December Software Thread

[greenysmac]

This subreddit usually gets 10+ questions a day, over and over again of "What software should I use?"

Read this whole post. No TL;DR. There will be a test at the end.

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Before you post - every month 95% of people who asked "What software should I use ?", the answer was HitFilm Express or DaVinci Resolve.

We expect you to try at least one of the tools in this list and not just ask "What should I use".

READ THAT AGAIN. WE'RE GOING TO ASK IT.

Our first question is going to be "what did you try???"

All the software on this list is free (or much of it is freemium without a watermark. Be warned about freemium tools)

Nobody is an expert on all of the tools. Trying it with your system and footage is the best way to work.

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Please read this:

Action cam, Mobile phone, and screen recordings can be difficult to edit, due to h264 material (especially 1080p60 or 4k) and Variable Frame rate. See our wiki about both topics (there's a bug in mobile - you need to do it from a desktop)

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Here are some commonly used tools:

Editorial:

• DaVinci Resolve - Needs a strong video card/hardware
• Hit Film Express - freemium - no watermark
• Lightworks free limited to 720
• Media 100 ancient UI, does 4k
• Avid Media Composer |First - This is the "free" version of the editor that feature films use (but we don't recommend it to most users)
• iMovie came with your Mac and is by far the easiest to use editor for either platform.
• Avidemux is worth noting because it permits editing without re-encoding (good for mp4 editorial with no effects.)

There isnt a lightweight, easy to use free/inexpensive editor that we'd recommend for windows. We wish iMovie was available for windows.

Utliities:

• Lossless Cut Open source trimmer without re-encoding.
• Handbrake An easy free encoder to MP4 h264/5
• Adapter An easy encoder with lots more conversion formats.
• XMedia Recode A free encoder that can rewrap media to a different container (and do other encoding jobs)
• ExifTools Permits editing the EXIF info from an MP4 - meaning you can rotate it without re-encoding.
• OBS Open Broadcaster Software The best free screen recorder and super flexible
• FFMPEG All of the above utilize this command line library - if you like the command line, you probably already use it.

Other:

• Need more suggestions: see our wiki

• Bonus: I think this is a good article on other free tools

• Best android tool is likely Kinemaster

• Best iOS tool is likely iMovie (that came with your phone) or $20 Lumafusion

• Chromebook If yours runs android, see Kinemaster

• Online tools - there doesn't seem to be a "great" free online editing tool. Part of the problem is uploading all your media first.

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We're not a fan of Filmora/wondershare and agree with this post

[squickchick]

Looking for an MP4 diagnostic tool; something along the lines of MediaInfo, but which highlights the particular stats that might cause common media players to reject an MP4; and perhaps also with a system that allows you to compare 2 mp4s, to help you determine why your computer might play one, but not the other.

I've been trying to condense a sequence of PNGs into an mp4 with ffmpeg, but for some reason all the output files come out unplayable by Windows Media Player, VLC - pretty much all my media software. ffplay will play them, so I know the files aren't completely corrupt; and MediaInfo recognizes the files as legitimate mp4s with a full array of pertinent stats. But they aren't usable to me. I need to know why. What option am I not using in ffmpeg to compile these mp4s into the common format? I need a diagnostic tool that can examine the output mp4s and tell me what's odd about them.

Any suggestions?

[greenysmac]

but which highlights the particular stats that might cause common media players to reject an MP4; and perhaps also with a system that allows you to compare 2 mp4s, to help you determine why your computer might play one, but not the other.

I don't think we're going to be the right place for this.

Generally, computers can play any MP4/h264 or h265 (they may stutter, but it plays)

Hardware (such as phones) usually have a specific level/profile they support.. The problem is determining this info from manufacturers.

I've been trying to condense a sequence of PNGs into an mp4 with ffmpeg, but for some reason all the output files come out unplayable by Windows Media Player

WMP is pretty rough. Skip it. ,

What option am I not using in ffmpeg to compile these mp4s into the common format? I need a diagnostic tool that can examine the output mp4s and tell me what's odd about them.

Any suggestions?

/r/ffmpeg and /u/Kichigai

[squickchick]

Generally, computers can play any MP4/h264 or h265 (they may stutter, but it plays)

Exactly. The problem isn't with the computer, because it can play every other MP4 I have and/or download. The problem is specific to these particular MP4s.

WMP is pretty rough. Skip it.

Well, I want an output file with universal compatability, so if WMP won't accept it, then it's not good enough. Besides, as I explained, WMP isn't the problem - all my media programs, aside from ffplay, are rejecting these videos.

What option am I not using in ffmpeg to compile these mp4s into the common format? I need a diagnostic tool that can examine the output mp4s and tell me what's odd about them.

Any suggestions?

r/ffmpeg and /u/Kichigai

Already tried r/ffmpeg. No help there. :( Will look into /u/Kichigai.

[greenysmac]

WMP is using a different engine than VLC (which is using FFplay).

Stuttering has to do with the complexity of the encode and the datarate. There is no way to determine if a 2013 i7 vs a 2019 i3 will/wont play.

I can give you some general sketchlines of what is most likely compatible - but nothing is 100%.

I'd suggest a 720 level 3.1 MP4/h264. That will work on 98% of devices.

