Convert subtitles from 25 fps to 29.97 fps
Moving a subtitle file between the European 25 fps PAL world and 29.97 fps NTSC frame counts. Drop the file in below and download the re-timed copy.
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Converting subtitles between 25 fps PAL and 29.97 fps NTSC
25 fps is the PAL standard; 29.97 fps is NTSC. When a subtitle file's timing is tied to 25 fps frame numbers and you need it on a 29.97 fps reference, every timestamp scales by 25 / 29.97 = 0.83417. This is a cross-standard frame-count conversion — the sort that comes up moving frame-based subtitles between a European and a North-American release.
Diagnose the real problem first. If you have an ordinary time-based SRT that drifts, the usual cause is a 25 fps PAL copy versus a 23.976 fps film — a 4% speed difference — not a 25-to-29.97 frame-count issue. Use this page specifically when the timings were computed at 25 fps and the target is a genuine 29.97 fps frame count. Preview the result to confirm it lines up before relying on it.
Chasing PAL film drift instead? 25 → 23.976 fps.
FAQ
When is 25 to 29.97 the right conversion?
When a subtitle file's timing is built on 25 fps frame numbers — typically a frame-based .sub from a PAL source — and you need it to match a 29.97 fps NTSC frame count. For ordinary drifting SRTs, a PAL-versus-film conversion (25 to 23.976) is far more common.
What does times 0.83417 do?
It multiplies every timestamp by 25 / 29.97 = 0.83417. A cue at 10:00 moves to about 8:21. Preview the result to confirm it lines up before relying on it.
Why do PAL and NTSC subtitles clash at all?
They were built for different broadcast systems with different frame rates. A file authored in one region can carry timing assumptions that do not match a release from the other, and a frame-count rescale realigns them.