Comparison

RZ Timecode Calculator vs HDRI Prep

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RZ Timecode Calculator

This tool assists with timecode calculations for video editing and animation. It's designed for field use when built-in editing software functions are not readily available. A simple and useful utility for creative professionals.

Highlights
  • Timecode calculations
  • Video editing assistance
  • Animation support
  • Field use utility
  • Simple interface
Features
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I used to have a calculator called the FrameMaster. It was wonderful and useful for video editing and animation. Now this function is pretty much built in to the editing apps. However, you may find yourself in the field needing to do some simple timecode calculations, and then, THIS IS APP YOUR BEST FRIEND!

About

HDRI Prep

Features
Read full description

HDRI Prep is a small utility for use in visual effects for creating HDRI bracketing sets for RICOH THETA 360 cameras, specifically, the V, Z1 and X. (If you don't know what all that is than this app probably isn't for you.) Different bracket settings are needed for different production situations. The THETA cameras does do multi-image exposure bracketing that you can set with the iPhone THETA app, but modifying them is painfully slow and difficult and you can't save sets and reuse them later. I wrote this to fill that need and speed up use of the THETA on set for taking HDRIs. With HDRI Prep you can: • Define brackets as X number of photos (3 to 19, always odd numbers) taken X stops apart (1 to 3) rather than setting each photo’s parameters individually • Pick the camera and you can set the Aperture, ISO and Color Temperature for all the photos at once with the settings limited to what the camera can actually execute • Pick a Center Shutter Speed and the bracket extends exposures equally higher and lower • Custom name brackets, organize by show, drag and drop reorder them, move between shows, and duplicate them as needed • View the photos taken read from the camera Quickly modify the Camera’s speaker volume and time it takes to auto-sleep (up to 60 minutes so watch your battery) HDRI Prep is not intended to be a full featured replacement for other THETA iPhone apps. It is designed only to fill a hole in the current functionality of the official THETA app (and what 3rd party apps I've played with): to make a library of Bracket settings, a method of organizing them, and a way to call them up and use them quickly on set. As such you will find it is missing various functions of the official THETA app. Those extended features may be added at some later date, but I make no promises. I recommend using it in conjunction with other apps as needed. Some limitations of the app: • Currently this only works with a direct Wifi connection to the camera (camera hosting Wifi) and it assumes the ip address is 192.168.1.1. • Image viewing is minimal. You can see what is on the camera (heads up, it's slow to load) but I am leaving the downloading and deleting of images up to other apps. You can use the official THETA app or you can manage them on a Mac using Image Capture (you're on your own with Windows). • Be aware that adjusting the camera shutter sound volume and the sleep delay time writes these changes to the camera, overwriting any previous camera setting. If you change the sleep time to 10 minutes it will stay that way even when HDRI Prep isn't connected or running. • If you want to see a live count of the images as they are taken you can actually switch to the official THETA app after beginning a capture. I hope to add this to my interface in the future.

Screenshots

RZ Timecode Calculator4 screens
HDRI Prep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RZ Timecode Calculator at Free against HDRI Prep's $9.99. On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

RZ Timecode Calculator is free to download; HDRI Prep costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RZ Timecode Calculator ships an update every 10 months, HDRI Prep every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on August 12, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
RZ Timecode Calculator versus HDRI Prep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRZ Timecode CalculatorHDRI Prep
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating1.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRobert L ZimmelmanSquirrel FX LLC

In-app purchases

None

RZ Timecode Calculator

No in-app purchases

None

HDRI Prep

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RZ Timecode Calculator free?
RZ Timecode Calculator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HDRI Prep free?
HDRI Prep costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do RZ Timecode Calculator or HDRI Prep have ads?
Neither RZ Timecode Calculator nor HDRI Prep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RZ Timecode Calculator or HDRI Prep?
RZ Timecode Calculator ships an update every 10 months, and HDRI Prep every 6 months. Most recently, RZ Timecode Calculator was updated on August 12, 2026 and HDRI Prep on September 10, 2026.

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