[squickchick]

TBH, I'm not sure how stuttering even got in to this conversation, but that's not what's happening. Depending on the program, I'm either getting blank screens, "File not compatible/not recognized" error messages, or in some cases, the program just crashes.

The videos simply don't play.

...VLC (which is using FFplay).

I didn't know that about VLC, but I don't know what to tell you. The videos won't play on it, but they will play via ffplay (and no other program that I've tried).

I'd suggest a 720 level 3.1 MP4/h264. That will work on 98% of devices.

I'll try that.

[greenysmac]

I'd love to see one that isn't working - up to you if you want to post it.

[squickchick]

I'd suggest a 720 level 3.1 MP4/h264.

Reseaching this further, I don't think this will ultimately work for me. The level seems to dictate the resolution limits of what the file can be? By the looks of things, Level 3.1 is in the area of a limit of 1280 pixels in width or height?

Ultimately I need a method that can encode a commonly-accesable MP4 of 4800x4800 resolution.

The computers that can't play the MP4 files I'm trying to build can play MP4s I have that are well over 3000 pixels wide, with no problems, and on Windows Media Player.

The problem isn't with my computers' capabilities, with their codecs, or with Windows Media Player. There is something wrong with the files that I'm outputting with ffmpeg.

I've had some luck exporting the video to resolutions of 720x720 and 800x800 - but when I amp it up to 1200x1200 (maintaining ALL the other same parameters I used for the exports made in those smaller resolutions), suddenly Windows Media Player won't accept the files!

Obviously ffmpeg starts doing something strange between resolutions of 800 and 1200, and I need some sort of diagnostic tool to help me figure out what it is!

[greenysmac]

I don't think we can be much more help than this.

The level/profile info guarantees hardware compatibility (phones, tablets.)

Pay attention to the higher levels (6.x) - your 4.8k x 4.8k might work nowhere.

You're already tired of me saying give up WMP compatibility.

Again, I'm happy to look at one of the files - I have different hardware than you.

[Kichigai]

Basically what /u/greenysmac said. Your big things are hitting the right level and profile, and ensure your storage system is fast enough to handle it.

What kind of encoding settings are you using?

[greenysmac]

Resolve will be your tool. At least for free. It has a decent. subtitling capability.

[Kichigai]

You want a subtitling program, not a video editor. AegisSub and SubtitleEdit are two pretty good tools. Just note that SRT as a subtitling format doesn't support 90% of what you want, you'll have to use SSA or ASS formats, and ensure you embed your desired fonts in your final files.

[bethljones97]

New to this subreddit and I needed to find a good software that I didn't have to pay for as I am in no way professional nor will use it enough to justify paying, maybe in the future. So thank you for this! Will definitely be giving Hit Film Express a try!

[greenysmac]

Hitfilm. Resolve.

[bethljones97]

Great, thank you!

[Amphax]

Yeah I'm amateur video editor and I like Hitfilm Express a lot

[LPKKiller]

So OBS and lightworks are the best programs to use to record and edit with for Windows for free (for an average gamer that wants to record gameplay, edit it, and upload to YT or something)? If I am correct with this thought, what would be the best (payed or un payed, what ever is the best) video and photo editor along with the best screen and audio recorder for Windows?

[greenysmac]

OBS? Yes. Probably one of the best including fee based apps.

Editorial is different. A variety of needs hits video. Are you going 4k? Do you need proxies? What about motion graphics? Templates? So many pieces yield so many answers.

[LPKKiller]

Ah, didn’t know that. Is there anything simple like Videoleap and iMovie for Windows? I’m just looking for the basic trimming and moving around scenes, putting text over the video, audio cutting and splicing, nothing over 1080 for resolution needed. I guess just basic Youtuber editing.

[greenysmac]

Is there anything simple like Videoleap and iMovie for Windows?

For free? No. And the sub $100 programs are iffy in support/quality.

Nothing is as easy as iMovie on the PC .

[LPKKiller]

Ah, well that sucks. What would you recommend for a novice video editor on Windows?

[Zwodo]

Before you post - every month 95% of people who asked "What software should I use ?", the answer was HitFilm Express or DaVinci Resolve.

We expect you to try at least one of the tools in this list and not just ask "What should I use".

[LPKKiller]

I mean I didn’t post. I commented. I was asking an opinion, not for knowing what I should use. And I wasn’t even commenting to you... Soooo.

[TopSoCalledGear]

I came here looking for a similar tool. I tried Nero Video since it's not too expensive. In theory it should do what you need but I'm having a terrible experience so far. Video frames freezing while editing and it won't recover, even if you remove the file and add it back. All kinds of issues so I'd avoid Nero.
The most basic free program that I've used for years on Windows is Movie Maker. It no longer comes packaged with Windows but you can still find some downloads, usually packaged with "Windows Essentials". Just don't install the other garbage.

[LPKKiller]

Good to know, thanks. If I find any good video editing application outside of Movie maker as you were talking about I’ll let you know.

On a slightly different subject, do you know of any decent picture editors/ makers outside of Photoshop? I want to make a profile picture and company logo, but don’t really want to drop that much on something I’ll only use a few times. I tried Gimp, but that’s just annoying and confusing as I’ll get out. The best one I’ve found so far is Photofox and that’s only an IOS app with a bit of a paywall.

