Answers.Body: <ol>
  <li><p>FFmpeg only supports timecode in a limited set of formats. They are the MOV family (MOV/MP4/3GP..), MXF family, raw DV and Grass Valley GXF.</p></li>
  <li><p>How the timecode is stored and flagged is specific to the format. MOV stores a DF flag, integer framerate and the timecode as a rate-adjusted integer frame index. MXF does essentially the same.</p></li>
  </ol>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-10-29T05:58:29.973Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-10-29T05:58:29.973Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Gyan
Body: <p>As a followup to <a href="https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/25082/add-timecode-information-to-file/25115#25115">Add timecode information to file</a></p>
  <p>ffmpeg documents the <code>-timecode</code> parameter:</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>-timecode hh:mm:ssSEPff</p>
  <p>Specify Timecode for writing. SEP is ’:’ for non drop timecode and ’;’ (or ’.’) for drop.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Two questions come up:</p>
  <ol>
  <li><p>Which container formats support the <code>-timecode</code> option? Are there any that don't?</p>
  </li>
  <li><p>The option to specify DF/NDF timecode implies the ability to store DF flag in the file alongside the framerate. Is that how it works, or does ffmpeg convert DF timecode to a corresponding NDF frame count and stores that?</p>
  </li>
  </ol>
  
Tags: <ffmpeg><file-formats><timecode>
Title: How does ffmpeg record -timecode in different file formats?
UserDisplayName: iter
ThreadText: # How does ffmpeg record -timecode in different file formats?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-28)
  
  As a followup to [Add timecode information to file](https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/25082/add-timecode-information-to-file/25115#25115)
  
  ffmpeg documents the `-timecode` parameter:
  
  > -timecode hh:mm:ssSEPff
  >
  > Specify Timecode for writing. SEP is ’:’ for non drop timecode and ’;’ (or ’.’) for drop.
  
  Two questions come up:
  
  1. Which container formats support the `-timecode` option? Are there any that don't?
  2. The option to specify DF/NDF timecode implies the ability to store DF flag in the file alongside the framerate. Is that how it works, or does ffmpeg convert DF timecode to a corresponding NDF frame count and stores that?
  
  **Tags:** ffmpeg, file-formats, timecode
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2018-10-29. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  1. FFmpeg only supports timecode in a limited set of formats. They are the MOV family (MOV/MP4/3GP..), MXF family, raw DV and Grass Valley GXF.
  2. How the timecode is stored and flagged is specific to the format. MOV stores a DF flag, integer framerate and the timecode as a rate-adjusted integer frame index. MXF does essentially the same.
  
  
  ---
  
  