FrameMath Support
Timecode, frame-rate and storage tools for film and video
CONTACT
Please include your device and iOS or macOS version. If it's a maths question, include the exact timecodes, frame rate and mode — that usually makes the answer immediate.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Why does 23.976 give a different answer from 24?
Because they are genuinely different rates. 23.976 is exactly 24000/1001 frames per second, not 24. Both label timecode the same way — an hour of either reads 01:00:00:00 — but 86,400 frames takes 3600 seconds at 24 fps and 3603.6 seconds at 23.976. That 3.6 seconds per hour is real, and it is what the Drift tool exists to measure.
What is drop frame, and why is my timecode skipping numbers?
Drop frame keeps the timecode clock close to real time on 29.97 and 59.94 fps material. It skips frame numbers at the top of every minute except every tenth minute — two numbers at 29.97, four at 59.94.
No picture is ever dropped. Only the numbering changes. That is why 00:00:59;29 is followed by 00:01:00;02, and why drop-frame timecode is written with a semicolon.
Why did FrameMath reject my timecode?
FrameMath does not silently correct professional input, because a quietly "fixed" number is more dangerous than a rejected one. The usual causes:
- "Frame must be between 00 and 23" — you entered frame 24 or higher at 24 fps. Frame numbers run 00–23 at 24 fps, 00–24 at 25 fps, 00–29 at 30 fps.
- "Invalid drop-frame timecode" — the timecode does not exist. 00:01:00;00 is not a real drop-frame timecode; that minute starts at ;02.
- "Drop frame is not defined for 25 fps" — drop frame exists only for 29.97 and 59.94.
How do I type a timecode quickly?
Digits fill from the right, like every professional tool:
Type 10 get 00:00:00:10
Type 1234 get 00:00:12:34
Type 01123410 get 01:12:34:10
You never need to type a colon — on iPhone a plain number pad is enough. You can also paste timecode in any usual format, with colons, semicolons or full stops.
Should durations include the last frame?
It depends what you are doing, so FrameMath lets you choose. Exclusive matches what your NLE shows as a clip's duration. Inclusive counts every frame position, which is what a shot list or a frame-count hand-off usually means. The difference is always exactly one frame.
Why is my card capacity different from what the camera says?
FrameMath uses decimal units by default — 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes — because that is what card and drive manufacturers print on the packaging. The Finder uses binary units, where 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes, and so reports a smaller number for the same card.
FrameMath never mixes the two. Binary units are available and are always labelled MiB, GiB and TiB so you can see which you are using.
What is included in FrameMath Pro?
The timecode calculator, frames converter, duration calculator and speed calculator are free, with no ads and no limits.
FrameMath Pro is one lifetime purchase and unlocks drop-frame timecode, the storage calculator, the frame-rate drift calculator, saved presets and calculation history — across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
I bought Pro but a new device shows it locked
Open Settings in FrameMath and tap Restore, making sure you are signed in with the same Apple Account you bought it on.
Does FrameMath change my audio or media?
No. FrameMath is a calculator and never touches a file. The Drift tool tells you how much timing changes when material is interpreted at another rate; it does not resample or pitch-shift anything.
Does FrameMath work offline?
Always. It never needs a connection, has no account, and collects no data.