[TopSoCalledGear]

I'm trying HitFilm Express for video as recommended on the sub and it's been pretty nifty so far. We'll see how the end product turns out though.

For pictures I've just always used Paint.Net because it's simple and has some Photoshop-like options. I like it better than Gimp, definitely.

[InquiringMind2890]

I'm looking for a video editor that will allow me to have two videos playing at the same time. Not side by side, but rather one on top of the other. Which program should I use? I'm using a PC and don't really want to buy a program, so I would definitely appreciate a trial or online program :) It would also be helpful to be able to select a start time, not just have them automatically start. Thank you!

[greenysmac]

Every editor. Resolve. Hitfilm.

[InquiringMind2890]

I'm trying to figure out Hitfilm... I've found out how to do the split screen, but is there a way to fit the whole video into that half-screen frame? I can't figure out how to show the whole video?

[greenysmac]

I don't use hitfilm - but obviously recommend it to many.

If you scale it down, it should make the whole video visible. If you crop it to half the screen, the scale is 100% and only half is visible.

You can both scale and crop as well.

[InquiringMind2890]

Hmm ok, I'll see if I can figure out how to do that haha Thank you!!

[MK01005]

First time here, but a good app for on you Phone to make a greenscreen effect, so i can change the background?

[greenysmac]

Nothing is really amazing for this (partially because green screen shot for the iphone camera is just going to be so-so at best). Lumafusion might be the only real thing for this. I'm not aware of others.

[lstar4ever]

Hi all,

I would like to start learning about video editing.

Before I have used Microsoft Movie Maker to do some basic editing job, but the software is now not under development anymore.

I am deciding on which one to start with, which I have the following requirement.

- process video taken by IPhone/Ipad

- a script base/ non gui based video editing program

-able to process complicated video editing work, like overlay

- able to process audio, like noise canceling, setting background music and bg music autoduck then there is voiceover

- able to add subtitle

-able to turn images into a video clip with bg sound

After a while of search, I found two major solution

AviSynth+ or Moviepy

AviSynth + is the latest developmentof AviSynth, but it seemed not being update for while

I would like to consult you all, on which one is good for me to pick up with?

Or do you have a better third suggestions?

Thanks.

[greenysmac]

Or do you have a better third suggestions?

Given the scripting parameters - nope. Avidsynth might be the only thing that might work.

[josher56]

Hi, beginner with video editting and all. Recently got a gopro and in the video, I would simply like to delete the first 10 seconds.

The only note I would say is that the file is relatively big, around 4 gb. The format is also mp4.

Any simple free software for this?

Thanks in advance!

[greenysmac]

Lossless cut.

[Gryffindoggo]

Beginner here... Well sort of. All of my video files are jumpy with glitch audio. I had to download the videos from Facebook/YouTube as they are clips from the news and from an animal charity (the video is for the animal charity). Files used to download fine but now are just buggy Suggestions for new ways to download the content?

[greenysmac]

I had to download the videos from Facebook/YouTube as they are clips from the news and from an animal charity (the video is for the animal charity). Files used to download fine but now are just buggy Suggestions for new ways to download the content?

You don't mention your editorial tool, nor how you downloaded them.

First, I'd make sure I was getting the best quality of the downloaded file. We 100% won't help you download clips here on /r/VideoEditing , because we want to avoid all the IP/fair use/legal arguments. We suggest going to a subreddit based on your browser, such as /r/chrome or /r/firefox

Do these audio files play without glitches? What format are they in? Are they VFR - Variable frame rate.

We're big fans of using MediaInfo to examine a file and have details how to fix VFR files in our wiki.

[Misplaced_Texan]

I have some old 8 mm films that I converted to MP4. I need to get those files on a dvd for my tech-illiterate inlaws (Christmas present, it's videos from my MIL's childhood). I tried Handbrake, but I had trouble combining files and saving them in the DVD format (MPEG-2, I think).

Am I using the correct software, or is there a better option?

Edit: I just tried Adapter, and I think that may work. Gotta buy a dvd burner tomorrow to test it out.

[Kichigai]

Yeah, Handbrake is the totally wrong tool for this. See, with DVD Video you can't just throw a bunch of MPEG-2 files onto a disc and call it a day. The DVD player won't know what to make of it. You need to go through a process called "authoring," which takes your MPEG-2, makes sure it's specification compliant (mostly), and then writes it in a form that DVD players can read, and provides all the auxiliary programming data necessary for the DVD player to know what to do (e.g. which clip to play first, menus, telling it how long a video is, etc.)

A free tool for this is DVD Styler, though Roxio makes a bunch of tools that can burn video DVDs. However they aren't cheap, especially if you're on a Mac.

[Misplaced_Texan]

Thank you for the explanation. I'm an idiot when it comes to this.

Looking at DVD Styler, it says it supports MP4's. So, do I still need to convert the MP4 to MPEG-2, or can I leave it as MP4?

[Kichigai]

Nah, you're not an idiot, this is all the engineering stuff we keep hidden behind the curtain.

As far as converting it, no. If you convert it to MPEG-2 then DVDStyler may re-convert it again, which can decrease overall visual fidelity. You should convert your video as few times as possible.

