Video frame rate

What is a video frame rate?

The term “frame rate” is typically defined as the frequency at which a sequence of still images is recorded by a camera or shown on a display. Frame rates are usually expressed in “frames per second” or “fps” because it relates to the number of frames that are recorded or appear within a second of time.

When it comes to watching a video, our eyes perceive it as one continuous recording. In reality, a video is actually a series of multiple still images, also known as “frames”, that a camera records in succession. Once played back, videos give the impression of continuous motion due to the rapid playback speed.

Typical video frame rates

In general, camera video frame rates tend to be either 24fps, 30fps, 60fps or 120fps. As the years have gone by and video technology have progressed, most modern-day cameras will produce video at a variety of frame rates. Since the human eye has the image latency of around 1/25th of a second, the standard video frame rate for movies and TV shows tend to be 24fps — both for recording and broadcasting.

However, most sports are recorded at 30fps as it provides a smoother viewing experience with less motion blur, although high-speed sports such as baseball or NASCAR tend to use 60fps. Anything beyond 60fps is great for capturing smoother slow-motion video.