Avidemux - Wrong preview for MP4 with H264

[Alonshow]

I'm using Avidemux to cut portions of MP4 files encoded with H.264. It does the job, but when I move between keyframes (Avidemux calls them Intra Frames, but I think that it is the same thing), the picture shown in the preview area is wrong. This is a major problem, because keyframes are essential when editing. The preview shown corresponds to a frame that is a bit further or a bit back in the video. Therefore, unless I am very careful, I cut in the wrong frame. This makes the preview almost useless.

Right now I am using this workaround: I move between keyframes until the preview shows a picture that corresponds more or less to the point where I want to make the cut. I know that the preview is wrong, but I also know that I'm not too far from the right keyframe. I have found out that moving a frame back from a keyframe shows the right preview, so I do that. Then I move a frame forward, which brings me back to the keyframe, but this time the preview is right. Now I know that I'm seeing the real content of the keyframe. The first time I always find that I'm at the wrong place, but I also know that the right keyframe is not too far and whether it's forward or backwards. I move one keyframe forward (or backwards) and I get the right preview by repeating the process of moving one frame back and one frame forward. If I have arrived to the right keyframe, I set the cutting point there and I'm done. Otherwise, I move to the next keyframe and keep repeating the process until I find the right cutting point.

Although this workaround works, it's extremely tedious, especially if I want to make many cuts in the video. Is there a way to make Avidemux show the right preview, or another tool that performs this task properly?

[poisondeathray]

are you using 2.6.x beta or 2.5.x?

2.6 versions handle h.264 much better

http://avidemux.razorbyte.com.au/


Or you can use videoredo beta 4, or solveigmm video trimmer . These last 2 are not free, but they are frame accurate because they do smart rendering (re-encode the few frames around a cutsite) - so don't have to cut on keyframes

[Alonshow]

I'm using 2.5.4. I'll try 2.6 and I'll let you know how it works.

[Alonshow]

I have just tried 2.6 and it works very well! There are still a few minor glitches, but nothing really important. Normally I'm quite reluctant to try beta versions, but this one was really worth it. Thank you so much, this has solved a problem that had been annoying me for a long time!

[budwzr]

Looks like they slicked up the interface a little too.