Simple video editing | The Citadel

OziRiS
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Simple video editing Aug 9, 2016 14:55:02 GMT

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Post by OziRiS on Aug 9, 2016 14:55:02 GMT

I need a little help here.

I want to put a little video montage together for a friend, but I can't find any free video editing software that'll do what I need it to without either coming with a bunch of ad- and spyware bundled with it, or being a trial versions with limits on compression, quality, video length or having some sort of watermark.

What I need is a relatively simlpe program that can cut bits and pieces out of mkv and mp4 videos, put them back together in the order I want and convert the finished product into a single file (either mkv, mp4 or avi) without noticable loss of quality.

Just googling things like "free video editor", "free mkv and mp4 splitter" and stuff like that comes up with a ton of choises, but as I said, most of them are either trial versions (of much more advanced software that does a lot of stuff I'll never need) with limitations, or they're freeware that comes with a lot of crap nobody wants.

I tried installing one of the freeware ones yesterday and ended up spending almost 3 hours getting rid of all the malware that came with it.

Anyone know of a good, simple and most importantly free piece of software that will do the very simple tasks I need it to?

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GTCGreg
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Simple video editing Aug 9, 2016 16:00:37 GMT

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Post by GTCGreg on Aug 9, 2016 16:00:37 GMT

I used "Windows Movie Maker" a number of years ago and it seemed to be pretty fast and easy to use. It use to come free with windows XP. I don't know if later versions of Windows had it or if maybe you can download it from Microsoft.

Now we are using the Adobe Premiere suite for video editing. It does everything you can ever want to do with video but it wasn't cheap. I think I paid around $4K for the package.

EDIT:

As it turns out, you can still download "Movie Maker" from Microsoft for free. And it will work on later versions of Windows. (7,8,10)

support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17779

Last Edit: Aug 9, 2016 16:48:00 GMT by GTCGreg

OziRiS
Evil Senior Member with far too much time on their hands.

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Simple video editing Aug 9, 2016 20:22:59 GMT

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Post by OziRiS on Aug 9, 2016 20:22:59 GMT

I was thinking about getting Windows Movie Maker, but it doesn't support mkv or mp4 formats. I'd have to convert them into wmv or avi first and most converters won't do that without considerable loss in quality (neither wmv or avi work well with HD video).

I don't do enough video editing for it to be something I'm willing to pay for, so Adobe is out.

I've looked at the option of using VLC Player to cut the videos, but it's too time consuming since it's basically like copying VHS or cassette tapes back in the old days. You have to let the video run in real time while VLC records the part you want and puts it into a new file, instead of just pointing and clicking a start and ending time and clicking a button to cut it out, like you do in most video editing software.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

GTCGreg
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Simple video editing Aug 9, 2016 20:47:05 GMT

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Post by GTCGreg on Aug 9, 2016 20:47:05 GMT

Aug 9, 2016 20:22:59 GMT OziRiS said:

I was thinking about getting Windows Movie Maker, but it doesn't support mkv or mp4 formats. I'd have to convert them into wmv or avi first and most converters won't do that without considerable loss in quality (neither wmv or avi work well with HD video).

I don't do enough video editing for it to be something I'm willing to pay for, so Adobe is out.

I've looked at the option of using VLC Player to cut the videos, but it's too time consuming since it's basically like copying VHS or cassette tapes back in the old days. You have to let the video run in real time while VLC records the part you want and puts it into a new file, instead of just pointing and clicking a start and ending time and clicking a button to cut it out, like you do in most video editing software.

When I used Movie Maker, it was with AVI files but from what I've been told, newer versions of Movie Maker will work with MP4 format if you have the right MP4 CODEC installed. As I said, I've been told this, but I've never actually done it myself.

c64
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Simple video editing Nov 6, 2016 20:53:12 GMT

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Post by c64 on Nov 6, 2016 20:53:12 GMT

It's just a matter of codecs. If you install VLC or a codec pack, Movie maker will work with a lot more codecs.

And then there are several editing programs for digital TV recordings (to remove commercials) which also can convert to codecs the Movie Maker can handle. Try "Cuttermaran", it can now do a lot more than simple cuts.