This error again - Frame Substitution Recursion & Error Retrieving Frame

Only workaround I have found is reexporting the clips. Not sure what is different about them but it works most of the time. 

Has anyone come up with a viable sulution to this? it seems to still be happening even on the latest update here in 10/23/2025

I am getting this error on every file on a 150 file project! 

Having the same issues as the other replies to this. I'm on the latest version 25.4.1 and it seems to be related to the DNxHR codec. However, some clips work completely fine while others don't. Please fix this, can't believe this is still an issue in this latest version.

I have the same issue. Need to deliver a project to a client. Have tried all the possible solutions recommended here. Adobe, will you fix this or are you gonna make everyone switch so Resolve?

I'm at a total loss and ready to switch to DaVinci Resolve. which might be easier to learn a new workflow than deal with nonstop errors. I've done everything Jeremy did included uninstalled and re installed an older version. But Still getting dropped frames. And the render is really slow.

I'm on a Mac M2 max with 64 gb of ram, and I moved the files to my hard drive from my ssd, and still all the same issues. I also tried this project on another computer (Mac M4, 64gb ram) and had the same issue. Anything I can delete from the library? I've got a 1/2 edited 10 minute video. It was working just fine until it wasn't. 

I may have found some info that could point to what is causing the error. When I go back to my original project files with the errors and use 'replace footage' to link it to the new export... it offsets the timecode by 07:54:09. So the clip that started at timecode 00:00:00, now references the frame from the footage starting at 07:54:09.

Additionally, all the clips that are now grayed out because their timecode references are past the end of the clip, those are all the clips that were not working and throwing error codes. The earlier clips that reference timecode before the footage's end were not the ones that had errors.

It seems like the 'frame substitution' and 'retrieving frame' errors are caused by a bug that's trying to read the wrong point in the timecode.

And just as I'm typing this, the premiere project is starting to throw new error codes associated with a different footage clip. Interestingly, the clip that is throwing codes is not even open in any timelines - it is present in a timeline in the project, but that timeline is not open.

I've tested those theories now, but with different results.

When I open a freshly new premiere project file and import the clips associated with the error and dont use scene edit detection, I still get the error code. At first the code didn't show up. I played through both clips in a timeline and only got the error codes after both had been almost fully played through seamlessly without error. The first play-through had no issues, then it started throwing the code. Sections of the video that played fine now no longer played. Premiere is obviously glitching itself out on these for some reason it if is able to play them smoothly without issue, then suddenly throw errors.

To further test this and guage if the files themselves could be corrupt, I opened the files in other video programs and exported them to see if therre were any frame drops, glitches or errors. There were none. Both Descript and GoPro Player were able to ingest, play, and export these same video files flawlessly without errors or bogging down. (note that there are some intentional black sections of the video that deliniate different types of b-roll and those aren't file issues. Additionally the original footage was shot in AU at 25 fps so when the B-roll mixdown was exported at 29.97, premiere added stray frames between edits here and there - which has happened regularly for me but for this workflow didn't cause me enough issues to have to try and get support - but those aren't corrupted file issue, it was just in the original export). 

When I take these new files that were ingested and exported by other programs, Premiere doesn't have errors and even plays back smoothly at 400x speed. Scene edit detection also works and very fast. So it looks like any time Premiere decides it can't read a file I'll have to use a different program to export the file again since premiere can't export the file without either failing or baking in glitches like freeze frames and black screen.

So something seeminly in the new versions of Premiere has caused a bug where for particular clips for an as-yet unknown reason, that have played fine for 3 years and play fine in other programs, now is causing an error code. This same error code seems to be a long-term issue that has plagued Premiere for more than a decade, popping up in different scenerios. Other editing programs don't seem to have this issue and when I've encountered it in the past, the only solution that's ever worked for me is to do a workaround in a different program (DaVinci, Final Cut, etc). I wish Premiere would do what it needs to in its programming so this error is no longer an issue for users.

Hi @JeremyAndrewDavis -  No, I haven’t seen this error before with these files. My guess is that the file might be corrupted, especially since I’m seeing frame glitches in the original media. If you still have the original project and media, could you try re-rendering it in the latest version of Premiere Pro to see if that resolves the issue?

Thanks Jamie,

Can you clarify - does this bug cause any video clip to start having these errors if scene edit detection is ever used on it?