Glad I came here. Useful information all around!

a quick basic split join etc program with no fancy bits just does what it says. i like it. 10 out of 10

Sony Vegas ain't that expensive.
48$ for Movie Studio HD 9 which is worth it and its less price than the editor above ^^

@29 For AVCHD files you can find an old version of NERO software for almost nothing. I would go with NERO 7. I had issues with 8.

#49, mike, yes, NTSC CC data was always digital. Digital data can be used to modulate an analog carrier signal. CC decoders are digital devices, no PC was required.

When encoding NTSC to MPEG-2, there was a standard of where the CC data was stored, dictated by the scan line sequence of NTSC (including VBI). Microsoft chose to store the CC data differently. DVR-MS and WTV both may or may not apply DRM, both store metadata separate from the audio and video streams. There was a lot of talk about it when extracting (NTSC source) MPEG-2 from DVR-MS, it was necessary to move the CC data to the standard location that MPEG-2 players were expecting. Digital broadcasts are probably stored as-is, WTV supports multiple audio and video streams, and at least H.264 as well as MPEG-2. CyberLink is the only developer outside of Microsoft that I'm aware of which Microsoft has licensed for decoding DRM'd DVR-MS and WTV. If you think that you can break the DRM on either of those formats, you're welcome to try. While anything can be broken, I've never seen any other software which can decode DRM'd DVR-MS or WTV.

CyberLink can display CC in DVR-MS and WTV files.

Yes, HDMI is all about DRM, as well as being purely digital. HDMI isn't related to broadcast standards, it's strictly about getting audio and video to display devices while restricting the consumer via HDCP. HDMI does carry some other data, but besides DRM that's all about device capabilities, such as resolution, frame rate, color space, ID, 3D abilities, etc. CC is part of broadcast standards, and falls outside of the scope of HDMI.

People get confused about audio/video streams vs. broadcast and data streams because of the history of televisions. TV was always a broadcast standard. Don't forget, in the US it started out as black-and-white on round tubes. All of the stuff that got added on later, such as color (NTSC), CC and other data like XDS (all digital), MTS (audio), ghost suppression (digital), were all cleverly encoded onto the broadcast signal while maintaining full backwards compatibility.

In the digital age, there's a separation between data formats and audio/video display. A digital television doesn't have the ability to handle Blu-Ray data formats, that's why Blu-Ray players are separate, and they need to handle things like CC before passing the audio/video streams on to the TV.

I am unable to read the zip file, for some strange reason. This has never happened to me before. I wait for the program to install, and nothing happens. If I click on Setup in the EasyZip box, I get this pop-up error message:
'Zip file structure invalid'.

This is a pathetic video editor. Windows Movie Maker can do a better job and that is a free program included in Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Live Essentials (can be installed on Windows 7).

I could use this program, it looks real good. The the reports of this software connecting to the internet to several IP addresses is enough for me to pass on it. The Bing toolbar doesn't concern me. The alleged spyware does.

Does exactly what is says it does. But still doesnt make it worth any more than 9.99

@Bobbo #6
Yes I can recommend a fine commercial editor like Sony Vegas - it's called "Sony Vegas". Seriously, your question seems incomplete - do you want something costing many fewer Rial or Afghani? Something that's like Vegas but different in some mystical way - what? To be honest I haven't found anything that rivals the "big three" for less cash. We are looking to crush the infidel in any way possible, but to no avail. Good luck.
Dr Z

I tried to join 2 avi files but keep getting low speed film while the voice is normal

When joining videos .. i'd like to have an option that says same format as input file .. so it just joins the video without overwriting the format .. example if u are joining 2 wmv files and u chose output as wmv it still re-writes the format instead of just joining. ( which affects quality and takes more time than necessary)

I haven't done a post on here since I downloaded my first GOTD some time ago now, and more than just a few offerings well deserved very positive remarks !!!! I thank GOTD for this opportunity to get my hands on some very decent programs. I would, however, like to make a few comments now.

1. C'mon folks, this stuff is FREE !!! Don't get so bent out of shape when not a DIME is leaving your pocket. Suggest, Recommend, be a little "sharper" in your comments and don't knock some one down if they make an error (Like the Bing Toolbar situation above....hell, 3 or 4 of ya's couldn't keep your finger off the trigger.)

2. I've seen requests on here for some very high dollar items...(Photoshop ??? I don't think it's gonna happen)

If I have a gripe of my own, it would have to be about the registration, I just wish (Since you don't get any tech support or such, etc.) That if you install it today in the time limit, and you move it to another machine in awhile, it would allow that, but you install it now, thats it....... Period..)

