SmartCut64: a smart-rendering editor (my replacement for VideoReDo)

[ConsumerJon]

Hi everyone,

I’m Jon, the developer and publisher of SmartCut64.

As everyone here probably knows, the VideoReDo editing program stopped being updated after the sad passing of its developer, Dan Rosen. I still use it almost daily, but there were more and more files that I wanted to edit that it couldn't import or export... 10 bit, HDR, etc. So I developed my own app, specifically keeping to a similar GUI and working process, so it could be an immediate, easy transition. I tried other apps that promised "smart-re-encoding" and no disrespect, but I never found them as easy and faultless to use.

So... SmartCut64. A native 64-bit editor for Windows 10 and 11 to replace VideoReDo. It includes Ad-Detective and Remuxing, and unlike VideoReDo it can handle:

• H.264 High 4:2:2
• H.264 High 4:4:4
• HEVC Main 4:2:2 10-bit
• HEVC Main 4:4:4
• AV1 Main, 8-bit 4:2:0
• AV1 Main, 10-bit 4:2:0
• VP9 Profile 0, 8-bit 4:2:0
• VP9 Profile 2, 10-bit 4:2:0
• MPEG-4 Part 2 - DivX/Xvid-style video can remain MPEG-4 Part 2 - VideoReDo imported it but converted output to MPEG-2, H.264 or HEVC
• Opus, FLAC, Vorbis, TrueHD, DTS-HD, ALAC and PGS

More information is here: https://linekerpandi.com/smartcut64. The Personal licence is currently £4.99 as a one-time founding price for the first 250 purchasers, then it's £19.99. It covers two activated computers, includes 12 months of updates and email support, and is not a subscription.

If you want to try out the GUI then there is an evaluation version - it has no time limit, but video exports are permanently watermarked and therefore fully re-encoded. Clean remux, packet-copy and smart-render delivery require a paid activation.

If anyone tries it, I welcome feedback. And if something does not work as expected then let me know, including the details of the source codec, container, hardware and export route. I've tested it with every type of file I can think of, but really want this to be definitive.

To be clear: SmartCut64 is an independent GPL-3.0-or-later project and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by VideoReDo or its owners.

cheers
Jon

[Selur]

out of curiosity:

SmartCut64 is an independent GPL-3.0-or-later project...

+

If you want to try out the GUI then there is an evaluation version - it has no time limit, but video exports are permanently watermarked and therefore fully re-encoded. Clean remux, packet-copy and smart-render delivery require a paid activation.

I see that £5 is probably worth the not having to go through the trouble to compiling it and having some support, but the restrictions seem to ask folks to use the source and some LLM to remove those restrictions and compile the project on their own.

Cu Selur

[Alwyn]

I'll give it a go.

[Secoast]

I'll give it a go.

Let us know how you get on. £5 is small change, but out of principle I won't pay to evaluate any software app.

[Selur]

You don't have to pay to evaluate it, the test version, which is just limited (watermarked and not all features).

[ConsumerJon]

Thanks Selur, I was about to say the same - if you just want to check out the GUI and workflow to make sure it's suitable for you then it's free. The app is actually functional, this isn't a public alpha

[Secoast]

You don't have to pay to evaluate it, the test version, which is just limited (watermarked and not all features).

The evalution version doesn"t smart render. It renders the entire video... as I read it.
The quality of the cut/join points are what make or break such an application.
I tried Fame Rings Smart Cutter years ago, thought great, payed for the license and within days of really putting it through its paces found it to be as glitchy as hell at cut points. Even VideoRedo wasn't perfect.

I genuinely applaud anyone creating an app like this, but it would have made more sense to restrict/limit output duration on the evalution version. At least we could then determine the quality of the smart rendering.

Just my opinion.

[ConsumerJon]

Yeah I totally take your point. I guess my thinking was that it would taken as read that the actual editing/smart-rendering would work and it was just the GUI that would be amenable or not. Will have a good think about this!