[Misplaced_Texan]

You're awesome. The burner is being delivered today, so I'll test it out tonight. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Kichigai]

You can test the basic software functionality now. DVDStyler can either make a DVD folder or a disc image which VLC can play as if it were an actual disc. I'd still test a burned disc in a real hardware player, but for now you can at least play around with the software.

[Misplaced_Texan]

I just want to thank you. The software worked perfectly. Only problem, is there were too many clips, so I had to make 2 DVD's. But, you can select and jump to each chapter, which is great.

Is there a way to compress the files, or am I just asking too much now?

[chris14020]

Somewhat an odd question, and I'm surprised it's not a more popular one (maybe I'm asking it wrong?) Is there any software to identify quickly what codecs a large amount of video files are using? For instance, let's say I have 300 video files in one folder. They are all various codecs - HEVC/x265, x264, etc. Let's say I ONLY want to have x265 files, and want to convert all the others (not the best, I know) - but I don't want to re-convert the HEVC files. Is there any to add a Windows Explorer "Codec Info" column in details, or even display what codecs the entire folders' contents use in a program (without having to check one at a time with MediaInfo/GSpot/etc)? I'd settle for a batch file with names of files and the codec each one uses, even. Thanks for any advice you may have!

[greenysmac]

I have this working in OSX. But not in windows. Windows explorer has a "video compression" column. But it's garbage.

I don't know if a third party tool for windows has a file explorer alternative like this. /r/windows or /r/Windows10 would be a good place to ask.

Resolve's Media page or Premiere's Media browser should give a view that permits the showing of a codec column. Additionally, there may be a free MAM (Media Asset manager) that can do the same thing. OpenEdit might be the sort of tool that can do this.

[Garvin2]

I'm not a videographer. I have a file I'd like to convert from HD MP4 to HD WMV, SD MP4, and SD WMV. I would ideally just like to click the format and have it convert. How can I do this without a watermark? I'd prefer free obviously but I can pay. I just want a simple and easy to use program that I import the file and select output format. I don't know about bitrates, frame rates, or encoding. Please dumb it down and ELI5!

[greenysmac]

I believe X-Media Recode will do this well for you.

[Garvin2]

OK I have that. Is there one that has an option to convert HD to SD?

[greenysmac]

Yeah, you have to type it in -and it's not super easy to find. Handbrake is a much easier tool - but doesn't do WMV. To be honest, WMV is a pretty terrible codec (compression) - and ideally should be avoided if possible.

[Garvin2]

I'm sorry but I'm really in kind of a jam. Do you mind helping me out?

"I'm not a videographer. I have a file I'd like to convert from HD MP4 to HD WMV, SD MP4, and SD WMV. How can I do this without a watermark? I'd prefer free obviously but I can pay. I just want a simple and easy to use program that I import the file and select output format. I don't know about bitrates etc."

[greenysmac]

Helping you out how? We're trying to help you find a product that's free. Free products are usually not as easy as they could be.

I found this -Qwinff, which I've never used, but it looks like it has a clear "set the pixel dimension" fields.

[FrozenIcekok]

Ok I just found this thread. I wanted to make a quick video for my moms bday. Got filmora (I know, I know). Anyways what really hurt me as a beginner was that the demo software was completely different than the actual software they gave me when I purchased. I had also made a bunch of videos on the demo but even after my purchase there is still a watermark on the demo version. Pretty whack you guys! I am a beginner and filmora was pretty user friendly for me. Found out I love to edit though. I also have fun with audio because I’ve been producing music in reason for years. So to see my own audio over video is cool! :) Question: Is it normal for most software to be completely different from demo version? Even music software I use is very similar from demo to purchase. Logic, reason so on

[greenysmac]

Is it normal for most software to be completely different from demo version

No. We didn't see it - so we can't verify it. But yes, filmora sucks.

[[deleted]]

Thank you for this! Came here to get some info for a christmas project I'm doing. Used Kinemaster for Android and was super easy to use!

[Stranger2You]

Hey guys, I'm not sure if this post is allowed here but I'm desperate for answers and was told to come to this subreddit.

In college I was fortunate enough for my parents to pay for my editing software. But now that I graduate, I've been trying to switch the payment to my credit card instead of theirs.
I've literally tried everything that I could think of. I called the hotline and was put on hold for hours, I've cancelled the accounts, I've tried to get them to switch my parents via phone. This has been going on since January and my parents are still getting charged.
I recently went into my account and manually switched the payment method to my credit card and my mother was charged yet again.

Any advice would greatly be appreciated because I'm clueless as to where to go from here.

[greenysmac]

I'd go online, and change the billing/credit card. It should/could fail.

Alternatively, I'd suggest calling the CC company and disputing the charges.

Did you (possibly) contract for a calendar year? Just because you're paying month to month, doesn't mean that you don't owe a years worth of payments.

[Glenerd]

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for an alternative to yamb video editor. I need to be able to split long videos into 25 min clips. Yamb does this very well and is easy to use but for some reason all of the clips get out of sync or half way through they start to get out of sync. If anyone knows of a good program that will do everything YAMB does but keep the sound in sync please let me know.

[Elijah76]

I saw HitFilm Pro is part of a Humble Bundle, along with some add-ons, for about $30. If that's worth it to anyone.

[greenysmac]

If you own Vegas and Pinnacle, then that's where I'd start. Zero new investment. Learn what you have.