ANYWAY, to make a long story longer if you find something you like, GRAB IT, It's free !!! Don't groan, uninstall !!!) Enjoy something free for a change !!!!

THANKS once again GOTD.... (Whew..... I bet you folks are glad that's over !!??)

@47
Quote:


I download 99% of what is offered here and for the first time, Bit Defender 2011 will not allow me to install this. As soon as the setup file begins to import all of the needed files, the following alert pops up: http://i.imgur.com/6EW0m.png

I have tried installing it 3 times and BitDefender Antivirus Pro 2011 stops the installation. BitDefender 2011 is one of the top 3 AV programs and is known for it’s lack of false positives so I am stumped.

After reading your post I decided to scan the file. I scanned it with 47 different malware/virus scanners. There are no files within the download which contain any form of malware.

I agree with you that BitDefender is a great program. However, no anti-virus software has a 100% detection rate and none are false positive foolproof. I would report this to BitFender as a false positive. I assure you the download is safe.

IT Tech Security Analyst

@ #47 Damon - It's a false positive. PC Mag said it has low false positives, but it does have them. BitDefender forums discuss this more.

As a suggestion to the developer, if you sell an app (with money), you should take out adds / toolbars etc... their place is in some freeware.
And why is the Bing toolbar calling all the time ?! why can't we uncheck it ?

Fubar, you have a lot of knowledge to share, but your difficulty in adding your comments without cutting down others is really in poor taste and doesn't add anything useful to the communication out here. Why drag down the quality of your input so much?

If a person has been blessed with intelligence, good cognitive skills, etc., "common sense" might lead them to realize it was primarily just a lucky "roll of the dice" for them that has allowed them to have and use those skills to develop their knowledge of whatever fields they have chosen to apply themselves to, and if they understood that they might exhibit a bit of humility and graciousness, rather than rolling in the superiority they feel in relation to others who are attempting, in good faith, to be helpful to the readers out here. It is just a roll of the dice that you happen to have a relatively decently functioning mind rather than being in an institution for the mentally handicapped, you know.

Obviously it bothers you when you see others here offering information that you either feel or know to be incorrect. That is completely understandable, as incorrect information is counter-productive. Corrections are welcome out here, but your need to put others down with petty remarks just detracts from the effectiveness your comments could have. You can do better.

An understanding of why subtitles do or do not carry over from one format to another is hardly "common sense". It might be common sense to someone who is very well versed in the technicalities of the subject, but is no more "common sense" than writing an essay in Chinese would be to someone without the requisite training. THAT is just common sense.

Downloaded, installed fine on WIN7-Home Premium 64-bit. Used the Cut function on the sample video in my OS -- but the resulting WMV file would not play with Windows Media Player. Yes, the original file plays fine, just not the cut version. I had high opes for this software, but now I am not too sure it will work for me since I use WMV alot.

I download 99% of what is offered here and for the first time, Bit Defender 2011 will not allow me to install this. As soon as the setup file begins to import all of the needed files, the following alert pops up: http://i.imgur.com/6EW0m.png

I have tried installing it 3 times and BitDefender Antivirus Pro 2011 stops the installation. BitDefender 2011 is one of the top 3 AV programs and is known for it's lack of false positives so I am stumped.

What I really want to know is how this program installs. Does it dump its codecs and libraries into the system folder or does it contain everything in its own install folder? I have had too much experience with these rebranded video apps overwriting existing codecs and libraries. This is most pointedly a question to Fubar, as he obviously already installed this app and is the only one who would know what I am talking about.

Mike, your little “tutorial” on subtitles (#32) is EXCELLENT - thank you!
I have been using Aiseesoft Blu-ray ripper and I can get subtitles applied permanently or skipped. I would like to rip in a way that allows the viewer to SELECT if subtitles are shown or not (just like one can select when viewing the Blu-ray disc). Any guidance on how this can be done? Can you point me to any tools/tutorials?

#6, bobbo, it isn't clear to me what you're looking for. If you have damaged files, they were probably recorded with a DVR. VideoReDo was specifically written to handle DVR files. The top version has gotten expensive. If you haven't used it before, it will run as a time-limited trial (obviously, if you've used a trial then your trial period may be over). You can download a trial of the released version of VideoReDo TVSuite H.264 from the main page or the latest beta. If a file is too damaged to display, run it through QuickStream Fix first (all output is equivalent to running through QuickStream Fix, so you don't need to use it for most cases). VideoReDo is a linear editor. Of course, you can do non-linear editing by simply cutting the original into clips and then joining those clips in the order which you desire. VideoReDo only recodes those sections which require it.

