Time and frequency measurement standards: US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Frames to timecode calculator: frequently asked questions
How do you convert a frame number to timecode?
Divide the frame number by the frame rate to get total seconds. The whole part is the seconds, and the remainder is the leftover frames. Convert the seconds into hours, minutes and seconds, then write the result as HH:MM:SS:FF.
What does the FF part mean?
FF is the frame count within the current second, from 0 up to one less than the frame rate. At 25 frames per second the frames field runs 0 to 24, and at 24 frames per second it runs 0 to 23. It is the remainder after removing whole seconds.
Is this drop-frame or non-drop timecode?
This calculator produces non-drop timecode, where every frame is counted and the frame rate is treated as a whole number. Drop-frame timecode, used with 29.97 frames per second, skips certain frame numbers to stay aligned with clock time and follows a different rule.
Why start the frame count at zero?
Timecode counts frames from 0, so the first frame of a second is frame 0 and the last is frame rate minus 1. This means frame number 0 is timecode 00:00:00:00, and the conversion uses the remainder after dividing by the frame rate.
Is the result computed automatically?
Yes. The page divides the frame number by the frame rate and splits the seconds deterministically. No value is estimated or hard-coded, so changing either input updates the timecode instantly.
Official sources
- Time and frequency measurement standards: US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). As at 25 June 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 25 June 2026. See our methodology. This is general information, not financial, tax, legal or investment advice.