TimecodaLabsubtitle timeline studio
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FPS subtitle converter

If the first cues are nearly right but the subtitles drift further out of sync the longer the video runs, the file was timed for a different frame rate. Multiplying every cue by the ratio (23.976 → 25, 25 → 29.97, PAL speed-up and back) puts it back on the timeline.

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Frame durations

Frame rateOne frameWhere it shows up
23.976 fps41.708 msFilm on Blu-ray / streaming (24p with pulldown)
24 fps41.667 msFilm, cinema, most festivals
25 fps40.000 msPAL regions, European broadcast, DVD/Blu-ray in PAL
29.97 fps33.367 msNTSC broadcast, US cable, many deliveries
30 fps33.333 msScreen recordings, some web delivery
59.94 fps16.683 msHigh frame-rate sport and gameplay capture

How far off does each combination end up?

ConversionTiming factorDrift per minute of video
23.976 → 251.042709+2563 ms
25 → 23.9760.959040−2458 ms
24 → 251.041667+2500 ms
25 → 240.960000−2400 ms
23.976 → 241.001001+60 ms
29.97 → 301.001001+60 ms
25 → 29.971.198800+11928 ms
23.976 → 29.971.250000+15000 ms

Positive drift = subtitles end up later than the picture (they were timed for a slower rate). Negative = earlier. Anything above roughly 100 ms per minute is impossible to hide with a fixed offset, which is why this page multiplies instead of shifting.

Retiming a whole series?

The studio re-times every open file at once, exports them as one ZIP and can hand you a CSV/JSON timing report to prove the result. Pro is a $9 one-time licence — lifetime, up to 3 devices — with a 7-day refund while the key is unactivated. Single-file retiming stays free, including export.

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Questions people ask before using it

Why do subtitles drift more the longer the video plays?

The file was timed against a different frame rate than the video you are watching. Every cue is multiplied by the ratio between the two rates, so the error accumulates — 25 fps subtitles on 29.97 fps footage end up about 11.9 seconds out over a single minute of content.

Which frame rate do my subtitles belong to?

Whatever the cut they were authored against used. Watch the direction of the error: cues that run early and get worse mean the video rate is lower than the subtitle rate; cues that fall behind mean it is higher. The table above gives the expected drift for each combination, so you can match it against what you see.

Is this the same as a PAL speed-up fix?

Yes. 25 → 23.976 (or the reverse) is the classic PAL/NTSC case: about 4 percent fast or slow, which is 2.5 seconds of drift per minute — far too much for a fixed offset to fix.