When you’re recording yourself with your smartphone or high definition video camera, you usually set the frame rate of your video to a standard value that is suitable for viewing. But what about all those other amateur videos online? Do you ever wonder if other people shot their videos on film, or in HD? What exactly is the best frame rate for video and why is it important? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the best frame rate for capturing video.
There are a plethora of numbers available to marketers when it comes to defining video conversion metrics. But it can be hard to know what video frame rate or resolution is right for you. Is there a definitive answer on what the best frame rate is for video? Let’s find out.
When it comes to video production, many people are confused about frame rate vs. frame size and how they compare to 30 fps vs. 24 fps etc. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an expert in video production process to know the answer because our new guide will tell you all about the best frame rate for your video project.
Different frame rates impact the viewing experience of a video, and there are several factors to consider before selecting a video frame rate. For example, early silent films had 14-26 frames per second, and later with sound synchronization, 24 fps became the standard cinematic video frame rate. Later 30 fps and 60 fps became the new standard for broadcast production, and still, 25 fps remained the film production standard. With the advancement of technology in the videography sector, triple-digit frame rates are becoming popular (120, 144, 240,480 fps, and more).
Definition of Video Frame Rate or frames per second (fps)
Frame rate (frames per second or FPS) is the frequency or the number of times consecutive still images are flashed on display. Every single image is known as a frame. When viewed on a screen in quick succession at a certain speed, these individual images give the appearance of motion. In other words, the frame rate is the count of the number of individual still photos projected on the screen in a given second.
For example, if a video is captured and played back at 24fps, that means every second of a video shows 24 different still images. Depending on the selection of the number of frames per second while shooting and playback, the motion of a video changes, be it normal motion, slow motion, time-lapse and more.
Different common frame rates in Video
Early filmmakers and animators discovered ways to create a motion perception through trial and error, somewhere between 12 and 16 fps. Anything below this threshold gave the brain perception of the display of a series of discrete images. Most silent films were filmed at around 16 to 18 frames per second and projected around 20-24 fps. This motion made films like Charlie Chaplin so comical.
Later, with the advent of sounds in films, filmmakers felt the need for a standard frame rate, and 24 fps became the choice.
24 fps
This is the standard cinematic video frame rate for movies and TV shows. 24 fps is the standard minimum frame rate to capture Video with realistic motion. It is most similar to how we see the world and has the most cinematic look. Busy scenes shot at 24 fps cause a lot of motion blurs.
30 fps
Despite 24 fps being a standard cinematic choice, 30 fps has also been a standard for television for many years. 30 fps gives a slighter smooth visual presentation and detailing at high motion. However, the Video will still look unnatural in high motion and may suffer from the soap opera effect.
60 fps
Anything at 60 fps and above gives the Video an incredibly smooth and crisp appearance. Such fast frame rates are used when a lot of movement or motions are happening on the screen. 60 fps is mostly used in scenes with a lot of moves like video games, action movies, or anything to be shown in slow motion with fine detailing and smoothness. More frames mean more detailing, and hence, sports are primarily recorded in higher frame rates to be slowed down to show replays while still maintaining the video clarity.
120 fps
Super slow motion shots of an epic football kick, car drifting scenes in games, or baseball batter swinging his bat are shot in 120 fps or even 240 fps, making the scene too smooth and crisp. 120+ fps is usually preferred in gaming, making them more realistic and fast-paced. The faster the game, the higher the processing power of the hardware system. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, when played above 100+ fps, remarkably improve the gaming experience. Ang Lee too shot the Gemini Man movie at 120 fps.
Difference between 30fps vs 60fps vs 120fps
The difference between 30, 60, and 120 frames rates has to do with how the images look. All these frame rates differ in the number of frames or photos captured in a second. Low frame rates can make the movements in the Video choppy or broken, but frame rates below 30 fps (around 8 to 10 fps) are ideal for smooth recording of time-lapse videos or ones without fast-moving objects. If the video records something fast like traffic, 30 fps gives smooth and more realistic movements. 60 fps is another television standard frame rate mostly seen in commercials on television these days. Most movies are now produced at 60 frames per second, giving more smoothness over 30 frames per second. Generally, computers have adopted 60 fps as the bare minimum output frame rate. 30 fps is slowly becoming a thing of the past in modern gaming and display.
