Davinci Resolve 12.5 Timecode Calculator: A Frustrating Experience

In the world of video editing, timecodes can be a crucial aspect to get right. However, it seems that not everyone who makes software for this purpose has a clear understanding of how frame rates work. I'm here to share my frustrating experience with Davinci Resolve 12.5 and its timecode calculator, specifically when dealing with subtitles.

Recently, I encountered an issue where the file already had a frame rate of 23.976, but the subtitles didn't line up correctly even after doing it manually. This has been a persistent problem for me over the past 20 years, and it's not just limited to Davinci Resolve. It seems that both Blackmagic Design (BMD) and Amazon might be using the same open-source code for SRT handling, which could be causing the issue.

Amazon offers a pulldown feature where you can specify the frame rate, but they also provide two options: 23.976 and 23.976 - which seems nonsensical as it's always non-drop. There doesn't appear to be a way to fix this in Davinci Resolve.

During my experience with the subtitles, I noticed a consistent drift factor over the length of the film. This was equivalent to the difference between 23.976 and 24fps - as if Resolve and Amazon were handling the subtitles as 24fps, but the timecode was 23.976. The SRT file had the subtitle starting at 01:18:02,375, but in the Resolve timeline (and on Amazon), it appeared at 01:17:57:18.

When I imported the SRT file into Davinci Resolve, the final subtitle was a bit more than four seconds ahead of that timecode. However, when I looked at the SRT file again, the start timecode of the final subtitle was exactly where it was supposed to be in the film. The subtitles provided by the subtitle service were in sync on their end.

Unfortunately, Amazon rejected the subtitles, citing that they drifted out of sync. This is yet another issue with Amazon rejecting subtitles for a client's film. In our case, we're trying a different format - SRT - which is not one we normally use. As a result, I'm left wondering if there's a way to make Resolve do this correctly or if it's just an inherent problem that we'll have to live with.

Has anyone else experienced similar issues with Davinci Resolve and subtitles? If so, please share your solutions or workarounds in the comments below.

Davici resolve 12.5 timecode calculator