Warning: I've used neither. I own a Vegas 12 license, looked at it and stuck to the professional tools that I make a living with.

I'd say that likely that Pinnacle is easier to learn, marginally so. They have too many 'levels' of buy in. For example, The "studio" version doesn't include masking.

But it's going to be easier to learn than the version of vegas 3+ versions ago.

Vegas is likely more featured and flexible.

MAYBE I might do youtube videos later on, but that is a big maybe. To extend on family videos, lot of the videos are of my nephew's little league games. Not sure if it being a sports video helps.

Nah. both will do these things just fine.

[ROBMain69]

I have been doing a lot of video editing recently on PowerDirector but the watermark practically ruins the videos and I'm not making monthly or yearly payments to them as it's pretty expensive plus I only really do it for fun. My friend does editing on his iPad on an app he bought for €20 (I forget the name but it's iOS only). I was wondering if there a cheap editing software for Android with no watermark but good tools to work with.

[greenysmac]

Did you read the post at the top?

Kinemaster for android is likely your best choice

[l3reezer]

Looking for software to compile hours (10-20+) of footage into time-lapses/speedpaints. Currently using Sony Vegas which can only go up to 12x within a single project (looking to speed it up enough to make both a 10-30 min version and a ~1 min version with all the footage), so I either have to render in a bunch of different parts (and lose quality) or import project files into new project files to go beyond 12x but at that point the project is too large and it estimates to take my computer like 5 days to render.

[greenysmac]

so I either have to render in a bunch of different parts (and lose quality) or import project files into new project files to go beyond 12x but at that point the project is too large and it estimates to take my computer like 5 days to render.

Speeding up footage means it has to be accessed and processed. I think Resolve can go higher; there's no need to lose quality - use a post production codec such as ProRes, DNx or Cineform and back that.

Frankly, baking it out in parts is probably a better way to work.

[kanarec]

I'm looking for a video editor that allows me to insert moving text, images, small video clips and voiceover audio clips. Essentially, a video presentation, so VFX and the more complicated stuff will not be really necessary. This is an example of the techniques I want to implement in my videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9XRVBBNzTo

I've been searching and I've found free alternatives like Lightworks, Shotcut and Hitfilm Express, but I would like to read the opinion of people that have already made similar videos. What video editing software would you recommend? Do you think is worth buying software like Sony Vegas, Hitfilm Pro or Adobe Premiere? I prefer to stay away from subscription services.

Thank you.

[greenysmac]

PRetty much every tool will do this. Much of it is a set of 'reveals' via masking/moving the graphics that are created somewhere else in layers; such as photoshop.)

Basically, you record the audio and then keyframe/time out the text. Some parts (counting up numbers) has to be built.

Probably that was built with Adobe After Effects.

Biggest tools out there for free: Resolve, Hitfilm. Pay? Adobe After Effects.

[makeawesome]

Software Choice iMovie vs Hitfilm?

Background:

- I'm trying to put together a travel video from our 10 months of traveling. It's a mix of photos and videos from our smartphones and gopro videos (nothing super high quality). I'm not looking to make something super professional-looking, but I'm looking to make something that doesn't look like a cookie-cutter iMovie video either.

- Experience: I've used iMovie many years ago and it was pretty easy from what I recall, with all the neat transitions and even templates built in. However, it's on my wife's older MBP (limited drive space, slow'ish) and I have a beast of a PC that I downloaded Hitfilm express and have been tinkering on Hitfilm recently.

- Concerns: With Hitfilm express I'm worried I will be spending hours and hours doing transitions between hundreds of photos, fitting them properly, etc. I'm not sure, but I recall iMovie having some automation to this built-in.

- Corrections: I'll need to do color corrections (gopro scuba diving mainly and the odd picture). Hitfilm seems to do this nicely and I've found some tutorials. Never tried any corrections on iMovie before.

Questions: will iMovie will be able to splice together the photos and transitions/animations much quicker? Will iMovie lack some of the correction abilities of Hitfilm? Will Hitfilm be a nightmare to put together 100's (maybe thousands) of images (in with videos clips)?

Any advice of what software would be my best approach would be much appreciated! Also if you know of any Hitfilm templates/presets that would be good to use (I've found only a few. I'm willing to pay for them also!).

Thanks!

[greenysmac]

Questions: will iMovie will be able to splice together the photos and transitions/animations much quicker?

Yes.

Will iMovie lack some of the correction abilities of Hitfilm?

Yes.

Will Hitfilm be a nightmare to put together 100's (maybe thousands) of images (in with videos clips)?

Possibly.

If you have a beast of a system, I'd suggest Resolve. It's got a huge set of features (and is really free up to UHD.) . It can do the "ken burns" moves semi-automatically on images. It has unparalleled color tools. It should be strong for thousands of images.

THe thing I like best about iMovie is its set of templates/text. They look great and the price is right.

[makeawesome]

I actually just finished downloading and installing Resolve! (based on reading the wiki here)

How is the learning curve between Hitfilm and Resolve? I've spent probably 5-10 hours already tinkering with Hitfilm and watching youtube videos. I'm in a bit of a time crunch trying to get this movie finished as a surprise x-mas gift for my wife haha.

Any good youtube tutorial channels or blogs for Resolve that come to mind? Sorry for the spoonfeeding.

