Incorrect frame rate on AVI output, incorrect display of frame

clement5 wrote on 2/19/2026, 4:31 PM

The AVI output uses a lossless compressed codec by default. I have videos in the standard US format 23.976 (24000/1001) But on output I can only coerce it to (23976/1000) which causes problems when matching videos after using other programs on the output and reimporting it into my project. The export has the same number of frames as the inport, but on the timeline does not match for large exports. This has been a problem for numerous versions of this video editor and is NEVER fixed.

24000/1001 is the standard for US DVDs and is supported by other US video hardware. Curiously exports as MP4 or uncompressed are correct, so it is only in the AVI export.

You may ask why use AVI. This is because the video is passed through several other video procesors before creating the final product. AVI default codec exports are lossless compression which saves space. By doing this artifacts due to multiple lossy conversions are avoided.

There is also a display problem for the 23.976 fps video. In the middle of the clip sometimes the display shows the image of one of the next neighbor frames, and when exporting it as an image, the wrong frame is exported.

Comments

AAProds wrote on 2/20/2026, 1:40 AM

@clement5

I don't understand why you're comparing clips. Wouldn't you work on a clip, export it, edit in in another program, then re-import it? Why are you comparing the original exported clip with one that has been re-edited, in potentially another program that is causing the problem?

The US DVD standard for playing is 29.97. Film is shot at 24fps. I believe 23.976 is the framerate that results from an accurate IVTC of 24fps film that has previously been telecined to 29.97 for DVD.

Try a different AVI codec. LAGS and HUFF have given me problems in the past with duped and random frames, but with MagicYUV, I have no issues at all.

clement5 wrote on 2/21/2026, 5:53 PM

The standard for the US is to have a film shot at 24fps is to put it on Blu-Ray at 23.976 (24000/1001). The standard for the transmission of video is 29.97 and also for DVD, which means it has to be telecined to fit a movie onto a DVD. All you have to do is look at the Blu-Ray file with a movie and check the rate using a good program. Yes detelecinig a DVD movie yields 23.976, the US standard. Pal does not telecine, and I think it has 24.0fps (24000/1000) as the movie frame rate. Of course there are now multiple standards for the US, but as far as I know they are all based on the 23.97 standard originally created to allow color info to interleave with the B&W info.

The reason for the comparison is that the YUV default output results in wrong output, and only the uncompressed AVI or other formats are correct. This results in a disparity between the sound and the video. Comparing a long clip over 30minutes easily shows the problem. The problem is not as noticeable with a short clip. I also pointed out that this problem also causes wrong frame display on the timeline, but only at specific points. VirtualDub does it correctly and knows that 23.976 is supposed to be (24000/1001). All of this can be seen with a good EXIF display program.

I have not dug into the standards rules, but I am pretty sure the frame rate is specified by 2 integers and that 23.976 is derived from that. If I run a long clip through VirtualDub to correct the frame rate, the problem with the YUV output is fixed, but that is a very painful kludge for a problem that has existed for at least a decade or more.

johnebaker wrote on 2/21/2026, 7:31 PM

@clement5

AFAIK the difference in the number of frames is a result of where the video clip start/end boundarys are edited to in relation to the dropping frames sequence which is a result of converting from 24 fps.

Converting 24fps to 23.97 fps, 1.8 frames have to be dropped per minute.

Because of this odd framerate, 2 frames are dropped every minute with the exception of the 10th minute when no frames are dropped. The longer the video clip the more visible the difference appears.

. . . . Pal does not telecine, and I think it has 24.0fps (24000/1000) as the movie frame rate. . . .

The PAL standard was/is 25 fps, whether monochrome or colour, and also has to be de-telecined to achieve 24 fps, however the dropping a frame is consistent, 1 frame every second so the discrepancy is linear over a 10 minute period when compared to NTSC and more easily corrected.

. . . . a problem that has existed for at least a decade or more . . . .

This existed since the early1950's before digital came along, 24 fps films were 'slowed down' to fit the NTSC frame rate of 23.97 fps. I believe this is where the 24000/1001 may have came from.

I assume that you are using the original Virtual Dub for fixing the frame-rate, VDub 2 has been known to cause stutter.

John EB

AAProds wrote on 2/21/2026, 9:14 PM

@clement5

The reason for the comparison is that the YUV default output results in wrong output, and only the uncompressed AVI or other formats are correct.

Then why use it? There are plenty of other lossless compressed formats you can use.

This results in a disparity between the sound and the video. Comparing a long clip over 30minutes easily shows the problem.

Just stretch it. After all, 24fps is sped up to 25fps for PAL and nobody complains/notices.

As for getting your issue fixed, I doubt it will ever happen. This is a $60 program and has bigger issues than this that could be improved/fixed.

clement5 wrote on 2/23/2026, 11:22 AM

I carefully check the VirtualDub output as to the number of frames and the frame rate. I am now using VD2. The number of frames matches the original when changing the AVI. As to using another losless compressed formats, there are none others that work reliably on Movie Video... They used to work. Yes, AVI is not the most popular format, and it doesn't work for 3D formats with full Sided-by-side HD. It can't handle the high width. The AVI output of VD2 is corrected to have the same digital frame rate, without a change in the number of frames.

As to the comment about the number of frames depend on where you start the export, I am careful about that. I have compared full movies and 30 minute clips. the Magix default AVI has exactly the same number of frames, but when imported on the timeline below the original, the lengths do not match and the sound is off. Yes, I know MAGIX doesn't care because it assumes most users only diddle short clips and they mass market their product with hints that it is really a PRO product.