The Ultimate Frame Rate Guide for Beginners - Riverside

Understanding frame rates and choosing the best frame rate for your video is essential when making any sort of audiovisual recording, including video podcasts and interviews. Frame rates impact everything from the file size of your video to your audience’s watching experience, so it’s important to get them right.

This article will help you understand the basics of frame rates, from what they are to which is the best to use for your content.

What Is Frame Rate To Begin With?

Frame rate is quite a simple concept when you break it down. Here’s the core of it: no matter how high-tech our hardware and software are when we watch a video, we’re watching a sequence of still photographs. These photos, known as frames, are shown at a rate that makes them look like they’re moving.

In the simplest possible terms, it works like a flick book. This is the case whether you’re watching a feature-length film or looking at the cursor moving on your computer screen. So, the frame rate is a measure of speed that indicates how many still image frames are shown per unit of time. It’s usually measured in seconds which is where the term FPS or “frames per second” comes from.

Labeling Frame Rates Through Timecode

When working with video, it’s useful to be able to reference an exact moment within your file, right down to the still frame. This allows you to find the best shots and can prevent synchronization problems in post-production.

The most common way to label timings in your video is using SMPTE timecode. When you look at the timecode, the frame is the smallest increment you’ll see:

HOURS:MINUTES:SECONDS: FRAMES

Frame Rate VS. Refresh Rate

Let’s take a moment to look at other terms which are often confused with frame rate. Refresh rate, measured in hertz, refers to how quickly a monitor or display refreshes. As a rule, the higher the refresh rate, the better quality the moving image.

Frame Rate VS. Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is not the same as frame rate. Shutter speed is how long your camera exposes light onto a camera sensor when taking a photo or filming a video.

Why do Frame Rates matter in filming video?

Frame rates have a huge impact on the style of a video and our viewing experience of it. Different speeds have different effects. Choosing the right frame depends on what you want your video to look like.

How Many FPS do we as Humans See?

Several studies have been carried out over the years to find how many frames our eyes (or rather, our brains) can perceive per second and what frame rate we prefer to watch.

When to use different frame rates?

While the SMPTE has set standardized frame rates for TV and movies, there is no set standard for online video. In general, recommended frame rate depends on the content and desired impact of the video, as well as geographical region:

24 FPS — the standard for most movies and streaming video content.

25 FPS(UK & Europe) and 30 FPS (the US & elsewhere) — standard frame rate for TV video. The higher frame rate is good for fast-moving video like sports coverage.

50 FPS (UK & Europe) and 60 FPS(the US & elsewhere) — high frame rate with much more detail making it the best frame rate for 4K video.

What’s The Best Frame Rate For Video?

While we’ve mentioned standard frame rates for movies and TV above, this section will delve into the right frame rate to make your interviews, podcasts, and videos look great:

How to Choose the Right Frame Rate

• Content. How much action is there in your video? Are you shooting slow motion?
• Desired look and feel of your video. Do you want a cinematic feel? Are you imitating a vintage film? Would you prefer a highly realistic effect?
• Device. What frame rate is standard or optimal on your camera? What type of display will your audience be watching on?
• File size. The lower your frame rate, the smaller the file size.
• Time to export. The higher the FPS, the longer your video will take to export.
• Bandwidth. Lower frame rates use less bandwidth.

The Right Frame Rate for YouTube And Other Video Sharing Platforms

Some video streaming platforms, including YouTube, allow frame rates of up to 60 FPS. However, others like Facebook Live are limited to 30 FPS. To share your video across multiple platforms, the best option is to record 24 FPS or 30 FPS.

Frame Rates For Remote Recordings

Podcasts and interviews are recorded remotely now more than ever. Of course, this brings with it a whole host of potential issues, from failing internet connection to poor synchronization. This is a common problem when multiple participants are recording at different frame rates. Riverside records ISO video tracks locally. That is to say, separate videos are recorded on your and/or your guests’ devices with up to 4k resolution quality.

Is a Higher Frame Rate Better for Video Recording?

A high frame rate is not necessarily the right choice for your video. As we’ve learned in this article, choosing the right frame rates for you depends on your content and the experience you want your audience to have. Additionally, file size and bandwidth restrictions can also dictate what frame rates you should use.

Optimize Video Quality With The Right Frame Rate

We hope this article has helped you get a good understanding of frame rates and what frame rate is best for your video use case. Whichever frame rate you choose for your video, our unique, locally-recording software ensures high-quality video that’s optimized to your required bandwidth and file sizes, making it great for live streaming or saving to edit and post later.