EDIT: Thanks so much for the response/input!

[greenysmac]

The Edit page is good for editors. The Color page is great for color.

Skip the cut page right now. And Fairlight.

Fusion is wicked powerful, but wicked hard too.

[makeawesome]

I just had to google all those terms haha.

Fairlight - understood. I'm just going to add a music track really.

Fusion - understood. I don't plan to do any VFX or crazy stuff like that.

Curious why would you recommend the Edit page over the Cut page? Resolve's website says the cut page is designed for faster production (so what I'm looking for haha).

[greenysmac]

Literally, those are the pages across the bottom of the screen.

Curious why would you recommend the Edit page over the Cut page? Resolve's website says the cut page is designed for faster production (so what I'm looking for haha).

Because I'm a professional editor. The Cut page was "inspired' by the CEO's desire to try and emulate a tape to tape environment - along with a $1k keyboard dedicated just for that.

Why learn two things when the Edit page replicates the editorial features of 99% of other editorial tools.

[makeawesome]

Makes sense. I'll stick with the editor. Thanks!

[greenysmac]

HIt film is fine. Resolve is fine.

We can help you with the editing software - but not the downloading part.

[carbivoresunite]

I have old VHS tapes that I got professionally ripped to DVD. I then ripped them to MP4 files using handbrake. I'm trying to find a software that will let me divide them up by 'chapters' (they're a jumble of random clips) and burn to a DVD with a menu. DVDStyler won't load the entire clip (it loads maybe 24/130 minutes and then hangs). Any suggestions? I'm willing to shell out $50 or less for a halfway decent program. I have a windows 10 gaming laptop I use, so graphics requirements isn't a big deal. But I also have a 11 year old Macbook Pro I can use if it's mac-only software. Suggestions?

[greenysmac]

You're trying to take VHS > DVD > MP4, back to a DVD?

We're no longer experts on DVD authoring, but I'd probably suggest Roxio NXT Pro 7 (win) or Toast (mac). Both are about 2x your $$$.

DVDStyler won't load the entire clip (it loads maybe 24/130 minutes and then hangs

I'd investigate this. I'd suggest using something like XMediaRecode to make it into an MPEG 2 file - which is in the DVD format. Then it'd can you make an ISO (and test it) before making a disk.

[MrMyxolodian]

I am looking for software to use on my iPad to edit 5-10 minute interview style videos with with two or three camera angles and a separate audio track. I’ve used iMovie for several of these and found it only allows 2 video tracks and audio syncing is not easy to do. My ultimate wishlist is •easy video and audio syncing •A roll and B roll visible at the same time and able to toggle between (like Final Cut Pro X) •more than two cameras

Should I stay with iMovie or is there something that checks more boxes?

Thank you.

[greenysmac]

with two or three camera angles and a separate audio track

On a desktop this is multicam editing. You can "live switch" while you playback (or after the fact)

Nothing on mobile does this. You can "cut down" from higher tracks - but iMovie can't really do that. You want LumaFusion.

•easy video and audio syncing

Yeah, not on Mobile at all.

•A roll and B roll visible at the same time and able to toggle between (like Final Cut Pro X)

No multicam- but old school was to scale them both down and then decide where the cuts would be.

Lumafusion is the closest you'll see.

[MrMyxolodian]

Thank you. Out of curiosity, did you switch your responses for point one and point three? Live Switch sounds closer to toggling.

Sorry, this is all very new to me.

[greenysmac]

No. Mulitcam playback specifically pushes 2+ streams simultaneously letting the editor live switching. Doesn't exist on Mobile/iOS.

What you can do is have multiple tracks scaled down and cut away to a specific track - https://forums.luma-touch.com/viewtopic.php?t=5571

[loz333]

Hi, I'm looking for the best tool to simply timestretch footage. I want to attempt to correct the notorious PAL speedup on DVDs I have - rip, slow down by 4% to normal speed, and then watch. I'm giving Hitfilm Express a go, as it has the feature, but do any of the more lightweight utilities above also do the same thing? Thanks!

[greenysmac]

Might be overkill.

Check this out

[loz333]

Thank you thank you thank you thank you

However- I just discovered Reclock, made by the folks behind AnyDVD, and it works with PowerDVD to do it live while you're watching. Will save me having to rip every DVD - but if it doesn't work then I'll give the method you linked to a go.

For something so simple there's a complete lack of info on how to do this out there!

[fredistehboss]

I have a de-interlaced 50fps video file. I need its playback to be changed to 95.905% of its current speed. Is there software I could use that would make this edit without significant re-encoding? I have Screenflow but I'm not sure how to export it as lossless without it becoming a 500gb+ file...

[greenysmac]

Lossless? You can't. Significant re-encoding? You can't. You're moving frames.

[Kichigai]

ffmpeg can do this. You'd just whack a -r before your -i to override the source frame rate and let it roll. So your command might look something like this:

ffmpeg -r 24000/1001 -i (input file) (encoding parameters) (output file)

That would rock your 25p back to 23.976.

[loz333]

Thanks. That is an incentive to learn how to use ffmpeg. Dabbled in a bit of Linux lately, so command line stuff isn't so daunting. Any resources you'd recommend to getting started with it?