Moving to 120 frames per second, the viewing experience gets crisper, eradicating the screen tearing problem. Slow-motion shots with fine detailing are often shot on 120 or 240 fps. At 120 fps, the input is more responsive than 60 fps, and the best way to notice the difference between 60 fps and 120 fps is by comparing them in quick succession. However, running at higher frame rates takes up more resources, and this viewing experience comes with extra cost. For most people, after 60 to 100 fps, it becomes harder to notice the difference. Moving from 30 fps to 60 fps gives a totally different viewing experience, and anything above hardly shows any difference unless a 3D game is played.
Relationship between Video Resolution and Frame Rate
Video Resolution is the amount of data you can fit in a frame (expressed in pixels per inch). The more the number of pixels, the higher the resolution. While shooting on a smartphone, there are several options to select video frame rate and video resolution. For example, 720p HD at 30 fps, 1080p at 30 fps, 1080p at 60fps or 4K at 30 fps. Let us take an example and understand how video resolution affects frame rate and vice versa.
A 16 MP resolution has 4928 x 3264 pixels. For a 30 fps refresh rate, 16 million pixels in each frame (30 frames) per second are updated, which takes 1/30 of a second to render a frame. This rendering time must not exceed the frame rate. Remember, GPU drives the frame rate while the CPU controls the resolution. If the GPU works more to render an image, the resolution suffers. A complex gaming condition will lower the resolution to display the rendered image correctly. Anything above 30 fps is the niche market of gamers and graphic enthusiasts. An average viewer may not notice the difference between resolutions like 720p and 1080p. But, at higher resolutions like 4K and 8K, the difference between them is easily noticeable.
Does frame rate affect file size?
As the frame rate increases, more frames are used per second to display the sequenced images, resulting in a smoother motion. More images packed into every second of the Video means more information and bigger files with more export time. High-quality Video is always desirable, but higher fps means more file size and bandwidth consumption. File size reduction requires lowering the bitrate or the frame rate. Lowering the bitrate while leaving the frame rate unchanged reduces the image quality. High resolution, frame rate, and satisfactory bitrate value together affect the video quality.
Standard cinematic & best Video frame rate for 4K videos
Earlier movies at their native frame rate of 24 FPS have necessarily face the pulldown process at the time of display on devices supporting 60Hz. This was to convert 24 frames per second in the video into the required 60 frames per second for the device. As a result, every odd frame gets repeated or played twice, while every even frame gets tripled, creating an uneven motion.
Due to similar uneven frame doubling, newer video standards come with a support of 30, 60, 120, 240, or 300 frames per second. These standards are suitable for both cinematic movies and 4K displays. Note that 4K is a device resolution thing and has nothing to do with video frame rates.
Best FPS or Video Frame Rate for YouTube videos
YouTube supports 24 to 60 frames per second with a maximum of 8K support. Different genres of YouTubers select frame rates based on the camera equipment, nature of the content, and target audience. For YouTube videos, given below are some of the most popular video frame rates.
- Talk Shows, Video Podcasts – 30 FPS
- Gaming Highlights, Montages, Makeup Tutorials – 60 FPS
- Academic and Learning videos, Fitness & Health Channels – 24-30 FPS
- Sports Highlights – 40-60 FPS
Slow-motion and Time-Lapse Video Frame Rate
Slow-motion occurs when the shooting video frame rate is higher than the playback frame rate. So the faster your video frame rate is while shooting, the slower things will appear in the playback.
For example, When we shoot a video at 120 fps and play it back at 30 fps, it appears four times slower. Let us look at some recommended slow-motion video frame rates.
60 FPS – Things look pretty slow (blowing candles on a cake, people walking)
120 FPS – Things appear moving slightly faster (pets running, slower sports)
240 – 480 FPS – Motions that happen too quickly for eyes to see (fast sports, water splashing, skiing, golf swings)
960 FPS – Great for balloons popping, breaking things, explosion scenes.
Time-Lapse Video Frame Rate: In the time-lapse cinematography technique, a series of still images are shot and played at a higher frame rate. This creates the illusion of high-speed movement as if the subject is moving very rapidly. Some time-lapse shots include the movement of stars at night, sunrise ad sunset, or the growth of plants. For time-lapse photography, the recommended standard shutter speed is double the frame rate. For example, a shot captured at 25 fps should have a shutter speed of 1/50.
To determine the number of images, your time-lapse requires, use this simple calculation: (desired frame rate)*(clip duration in seconds) = Total frames needed. For example, if the video is 30 seconds long and captured at 30 fps, one needed 900 images for 30 seconds of footage.