[Secoast]

Have downloaded the demo and will have a play with it tomorrow. I genuinely hope this goes well for you. It would be great to see a VRD replacement that is well maintained.

[ConsumerJon]

Thanks - I updated to 1.0.3. tonight so make sure you've got that version. I've created a version of Windows on Arm to test, and am starting a version for Intel Macs tonight. After that there will be a Apple Silicon version. I'm really keen for this to work out, so any feedback is definitely welcome!

[ConsumerJon]

I've updated to 1.0.4. now. Keen to hear any feedback from those who have tried it!

[Bridgy]

I have not tried it yet, but good to see that it has support for AV1, not that i record in AV1, but i download a lot of youtube videos from a travel blogger and he decided to record in 4k/30p AV1 (29.970) now days over using HEVC, so i need them converted to HEVC for better user support, and editing.

If this tool can do Frame Accurate Smart Cutting and Intelligent recoding so i can select an export profile and let the software decide my export settings, then i will be in for sure.

Why he records 30p run and gun hand held travel related videos i don't get, they should be recorded in 50 or 60fps as a minimum.

[ConsumerJon]

Hi Bridgy - it can handle frame accurate editing in AV1 and HEVC, but the intelligent recoding (i.e. only re-encoding the affected GOPs not the whole stream) is only possible when the input and output codecs are the same. You can use it to edit and then export as HEVC but it will necessarily re-encode the entire file.

BTW, we're up to version 1.0.9 now for anyone that hasn't updated.

[ConsumerJon]

*accidental double-post

[Bridgy]

Hi, yes when changing from AV1 to HEVC the whole file needs recoding, but in VRD you just select or create an export profile, and VRD would use Intelligent Recode to set the correct export settings for AVI to HEVC based on the Source file information.

VRD does not support AV1 so i started using Avidemux to Cut my AV1 files and export to HEVC (Full Recode) but Avidemux, just like Handbrake, requires the user to set an export profile and then select a Constant Quality RF Rate which to me is a pain in the butt, and i did start using Smart Media Cutter as well, but the Full Recode Mode is just a real mess and it is just too complicated to use, but the Smart Cut Export Mode (AV1 to AV1 as an example) works like a dream.

I just loaded a 4k/30p AV1 file (20Mbps) into your tool, as well as a 4k/60p HEVC file from my phone, and i got to say it was just far too clunky and slow when seeking my cut points, and the preview screen is pretty slow as well, just exactly as it is in my VRD Pro, i feel like your tool has taken on that same issue, but the quality of the preview window is pretty average as well, VRD is better quality.

Also, in VRD if i hover my cursor over all the buttons on the interface it told me what the button was for, and the seek buttons would tell me the seek spacings.

To me it looks a lot like VRD, i still need to change the interface to black like i have my VRD set to, and i noted that i can import my VRD Profiles too, but i like an option to move my custom profiles up or down the list as i have them numbered 1 to 10 based on how often i use them.

I will need to play around with it for a fair while to get used to it, but i can't do any edits with the slow and clunky seeking to cut frames and preview screen.

Maybe i am missing something here, but it isn't my computer.

Cheers

[ConsumerJon]

Thanks for taking the time to explain. You’re right, I misunderstood your point about Intelligent Recode.

Slow seeking and preview are pretty important issues I need to investigate!

Could you send your SmartCut64 version, CPU/GPU details and MediaInfo text for the two files? Please also let me know whether indexing had finished and whether they’re on a local or network drive. A screenshot showing the poor preview quality would help distinguish scaling/display problems from decoding problems too.

I'll sort out button tooltips, the actual seek intervals, and moving custom profiles up/down - genuinely hadn't occured to me.

[Bridgy]

SmartCut64 version = 1.0.9
CPU = Intel Core Ultra 7 265
Graphics = Intel Xe-LPG

Files are stored on a Local Drive (1tb Crucial T500 Pro NVMe)

Indexing finished on both files.

