Any recommendations for quick video trimming software?

Video and Photo Editing
1

Hello!

Im looking for some software to help reduce the space my raw videos are taking on my hard disk. I quite often find (especially with the gopro, but also with the drone) that with a several minute long clip, there will only be 10 secs, or a couple of 10 second clips worth keeping. Thus I want to trim the original file down to only usable parts, and discard the rest, much like when you are importing in lightroom and you sit and flag good photos (P) and bad photos (x).

I edit in Premier pro, and can cut the clips down and drop the short versions into the timeline, but if I want to save the short version I have to export it which at 4k is a ball ache when you have a lot of different clips to go through. Really I just want a quick piece of software to import, trim, rename and delete, leaving all the original settings just shorter, without having to wait forever for an export.

Any ideas please?

2

Hi @AloneWithaDrone and welcome to Grey Arrows - glad you could join us David :smiley:

If you get a moment, please drop in to Introductions and say  “Hi :wave:t2:”  to everyone.

We’ve lots of Mac users here so I’m sure someone will be along soon with some suggestions.

And to throw an idea out there for you… I save all my raw footage on to a cheap 4TB external USB hard drive. Save’s clogging up the PC with raw stuff, but also gives me the option to go back to the original source if ever I need it in the future again.

3

I use quicktime for this very purpose on the Mac, I’m sure there will be something similar on PC.

4

Handbrake - Mac or PC - absolutely brilliant for this … and other things.
Use it frequently for just this purpose.

handbrake.fr

3 Likes
5

I have same issue on my mac, I’ve filled it up with GIGS of drone footage I’ll only use once! Buy an el-cheapo external HD and dump all your old footage onto that? Thats what I do (in theory!)

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I had a 15 minute hovering video waiting for a steam train … that didn’t last as long as 30 secs. Just pulling out that ~30secs in Handbrake made sense in every respect - not just storage space.

2 Likes
7

I use HB as my goto encoder and ripper, only minor niggle is that you have to set the in and out points manually there is no facility to skim within the program (not on OSX anyway).

2 Likes
8

Wouldn’t disagree with that. Used to have one that did a good job like that - can’t recall what it was.

Googling : I was unaware that this existed … I might try.

9

Let us know the verdict.

I guess if you know what part of the clip you want, its only a matter of checking the edit points from your video editor of choice. Final Cut 7 allowed you just to save clip as, X has lost that facility hence me using QT, which I think is long since unsupported on PC.

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There’s also Avidemux - not used in ages (even tho it’s on my laptop).

Used in the past more for (as it’s name suggests) de-muxing .ts video (WinTV stick if I forgot to change the settings to .mp4).

That has a quick skim screen … and from other use I know it’s good/stable/reliable software.

1 Like
11

Just been playing with Avidemux … efff!! It’s quick!

It will re-encode if needed too - but I know Handbrake for that - so for trimming I think I’m going to be using Avidemux from now on. :+1:

Edit: I’m sure MacOS people will like to know it’s available for them, too. Linux also.