diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
index 0eb5a5fa2e..e0cf534513 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/video_module.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import logging
 
 from lxml import etree
 from pkg_resources import resource_string, resource_listdir
+import datetime
+import time
 
 from django.http import Http404
 
@@ -137,10 +139,10 @@ class VideoDescriptor(VideoFields,
         tag = _get_first_external(xml, 'tag')
         if tag:
             video.tag = tag
-        start_time = xml.get('from')
+        start_time = _parse_time(xml.get('from'))
         if start_time:
             video.start_time = start_time
-        end_time = xml.get('to')
+        end_time = _parse_time(xml.get('to'))
         if end_time:
             video.end_time = end_time
         return video
@@ -177,3 +179,17 @@ def _parse_youtube(data):
         # properly.
         ret['%.2f' % float(pieces[0])] = pieces[1]
     return ret
+
+
+def _parse_time(str_time):
+    """Converts s in '12:34:45' format to seconds. If s is
+    None, returns empty string"""
+    if str_time is None:
+        return ''
+    else:
+        obj_time = time.strptime(str_time, '%H:%M:%S')
+        return datetime.timedelta(
+            hours=obj_time.tm_hour,
+            minutes=obj_time.tm_min,
+            seconds=obj_time.tm_sec
+        ).total_seconds()
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_video_xml.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_video_xml.py
index 35437348d9..aa36d5be89 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_video_xml.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_video_xml.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import unittest
 from mock import Mock
 from lxml import etree
 
-from xmodule.video_module import VideoDescriptor, VideoModule
+from xmodule.video_module import VideoDescriptor, VideoModule, _parse_time, _parse_youtube
 from xmodule.modulestore import Location
 from xmodule.tests import test_system
 from xmodule.tests.test_logic import LogicTest
@@ -67,30 +67,31 @@ class VideoModuleLogicTest(LogicTest):
         'data': '<video />'
     }
 
-    def test_get_timeframe_no_parameters(self):
-        """Make sure that timeframe() works correctly w/o parameters"""
-        xmltree = etree.fromstring('<video>test</video>')
-        output = self.xmodule.get_timeframe(xmltree)
-        self.assertEqual(output, ('', ''))
+    def test_parse_time(self):
+        """Ensure that times are parse correctly into seconds."""
+        output = _parse_time('00:04:07')
+        self.assertEqual(output, 247)
 
-    def test_get_timeframe_with_one_parameter(self):
-        """Make sure that timeframe() works correctly with one parameter"""
-        xmltree = etree.fromstring(
-            '<video from="00:04:07">test</video>'
-        )
-        output = self.xmodule.get_timeframe(xmltree)
-        self.assertEqual(output, (247, ''))
+    def test_parse_youtube(self):
+        """Test parsing old-style Youtube ID strings into a dict."""
+        youtube_str = '0.75:jNCf2gIqpeE,1.0:ZwkTiUPN0mg,1.25:rsq9auxASqI,1.50:kMyNdzVHHgg'
+        output = _parse_youtube(youtube_str)
+        self.assertEqual(output, {'0.75': 'jNCf2gIqpeE',
+                                  '1.00': 'ZwkTiUPN0mg',
+                                  '1.25': 'rsq9auxASqI',
+                                  '1.50': 'kMyNdzVHHgg'})
 
-    def test_get_timeframe_with_two_parameters(self):
-        """Make sure that timeframe() works correctly with two parameters"""
-        xmltree = etree.fromstring(
-            '''<video
-                    from="00:04:07"
-                    to="13:04:39"
-                >test</video>'''
-        )
-        output = self.xmodule.get_timeframe(xmltree)
-        self.assertEqual(output, (247, 47079))
+    def test_parse_youtube_one_video(self):
+        """
+        Ensure that all keys are present and missing speeds map to the
+        empty string.
+        """
+        youtube_str = '0.75:jNCf2gIqpeE'
+        output = _parse_youtube(youtube_str)
+        self.assertEqual(output, {'0.75': 'jNCf2gIqpeE',
+                                  '1.00': '',
+                                  '1.25': '',
+                                  '1.50': ''})
 
 
 class VideoModuleUnitTest(unittest.TestCase):