AV1 File Info
https://files.videohelp.com/u/311270/01%20SOURCE%20File%20-%204k-29.970%20AV1%20_%2020....MediaInfo.txt

HEVC File Info
https://files.videohelp.com/u/311270/02%20Avidemux%204k-29.970%20HEVC%20MP4%20-%20RF22....MediaInfo.txt

AV1 File Preview, i am probably being too critical on this part.


[Attachment 93799 - Click to enlarge]

[WOTWOT]

Is this software a decent replacement for videoredo?, I still use videoredo on windows 10 enterprise LTSC as it gets updates till 2030 but I’ve been searching for an exact replacement for years and nothing has matched my experience to videoredo. Anyone that has tried this potential replacement, what’s your experience and thoughts?, thanks!

[ConsumerJon]

It's absolutely brilliant, and I'm not biased at all haha. Seriously, there's a free evaluation version available if you want to check it out

[Bridgy]

Is this software a decent replacement for videoredo?, I still use videoredo on windows 10 enterprise LTSC as it gets updates till 2030 but I’ve been searching for an exact replacement for years and nothing has matched my experience to videoredo. Anyone that has tried this potential replacement, what’s your experience and thoughts?, thanks!

I only started using it (trying) 12 hours ago, and hit my first snag as soon as i opened my 4k/30p AV1 and 4k/60p HEVC files to test the Smart Cutting, and i just can't use this tool with these files because of the serious lag in the timeline while seeking cut points, and the lag and jerkiness playback in the preview screen, obviously both these issues are connected in some way.

VRD Pro doesn't support AV1, but i have a similar issue as above with my 4k/60p HEVC files but not as bad as in this tool.

I could test the cutting accuracy but it takes ages and patience from me to get my cut points, so maybe today or tonight i will give it a go and do a few exports with my AV1 and HEVC files (doing a smart cut export of my AV1 file to AV1 (no recoding) and a full recode of the AV1 to HEVC and see how it goes.

As for everything else, i really see a lot of VRD in the user interface, it needs a fair bit of tweaking to closely match VRD the way i like it set up, and some settings changed here and there, but i just cant use it for editing my files right now.

At the moment i have 2 other choices for cutting my files and exporting back to Same as Source, or to do a Full Recode to another format such as AV1 to HEVC, and both do this job flawelessly, except that i need to manually set my export quality mode for doing a Full Recode of a file, but in VRD i dont, it uses an Intelligent Recode option that automatically exports to my profile format, i don't need to manually set the export quality, and no other editing tool that i have used has this feature, so i hope it will be used in this tool as well.

Smart Media Cutter handles my 4k AV1 and HEVC files perfectly, seeking and playback in the preview screen is flawless, Smart Cut mode is great, and so too is the Smart Cut export mode (no recoding required) but i won't use the Full Recode mode in SMC because of the horrible way the manual export settings have been implemented, it is just too hard to select the right quality and encoder speed for a given export.

I just re-discovered Avidemux yesterday, and installed the latest Nightly version, and this tool also handles my AV1 and HEVC files perfectly in Seeking and in the preview screen, and its cutting seems to be very good, and it's Copy export mode (export to same format) is brilliant, the only issue with doing exports to other formats is that it requires user input and works very similar to Handbrake using the Constant Quality RF Factor setting for the export quality.

Avidemux just has a few additional features that i like, and i can do Titles as well, which i will need to learn eventually.

VRD Pro will always be used to export any of my edited files to other formats as long as they are HEVC or AVC because i just love the Intelligent Recode feature.

I will continue testing of this new tool and see how it progresses in time, especially for editing 4k AV1 and HEVC files.

[Bridgy]

BTW, to ConsumerJon, here is a screenshot of my Hardware Self Test in case you might like to see it.


