Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 40)

• Drop frame timecode has a semicolon (;) between the seconds and frames fields, and
two timecode numbers are skipped from the frames counter each minute (except every
tenth minute).
01:16:59;29, 01:17:00;02
A clip’s timecode comes directly from its media files. To set sequence timecode, you can
use the Drop Frame checkbox in the Timeline Options pane of Sequence Settings. For
more information, see
“Changing Timeline Display Options.”
How Drop Frame Timecode Works
When you use drop frame timecode, numbers :00 and :01 are skipped at the beginning
of each minute, unless the minute number is exactly divisible by 10. The dropped numbers
do not appear in the timecode fields in Final Cut Pro because they’ve been dropped and
are not on your tape.
If you’re entering timecode to navigate and inadvertently type a timecode number that
doesn’t exist in drop frame timecode, Final Cut Pro automatically moves forward to the
next available timecode number.
40 Chapter 2 Video Formats and Timecode