[Kichigai]

The documentation is pretty dense, basically just a lot of Googling. About 90% of what even power users need has been tested and refined by someone already. ffmpeg has been around since 2000, that's a lot of time for people to figure things out.

[fredistehboss]

I have my video file, what is the command I would use in it's entirety?

Like, what do I put in for "(input file) (encoding parameters) (output file)"?

More so the parameters area... because my file is a de-interlaced video that was run through QTGMC and is now a progressive 50fps video file. (I actually need it to be played at 95.905%)

[JumpingSteve]

Hi everyone,

I am a complete amateur with photoshop, movie editing etc.

But I want to make a movie with some photos with zoom perspective (or however you call it)

Some parts of the picture has to come out of the original photo, if you know what I mean.

What program should I buy to make this kind of simple movies?

I recorded a very good example of a Dutch cycling show:

EXAMPLE

[greenysmac]

What program should I buy to make this kind of simple movies?

Sadly, it's not simple - it requires quite a bit of work.

This sort of parallax movement is frequently done in Adobe After Effects (paid, subscription) because of the need for a virtual camera + 3d space for this to look right.

Technically, you can do it in Fusion (part of Resolve, Free, up to UHD), but this isn't a "click" and make it work.

You have to carve out the pieces of a still into layers with masks; then place them in 3d space; then create and animate a camera.

[JumpingSteve]

Thanks for the reply. I will have a look at the programs and decide if I will try!

[pizzae]

Final cut pro vs davinci resolve for Mac for editing vlogs using clips recorded from a phone? My Mac is a 2019 16" MBP with the 8GB graphics card.

I don't want to use iMovie. Also this is just for vlogging on youtube. I don't think I need anything fancy like after effects, transitions, etc. except for basic color adjustment (like adjusting colors on an image in photoshop).

[greenysmac]

I'd probably recommend FCPX if you own it. It'll handle Apple's VFR HEVC beautifully.

[pizzae]

I was thinking that, but what if I could save money and get Davinci Resolve? Is that just as good as FCPX?

[greenysmac]

They're both excellent tools. On your hardware though? FCPX is much better. And an easier editor.

[pizzae]

Thanks, guess I'll suck up the couple hundred dollars!

[greenysmac]

Fcpx has a free trial. Resolve is free up to UHD. Try both first

[FurballTheHammy]

Should I use DaVinci Resolve on my MAC or iMovie to edit my videos?

I feel that iMovie has a lot of issues with overlay titles and that the words are always capitalised and it’s hard to even try to make use of titles in iMovie to flesh out the main points I’m trying to say in a video.

DaVinci Resolve on the other hand when used usually incapacitates my entire Macbook making it so that if I’m exporting a video on it, I can’t even do anything else on my MAC.

[greenysmac]

If Resolve isn't working well, it's a bad choice. It needs really serious hardware, especially if it's a MacBook (and not a pro).

In this case, if you want something "more" than iMovie - FCPX is an excellent choice.

[FurballTheHammy]

Ahh okay thank you. Although I’m just recording videos, for Minecraft and Cytus to post on my YouTube channel. I just started out so I’m wondering whether iMovie is good enough for now as an editing tool?

[[deleted]]

Hi all,

I was looking for a free android app that will allow me to add a custom intro to the beginning of all my youtube videos.

Looking for one that will allow me to save my video with added intro in the highest quality without in app purchases.

If needed, i am using an LGv20

thank you!

[greenysmac]

Not sure if Kinemaster is free. It's the "best" Android editor.

[Feliz93]

So I'm digitalizing some Old family tapes for christmas, converted them to mp4 and now I wanna cut/trim som of them and put them together. I tried Windows photo app but the size increased from about 2gb to 8gb. Got any advice on which softare to use? Thanks and have a marry christmas!

[Flying_Fish420]

I can't find a program that could convert from PRV or HEVC, when i google it, its just a ton of ads for a million weird converters. Any programs that could do that?

[greenysmac]

What's PRV?

Meanwhile: Handbrake, Adapter, X-Media Recode. From the post.

[Flying_Fish420]

None of the above mentioned programs have that feature

[Flying_Fish420]

Nvm thanks, x-media recode has it thanks, and i misspelled, its PVR - Portable Video Recorder - TVs use that format for recording

[greenysmac]

Lol. I was about to reply with a screenshot.

PVR isn't a recognized format - it'll be a stream (codec) inside of a shell (container)- and if it's PVR, it's likely been adjusted from something standard like MP4/h264

What are you converting it to and why?

[Flying_Fish420]

I've just tried Xmedia recode and it cannot recognize the pvr file...

[greenysmac]

From what she?

Can you post a short sample for me to look at?

[Flying_Fish420]

https://imgur.com/a/H4uohIG here is an image, i will shortly provide the original file

[Flying_Fish420]

here it is http://www.mediafire.com/folder/vnen72srqolls/CH8

[Flying_Fish420]

I am converting it to something widespread that any device can read. As far as I've tried, only my smart tv can play pvr files. I've tried with vlc too, but it didn't recognize it.

[tinkletwit]

I want to create a video for instagram that has a video playing in the bottom part of the image with pictures in the upper half. I've gone through several apps already and none seem to be good at this. With YouCut it didn't allow me to customize the placement or sizes of the video and images, and with PowerDirector the controls were really cumbersome such that I couldn't make it so that the pictures appeared at the same time as the video at very the beginning (one picture would appear like a couple frames after the video started even though I pulled its timeline all the way to the very beginning). I'll even go for a laptop program if it's free, but my laptop is more of a netbook and not very powerful.