[Attachment 93804 - Click to enlarge]

[ConsumerJon]

Bridgy, I'm working right now on an update that addresses all your problems - including the Intelligent Recode. There'll be an update in a few hours, notification emails will go out when it's uploaded.

Can I ask what other features you like in Avidemux are? Happy to add them to SmartCut64 if possible...

[ConsumerJon]

Thanks for posting that screenshot - something's definitely wrong somewhere as the top row of Preview decode should be using your hardware AV1 decoding... also being investigated!

[Bridgy]

Hi again, it's nice to see you getting stuck into this, but to answer your question regarding Avidemux features, i don't really see anything in that tool that neess to be implemented in yours, as it is now, your tool is going nicely, i just need to sort out the configuration of the Interface to get it similar to VRD (still looking to get my VRD Dark Theme) and i miss the mouse cursor gestures while hovering over buttons etc.

At the moment, i love the user interface of Smart Media Cutter, it really reminds me of VRD now that the Dev has made some changes, but i just wish that he would get Intelligent Recode done like we have in VRD, and hopefully in your tool as well.

I just have issues understanding the CQ-RF Factor quality settings in Avidemux and Handbrake, to me they seem to give very unusual results for each export to another format, but that might just be my fault as i am just not using that method.

SMC i just refuse to use for doing Full Encodes completely because of the way the export quality settings work.

Still a lot of testing needed by myself.

[ConsumerJon]

Okay, always keen to hear of any features that users can think of, so let me know if anything occurs in the future. Just a little (maybe unnecessary) comment on the theme - you know you can go to View, Theme and choose from Light/Dark/Customise?

The Intelligent Recode is sorted and is definiitely in the new version, and the hovering tooltip text. Sorting out now a separate AV1 hardware decode test, GPU indexing, and better preview performance - when updated should all be on a par with Smart Media Cutter performance.

[Bridgy]

Okay, always keen to hear of any features that users can think of, so let me know if anything occurs in the future. Just a little (maybe unnecessary) comment on the theme - you know you can go to View, Theme and choose from Light/Dark/Customise?

The Intelligent Recode is sorted and is definiitely in the new version, and the hovering tooltip text. Sorting out now a separate AV1 hardware decode test, GPU indexing, and better preview performance - when updated should all be on a par with Smart Media Cutter performance.

Haha yeah, i found the dark theme about 20 minutes ago, now starting to look more like my VRD, will grab the latest build and go from there with testing.

How often will you provide updated builds, i went to your site and it still offers 1.0.9

[Bridgy]

Just recorded a short screen grab of SmartCut64 with a 4k/30p AV1 file loaded, and i have tried to play the video, and seek to various cut points, and you should notice just how bad the seeking is, and video playback in the preview window.

https://streamable.com/374oe4

I hope that i have not missed anything here with the software settings that may be causing this.

Why does it take so long to load my Files, the Indexing at the start takes 2 minutes or more on some files.

Would also like the Profiles box to have the same buttons as per the VRD screenshot below.


[Attachment 93805 - Click to enlarge]

[Bridgy]

Just did my first 4k AV1 to 4k HEVC, 2 cuts, Smart Recode using one of my VRD Profiles, but there was an issue, the encode was going great, until it hit the start of the first Cut (13%) and the CPU dropped to 3% for several minutes, then it stared exporting again, at the start of the second cut (45%) the encode halted and the CPU dropped back to 3% and it took 5 minutes for it to start the recode again, but the export status box stayed on 45% progress, then the recode stopped again after several minutes, so i just stopped the export and closed the program.

Not looking too good at the moment, will resume testing tomorrow.

[ConsumerJon]

Thanks Bridgy this is all really useful. Had another couple of features that somebody wanted implemented so the new update got delayed, but the new version which should fix all of this (and add those buttons) will be out in the next 24 hours

[hydra3333]

Thanks. Reading this with great interest. Does it do equivalent of QuickStreamFix ?