Best Video Frame Rate for Gaming
Broadly games can be of the ‘thinking type’ where the gameplay is slow-paced or can be ‘twitch reaction’ styled where gameplay is happening quickly. For example, card games, role-playing games, strategy games are generally slow-paced, while games such as racing, adventures, action, or fighting require extreme reaction speed. Typically, 30 fps is the lowest frame rate at which a game can be playable. Still, for most gamers, 60 fps is the ideal frame rate for gaming owing to fast responsiveness, smoothness, clarity, and viewing experience.
Slow-paced games such as Civilization, where visually not many changes happen in a second, opting for a low frame rate can be tolerable. On the other hand, for games like Counter-Strike, one needs to have a high frame rate as the gamer needs to turn to face several directions within seconds. Thus, playing Civilization at 30 fps is somewhat acceptable, but playing Counter-Strike is infuriating at a low frame rate.
Triple-digit frame rates like 120 fps, 144 fps, and 240 fps are for highly competitive gamers, but many enjoy playing single-player games at extreme responsiveness, reduced input latency, and zero tearing. Sony has already revealed that its next-generation systems will support 120 fps. Ghostrunner, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Borderlands 3 are some available games at 120 fps.
30 FPS – Minimum playable frame rate. Anything below this gives significant shuttering. Suited for slow-paced games
60 FPS – Ideal frame rate. Used by PS5 and the Xbox Series and most gaming PCs.
120 FPS – Ultra-smooth. Extra responsiveness. Used in high-end gaming PCs
240 FPS – Reserved for fastest 240 Hz monitors. Best experienced on eSports games
Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter Video Frame Rates
- Facebook feed video, video ads & IGTV – min 30 fps
- Pinterest video ads – min 25 fps
- Twitter Ads & Native Videos – 30-60 fps
iPhone Video Frame Rate
By default, iPhone records a video at 30 frames per second (fps). However, in the recent coming iPhones, you can choose Faster frame rates and higher resolutions like 4K with 60fps before recording a video. But do remember that choosing a higher frame rate will lead to larger file size. Your frame rates and video resolution settings lie in Settings > Camera > Record Video, depending on your model.
NTSC & PAL standard frame rate
There are three Television Standards in the world, namely, NTSC, PAL, and SECAM. Each comes with its attribute and are not compatible with each other. All the standards are limited to particular parts of the world. DVDs, Blu-rays, and many more media are still labelled on these standards.
NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) – It is the oldest existing analog colour-encoding standard developed in the USA in 1954. NTSC displays at a rate of 29.97 frames per second. Some countries that support the NTSC video standard are The United States of America, Netherlands, Japan, Philippines, and South Korea.
PAL (Phase Alternate Line) – Developed in the late 1950s in Germany, the PAL video standard format is used in many European countries and displayed at 25 fps. PAL format deals with issues faced with NTSC like signal instability under poor weather conditions and locally provides the 50 Hz required picture frequency. India, Indonesia, Norway, Spain are some of the countries with PAL standards.
With most screen recording apps you can record everything you do on screen (or on a section of your screen). Some tools also allow you to edit the recording, turn it into a full-fledged presentation or course, and even stream it. On top of this, you’ll want to consider the complexity of the app, available assets libraries, collaboration options, and integrations with tools you’re already using.
We’ve tested 12 of the best screen recording apps for Mac, Chrome, and Windows to help you decide which one is best suited for your needs. But first, let’s have a look at the general points to keep in mind.
Tips for choosing a screen recording app
When making your initial list of best screen recording software, go through these steps:
- Decide which features you need. Divide these into must-have and nice-to-have features.
- Opt for multi-platform tools if you have a large team or just need the tool to be available anywhere. Once you’re on a tight budget, also pay attention to how many users you can add to one plan.
- Give the trial version a test before making the purchase. Note that some tools won’t allow you to test all features for free so reach out to their customer support team to see if they can offer a demo.
- Don’t worry too much about sound editing options. You can use Krisp noise cancelling app to remove background noise and echoes on your recordings. Along with its HD voice feature, it will ensure your recordings sound just like studio ones,— without requiring post-production sound quality editing. You can also use Krisp to cancel chattering during live events and meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, and more.
https://krisp.ai/demo-iframe Get Krisp for Free
Best screen recording apps for Mac
1. Camtasia
Camtasia is your first go-to screen recording editor tool. With Camtasia, you can record virtually anything on your computer screen whether it be websites, software, video calls, or presentations.
It has a built-in editor so you won’t need to export your videos to another software for editing. For new users who are afraid of slow learning curves, Camtasia provides clear and easy-to-understand tutorial videos that take you through everything you need to get started.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS
Pricing: $249.99 one-time fee.
