Software for Editing MP4 video?

[majax79]

Hello,

I want to cut out a clip of a mp4 video. I was unable to edit it with Avidemux or Virtualdub. Hopefully someone can either recommend a different video editor program or tell me how to properly cut out a scene without converting it to a different format.

Here's the specs of the MP4 retrieved by MediaInfo:

170 Kbps, 704*384 (16:9), at 23.976 fps, AVC (Main@L3.1) (CABAC / 4 Ref Frames)

[Baldrick]

What happens in avidemux?

Or you could try videoredo 4 preview.

[DarrellS]

If Videoredo 4 works on H264 like VideoRedo 3 does on MPEG2 then that would be the way to go. I haven't been able to make that purchase yet.

In my experience, the best way to edit MP4 is to convert to lossless avi, edit and then recode to 264/aac. Seeking in MP4 is terrible and it only does edits on keyframes.

I've been using Virtualdub 1.9.X-test27 to convert to avi, edit and then use it's external encoder to create the finished MP4 or MKV.

Here is a thread on using the external encoder feature in the test versions...

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=18789&

If seeking wasn't so bad and Avidemux could exact frame edit H264/aac then that would be the way to go since it has smart render but...

[Ai Haibara]

Personally, I've never been able to get an AVC/h.264 MP4 to work in AVIDemux. It usually crashes at some point after loading, or starting to work with the video. I haven't tried any other format of MP4 (such as one with a DivX/Xvid video stream), though.

[Bonie81]

@ majax79

Yeah, in some cases AVIDemux crashes while editing MP4. And some MP4s are handled successfully.
Futher more AVIDemux also crashes often while handling HD videos in some format. While I was successful to edit HD videos in some format too.

As said by DarrellS

In my experience, the best way to edit MP4 is to convert to lossless avi, edit and then recode to 264/aac. Seeking in MP4 is terrible and it only does edits on keyframes.

I've been using Virtualdub 1.9.X-test27 to convert to avi, edit and then use it's external encoder to create the finished MP4 or MKV.

So as the best practice, Always open videos in AVIDemux first, if it crashes, convert video to XViD.
Run mediainfo, and convert (MP4) video to XViD with slightly higher bit-rate (Original video bit-rate + 100 approx), maintain same specs for audio. Also keep in mind most of the free video converters results in audio and video out of sync, While HandBrake was successful most of the time. Otherwise use professional video converters like WinAVI, or TVC if you have, or whatever you like. I am happy with MediaCoder, Format Factory and HandBrake most of the time.

At the time of replying you, not very sure how VirtualDub-MPEG handles MP4 container.

[DarrellS]

Only the newer versions of Virtualdub with the QT plugin and quicktime alternative or Directshow Input Driver with Haali Media Splitter and ffdshow will handle the MP4 container and other unsupported files (non of the mods will).

The only versions of Virtualdub that will encode x264/aac to an MP4 container are the 1.9.x test versions with external encoder.