The best tool to split and join MP4 files.
Summary
| Our Score | Our Score  |
| License | Free (Open source) |
| Link | http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/ |
| Splitter and Joiner for mp4, mkv, avi. Easy to use for beginners. Several output format are preset. Fair quality output. | |
| Video and audio playback is poor when editing. Liable to crash. Inability to save video in copy mode. |
Details
Avidemux is a free video cutting and joining software. It supports formats such as mp4, mpg, avi, ogm, mkv, flv. It is relatively simple to use as well, making it the best when splitting files in mp4 format.
Installing the software is very straight forward, so there should be no issues with that. The program has a clear toolbar on top with all necessary buttons. After a file has been opened, choose markers ‘A’ and ‘B’ to select portions of the video you wish to delete (deletion is done using the ‘Del’ key, which is very convenient).
The best way to do this is to locate the beginning of the section you wish to keep and click the ‘B’ marker – the previous portion is then marked with blue, allowing you to delete it. And best yet, one can cut to the last second before the desired section, thereby ensuring none of your precious moments are lost. Then, just click Save Project As before you Save Video.
Here again, Avidemux has several tools to benefit its users. There are preset output formats under the ‘Auto’ tab – these include 720p, PlayStation Portable, DVD, etc. But be wary, the program does have a habit of crashing, so always remember to save your project before you save the video.
Aside from these preset formats, one can also choose the video and audio format for the video from the dropdown menus on the left-hand side.
However, despite all its merits, Avidemux does have its fair share of drawbacks that should be kept in mind. One, most video formats loaded on the program open with an error message such as ‘H.264 detected’ and the like. But this warning is only to do with the playback within the program – it does not affect the video output.
Another problem is that in copy mode, the program requires the edited video to begin on a I-frame (or keyframe). This isn’t always possible, and even when one does begin on a I-frame, it may not be the frame the program requires and hence, the video will not be saved. This is a little inconvenient, because you do not always want to have to choose separate formats for both video and audio.
What Avidemux gets right is that it successfully cuts mp4 and mkv files, which is hard to find.
It also has the ability to join videos, which is convenient when there are several different sections of one large file that one needs to cut out and then put back together. But keep in mind that to join video files, the size and formats of the different sections need to be the same.