Why you need it:
- Camtasia comes with advanced screen recording and presenting features, even allowing you to add interactive quizzes to your videos. There’s also a built-in assets library you can use for intros, backgrounds, icons, etc.
Where it lacks:
- It’s one of the most expensive choices on this list but the price is motivated by its complexity. So while you won’t have to worry about missing features, it’s not a fit if you don’t regularly use it.
2. CloudApp
CloudApp provides end-to-end visual communication with its screen recording, GIF creating, and screenshot capturing product.
Its screen recording feature offers quick controls to enable full-screen recording, audio-only, or webcam-enabled recordings. When you finish your screen recording, a link is made available for you to instantly share in Slack, Google Suite, Asana, Trello, or anywhere else you collaborate with your co-workers.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome
Pricing: Paid plans start at $9.95/user/month.
Why you need it:
- It’s a quick solution if you need to create GIFs often. There’s also lots of handy extra features you can use (video annotations, advanced analytics, do-not-disturb mode, etc.) so you don’t need other third-party tools.
Where it lacks:
- Limited free plan that only allows 90 seconds/recording.
3. FonePaw Screen Recorder
FonePaw Screen Recorder is a powerful screencasting software for Windows and Mac computer. It has all the features that you may need in capturing a high-quality video clip of your actions on computer screen, which can be used in many cases, like gameplay, online meeting, and live stream recoding.
It allows you to simultaneously record with microphone and system sounds, add annotation to the recording, clip the recordings, export as multiple formats, etc. Task Schedule and Set record length features also make recording easier.
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Pricing:
- Trial Version: Free;
- Paid plans start at $29.95/year.
Why you need it:
- FonePaw Screen Recorder provides 3 minutes for free trial version without watermark. Moreover, all recording features and settings are easy for users, even the beginners.
Where it lacks:
- It doesn’t provide more advanced features for editing the recordings.
4. DemoCreator
Need a quick solution to record and edit demos, tutorials, presentations, and games? Wondershare’s DemoCreator was created primarily for use in a professional setting for showcasing expertise and creating how-to tutorials or demos. Hence the name.
The editing options are extensive, allowing you to add cursor sounds, create text animations, position your webcam footage anywhere within the recording, and much more. All of this comes within a modern UI you’ll sure enjoy using.
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Pricing: Starts at $32.99/year.
Why you need it:
- DemoCreator’s onboarding takes you through what each feature does so you’ll be able to use the software as soon as you enter it for the first time.
Where it lacks:
- The existing library of elements is limited but you can import your own media files.
5. Snagit
Struggling to take full-page screenshots that extend below the fold? Snagit is by far the best choice for this. Even if you need video recordings.
You can create full screenshots of landing pages, emails, websites, and more in literally seconds. There’s also quite a few editing options to turn to after, including stamps, arrows, and more tools and effects. Note that when you first open the editor you won’t see all of these in the editing bar. Go to Image on the top bar to select which features you need displayed.
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Pricing: Paid plans start at $49.99/user for a one-time fee.
Why you need it:
- There are loads of effects and tools you can use by default for any type of screenshot you need.
Where it lacks:
- It’s not exactly the easiest tool to learn as there are multiple ways of taking the same screenshot format. They recently introduced a tutorial you’ll go through when you want to take your first screenshot to help with this.
6. Adobe Captivate
Adobe Captivate is a screen recording app for Mac and Windows that was designed for e-learning. In fact, it’s more of a video/course creation tool you can use for online tutoring. Companies also use it to create compliance and soft-skills courses for their employees through interactive slides and videos.
The best part? You can create multi-module branched courses and use out-of-box assets for supporting learner interaction and quizzing. I recommend going through the free webinars and the Adobe Captivate Certification Program beforehand to make sure you’re using the tool to its full capacity.
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Pricing: Starts at $33.99/month/subscription or you can buy an unlimited license for $1,299.
Why you need it:
- Includes features you won’t find with other tools like converting PowerPoint presentations into videos and even setting up VR walkthroughs and mobile-ready courses.
Where it lacks:
- The download process is super slow compared to the other options on this list so it shouldn’t be your first choice if you need to use the tool over the next hour.
Best screen recording tools for Chrome
7. Loom
Loom is one of the few screen recording tools that allow you to pause/resume recording whenever you desire. When you finish recording your video, you can export it to Loom’s cloud storage where all users have unlimited video storage. If you’re the type that creates a lot of customer support videos, you won’t have to worry about memory space.
