Question

What is the purpose of drop-frame timecode in video production?

1) To report time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames
2) To skip or drop two frame numbers each minute except every tenth minute
3) To accommodate the NTSC actual frame rate of 29.97 fps
4) To output to NTSC videotape

Answer 1

Drop-frame timecode is used to correct the discrepancy caused by NTSC's 29.97 fps rate, aligning the timecode to the true elapsed playback time by skipping frame numbers periodically.

Step-by-step explanation:

The purpose of drop-frame timecode in video production is to accommodate the NTSC actual frame rate of 29.97 frames per second (fps). Non-drop frame timecode assumes a rate of 30 fps, but since NTSC video actually plays back at 29.97 fps, there is a discrepancy that grows over time between the timecode's representation of time and the actual elapsed time. Drop-frame timecode corrects this by skipping or dropping two frame numbers each minute, except every tenth minute, to align the timecode with the actual playback time. This ensures that any given timecode corresponds correctly to the true elapsed time during playback.