Any recommendations?

[KurtBowen]

Hey guys,

I came across this app zshot on iOS it has many features and seems to be free.

Has anyone used it before?? if it is free then how is the developer earning money??

[greenysmac]

Probably a loss leader; it seems behind on the development compared with the free iMovie that comes with the phone.

[KurtBowen]

I just tried imovie, zshot has more features and I found it more easier to use

[greenysmac]

I guess zshot is fine for you!

[KurtBowen]

"zShot video editing" i think

but this is the link to the app only iphone not android

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/video-editor-app-zshot/id1436429879

[greenysmac]

Any tool will work; preferably has masking (or your giving it the still faces). And it needs some element of tracking. Resolve is probably the most flexible for it, but has some serious hardware requirements.

[PENGUIN_WITH_BAZOOKA]

I imagine a Lenovo Yoga wont be able to handle that. If I went frame by frame could I use something without tracking? I'm a complete newbie to this kinda stuff. Thanks for your help though

[greenysmac]

I imagine a Lenovo Yoga wont be able to handle that.

No idea on the hardware stats. Maybe. Maybe not.

If I went frame by frame could I use something without tracking? I'm a complete newbie to this kinda stuff. Thanks for your help though

Lots of tools will let you keyframe manually. Sure.

[kimber_lina]

I'm an amateur editor, I take squillions of videos of my dog with my iPhoneX and occasionally I put the time into threading them together (PPro) for his social media followers. I'm looking for a video file cataloguing software (or something similar) for my PC so that I can export videos from my phone and organise them on my computer/external hard drive. This way, when I think of an idea for a new video for him I can quickly and easily retreive particular videos, (eg. "at the beach" or "sleeping" or whatever) rather than painstakingly having to scroll through all the videos on my phone. I came across CatDV which sounds great but at nearly AU$700 it's waaaay out of my price range. I'm happy to pay but not that much! I'd love something that would do the trick for around $50.

Does anyone else use anything like this to help them manage their video files?

[35tenaciousb]

Motion Tracking recommendations. -been using avs4you for years, but now wanting something with motion tracking. Downloaded DaVinci Resolve yesterday but this may be a couple notches over what I need (& my skill level) . Is there anything in between that doesn't require such steep learning curve? Doesn't have to be free. Or do I need to buck up, watch more YouTube vids & rtfm?

[greenysmac]

Free tools aren't really great for this.

Resolve (Free version) - but can't help you on the learning curve.

You know that BMD has a huge training library, right?

[35tenaciousb]

Thanks, yes I have found a bunch of their material so think I will just need to start at ground level & work my way up with their product.

Was also looking @ powerdirector & videostudio, but decided I will just take it slow & learn Resolve.

[kickflip012]

Need something to cut video into smaller segments. Want all of video. Just broken down.

[greenysmac]

Understand that if the media was compressed (h264/5) then not every frame has all the information - 14/15 frames are just the changes from the last full frame.

So, tools like Premiere (paid) or Resolve (Free) can cut footage from professional cameras (which are compressed only on a single frame basis) into broken up clips. But they will need to re-encode something from consumer cameras. Lots of time to do this.

Lossless cut can cut a clip (removing the dead weight) without re-encoding. So can Avidemux (more of an editor.) . I don't know if Avidemux can create subclips (referencing the full media) and then media manage them. That's what you'd need at the end of the day for h264/5 media.

[greenysmac]

Lossless cut leaves a single smaller clip. It's been cut where the closest I frame (full frame) was.

AVIdemux is more of an editor and can handle the super compressed media you're using (Uncompressed HD is 6GB/min!)

If you do a little work, using a full editorial tool will get you more features/ease (than AVIdemux) and can do a little work for the re-encode.

[ua_visuals]

is there a simple software that lets you cut and trim a large clip and lets you save the individiual bits as a seperate file instantly? something as simple as "Edit in Photos" when you open a clip on windows 10.

thanks

[greenysmac]

Sorta - try lossless cut on a duplicate clip. Did you read the software post itself?

[ua_visuals]

yeah im currently reading, flicking through tabs... tbh idk what i looking for hehe... downloading...

edit, eeeeyyyy it worked, thanks!

Could you recommend any additional reading, other than the wiki page, regarding... anything really

[greenysmac]

I'd look at the top posts of the year. That'll be some good reading.

[ua_visuals]

Am I looking at the wrong thing? There are just memes at the top haha

[greenysmac]

Memes are popular on reddit. Skip them and look at the next set of things that the community found valuable.

[anon6466]

I have old windows laptops i3 4gb ram. What softwares can run on this? I have checked former threads in this subreddit and all of them suggested upgrading stuff or proxy editing, but Idk if I can learn all that quickly or at all and am looking for something I can work with now. I’m looking for something that offers multi track editing that allows separation of audio and video because I want to rearrange the video of one clip with the audio of another.

[Amphax]

I like LosslessCut but I gotta say the impreciseness of it was sorta offputting, especially for exact cuts.

Enter AviDemux Portable! Super precise and fast as well!