Free and fast video editor that works with many formats
Free and fast video editor that works with many formats
Pros
- Simple and Light
- Multiple Format Support
Cons
- Occasional Dropped Frames
- Outdated User Interface
Avidemux is a piece of software that lets you convert and encode video content in an effective and simple manner.
If you don't need any of the incredibly advanced functionality that you might expect to find in a world-class video editor, Avidemux is the option you seek. It costs nothing to download, install, or use, and it was made for the most basic encoding, filtering, and cutting tasks. With the help of a wide selection of codecs, the software is able to support formats like AVI, MP4, ASF, and many others. The flexibility of the software is what truly makes it stand out from the crowd.
One of the great things about this software is that it doesn't require you to convert your video files to the DV format, which many other file convertors require since they actually use third-party sources to perform the final editing. This is much more convenient since it removes one entire step from the process. Thanks to the impressive scripting powers of the software in combination with job queues and projects, many tasks can be fully automated by the software.
As an open-source software platform, Avidemux is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems, so those who often find themselves working between both systems will enjoy the flexibility of the software. Unfortunately, the software is lacking a bit in the aesthetic department. The user interface is a bit outdated, but that doesn't mean the software isn't powerful under the hood. Since the user interface is so simple, it allows the entire app to be less resource-heavy. It won't take you too long to get the hang of the software, and simple trial and error is enough to get you through the foundations of editing.
It should be noted that the software claims it can work with MPEG files, but testing proved that to be difficult. During testing of the app with an MPEG file, the app returned an error that forced the app to function in Safe mode, which caused a handful of frames to be lost. Like most pieces of software, the app has a long way to go before it could be called perfect, but that doesn't mean it's not a highly useful tool in its current imperfect form. If all you want to do is perform free basic video editing without first converting the file format, Avidemux is the best option.
In the most recent version of Avidemux, a number of changes were employed to push the software into a higher echelon of performance. FLV files are now more compatible with the software, and encoding support for MP2 and AC3 formats has been reinstated. A few issues with stability when dealing with the 32-bit version of Windows XP were fixed, and crash reporting has been improved for better summaries of the issue that caused the crash.
Pros
- Simple and Light
- Multiple Format Support
Cons
- Occasional Dropped Frames
- Outdated User Interface
