Since we are developing a video cataloging software we are also getting a bunch of video related questions. These are often questions that require other software packages to get the job done. Here I have collected a bunch of our most frequently asked questions about video tools.
This article was originally written in 2015, since tools change over time this page may not be relevant or contain broken links. You might also be interested in our most rencent post on video tools recommendations, Must have video software 2020
All tools recommended here are available for Windows PC.
What is the easiest/best free video editor software?
Easiest and simplest would be Windows Movie maker, it is available for free from Microsoft in the Windows essentials package. Windows Movie Maker is effortless to use and allows you to create videos out of photos, cut and edit videos and share them online.
VSDC Free Video Editor is a free, as in no hidden fees or advertising, non-linear video editor. It features a complete set of instruments for all-round editing and creating videos. The tool comfortably deals with dozens of video codecs and formats, while visual effects and filters help you make the final video look as pro-like as you need. Fully customizable video editing and the native support for multiple media devices contribute to the flexibility of the program.
Lightworks is professional Non-Linear Editing (NLE) software supporting resolutions up to 4K as well as video in SD and HD formats. Lightworks has been used to edit several Hollywood feature films. It has many features but there is a learning curve to get used to the program. Lightworks is available in a free version and a professional version. The free version is limited to video output resolutions of 720p or less.
I’m looking for the easiest or the best software to split up a video or merge videos together.
Most video editing programs can do this, however, if you only want to cut out a part of the video you want a tool that does it loss-less. I.e. you don’t have to encode the video again after a section has been cut since this will decrease video quality.
SolveigMM Video Splitter is a Commercial video editor to operate with pre-compressed FLV, AVC/H264, MP4, MOV, AVCHD, MPEG-2, MKV, MPEG-1, AVI, WMV, MP3, WMA files. The editor is lossless and fast, removing unwanted parts of the video with just a few mouse clicks. It claims to keep 99% of data and only transcodes a few frames at the beginning and end of the video segments minimizing the artifacts from recompression and increasing the speed of the program.
Avidemux is a free open source video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4, and ASF, using a variety of codecs. Tasks can be automated using projects, job queue, and powerful scripting capabilities.
What tools do you recommend to convert videos between formats?
There are too many tools to mention here to get the job done. If you do a simple search on the internet you will find a bunch of tools. Most of these tools are just packaged up interfaces to the same open-source tools. For most formats, there is really no need to pay for a video conversion software.
HandBrake is my go-to tool for converting video between nearly any format. It has been around for a very long time and is still being developed.
What professional video editor do you recommend?
Adobes creative cloud includes all of Adobes video tools and is easy to recommend. You can pay per month in you don’t need constant access to them.