Loom also allows you to trim away unnecessary video segments from the beginning, middle, or end of the recording. When you’re done recording and editing there’s an incorporated slack feature that allows you to share your video links to specific groups right from your Loom dashboard.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome
Pricing: Paid plans start at $8/creator/month.
Why you need it:
- Requires virtually no learning time and the screen recording feature works on all devices.
Where it lacks:
- The free version is limited to five minutes/recording so there’s not much use to Loom in a professional context.
8. Droplr
Droplr works similarly to the other Chrome extensions in our list of best screen recording apps. The interface is also similar but the very first feature that stands out is the option to capture the entire page. Similar to Snagit.
There’s also basic image editing options so you can add text, highlights, emojis, and more.
Platforms: Chrome, Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Edge, iOS
Pricing: Paid plans start at $7/month/user.
Why you need it:
- Easy to use even without prior training.
Where it lacks:
- This screen recording extension has one of the shortest free trials, standing at just seven days.
Best screen recording software for Windows
9. EaseUS RecExperts
EaseUS RecExperts is a multi-purpose screen recording software that records anything happening on your Windows PC with ease. It can record your screen, audio, webcam, and gameplay.
You can use it to build tutorials, lectures, product demonstrations and guides, thanks to its real-time annotation feature. Additionally, it is also a good choice for recording Zoom meetings, presentations, live stream and many more.
It also supports scheduled recording. Simply set the start time, duration, and other recording parameters, then let EaseUS RecExperts do the rest.
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Pricing: You can opt for monthly plans which start at $19.95 or a one-time license at $69.95.
Why you need it:
- The tool’s a good choice for beginners who aren’t looking for complicated dashboards and editing tools.
Where it lacks:
- The editing features are limited as you’ll have to purchase a separate product to edit them with advanced options.
10. Apowersoft Unlimited
In addition to recording your PC screen, Apowersoft Unlimited can also capture videos of your mobile screen, that’s of course if you buy the unlimited package.
Both phone screen recorder apps (Android and iOs) provide settings such as, resolution control, camera configuration, frame rate selection, and bit-rate throttling. These settings aren’t found in other apps that record phone screens.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Pricing: Starting at $59.95/year.
Why you need it:
- The package comes with a subscription to all the 17 Apowersoft apps and they can all be launched from a single dashboard.
Where it lacks:
- Its built-in editor isn’t the best, but you’ll definitely be able to tweak things like brightness, contrast, and saturation.
The Most Commonly Used Frame Rates
Invention pioneer Thomas Edison emphasized 46 FPS being the base frame rate for motion pictures, and anything less will “strain the eyes.” Evidently, the projectionists and talkies at the time were shuffling between 22-26 FPS, owing to audio adaptability with a 35mm video feel.
The most commonly used frame rates are varying across different genres, displays, and mediums of entertainment. Let’s meet them.
1-16FPS
The silent era movies were made in 8-16FPS. In modern times, it is used to exude a silent film era.
Stop-motion movies are generally shot in 16 FPS and sped up to create a motion effect that is good for the eyes.
24FPS
A universally accepted frame rate for the movies, which provides larger than life details in videos. Technically the frame rate is 23.97, based on the NTSC due to color and hue issues corrected using the toned down FPS.
It works for landscapes along with dialogues being played simultaneously.
25FPS
The 25FPS is the European standard known as PAL, also the Internet standard, compatible with TVs across Europe.
30FPS
Here we are talking about the standard frame rate for TV shows and sports channels. The 30 FPS helps provide a slow-motion video feel for sports broadcast and fast-moving objects in a regular video.
60FPS
As soon as you touch the 60 FPS more, you are shooting in 720p and go as high as 8K in resolution. The sweet 60 represents an added layer of smoothness to videos, grace to the subject at hand. Don’t forget the typical slow-motion capabilities.
Conclusion
The human eye has a visual acuity of 20/20. This means that we can see objects and people 20 feet away at the same degree of clarity as if they were in front of us. When planning a shoot, you want to ensure that what you’re shooting holds up under such scrutiny. For example, if you’re hoping to film action footage, the frame rate could be very important because it will mean the difference between looking professional and not looking so great. To capture an action scene then, your best frame rate for video should be 24, 25 or 30 frames per second.
Frame rate is one of the most important components to any video. Choosing the best frame rate will ensure your audience is entertained, you get the message across, and are prepared for different platforms you choose to distribute on.