#31, mike, I think I understand why so much of what you post is flat wrong, you're getting your information from forums and Wikipedia. Originally, closed-captions were digital content which was analog encoded and transmitted during the vertical blanking interval of CRTs. Digital data formats don't need the VBI, so CC was carried in its digital form in various ways depending upon the format. When converting to analog, the VBI was re-created. DVR-MS (and presumably WTV) do not follow the MPEG-2 specification for CC, they store the information differently. If you do a straight MPEG-2 extraction, the CC won't display on players which follow the MPEG-2 standard. Some extractors will convert from DVR-MS CC format to MPEG-2 CC format. As for people whining about HDMI not carrying CC, well duh. HDMI carries audio and video to display devices. Any other processing, such as CC, must be done in advance and overlaid on the video. That's only common sense, which most humans lack.

General Comment: GOTD works so hard to find these programs - I really appreciate their efforts! I have a great paid-for editor, but I still took this one after reading the comments, and that is what I'd like to emphasize here: the comments here are what keep me coming back every day! I love their honesty and openness and humor! All the comments are helpful in one way or another, and where else do you find such energy and sharing on the Internet? So a general thanks to everyone who posts here; I for one really appreciate all of them.

Follow up to #34. The first time I ran Firefox after installing and uninstalling this program: my history file was erased, Firefox updated to the same version that had been installed, and a BING search page opened by itself (despite unchecking BING).

The two files that this program would not join was a previously separated .avi. The second part was deemed "invalid format."

I recommend finding another program for this task. It does not seem secure.

Actual Reiew:

Very easy to use interface although I am an experienced Windows based computer user. Three easy options to start are Join, Split, and Cut. It appears that the Cut option is a little more robust than split in that it helps to rearrage clips back into many segments or one large clip.

One major problem for me: The audio is missing from the Output! I recorded video to MPEG from my new Artec (Ultima) T14A mini USB TV Tuner. The resultant file had audible audio. The Cut (edited) segment did NOT have audio. When cutting the clip, there was no change in codec. The original format was supposed to be used.

Thumbs Up on interface, thumbs down during my use case test.

Tried it on the sample Win 7 wildlife wmv file. Many different scenes. Total length 30 seconds.

Took over 30 sec to load in Join

Unable to find scene changes manually via slider bar. By time hit pause or cut button, was already several seconds into the next scene. Would be really useful to be able to go forward and back frame by frame when are getting near point where want to split or cut so are not several seconds into next scene and cutting in wrong place

For people wondering who it's phoning home to (using the IP from #27 Sean Farlane) a whois search turned up this

OrgName: SoftLayer Technologies Inc.
OrgId: SOFTL
Address: 1950 N Stemmons Freeway
City: Dallas
StateProv: TX
PostalCode: 75207
Country: US
RegDate: 2005-10-26
Updated: 2009-07-02
Ref: http://whois.arin.net/rest/org/SOFTL

A quick google search says it's a data center hosting service with some cloud computing.

Big thumbs down for me. Doesn't work at all - reports every video file as "Invalid format" (many different avi and mpeg files). Asks to access the internet on every operation.

I like it!
I wanted something that would easily and quickly join my .MST (AVCH) files from my Panasonic HDC-SD60 camcorder and make a single .MKV file. Well this little program did just that. The three files I used totaled about about 250mb. It took about 7 minutes on my 4 year old laptop. The resulting .MKV file was about the same. I left the setting at their default. I loaded the .MKV file on a flash drive and plugged into my TV and it played perfectly.

I also use DVD Flick, which is free, and it will also work with .MTS files unlike WinX DVD Author. 4Media Video editor has an easy to use interface which I like, but it is also very basic for being called a video editor. The only issue I see so far (and it is minor) is in the Output Setting window when you sellect a profile, the text somewhat overlaps (could just be my Windows setting). There are 15 output profiles to chose from.

Bottom line is that this program makes it very easy and quick to join and split video files, and that is what I want it to do.. But considering DVD Flick is free, they might want to reconsider the asking price.

BTW; I unchecked Bing Toolbar on install and it did not install it.

Foloup: After posting the preceding I decided to try again. This time it downloaded and installed with no problem.

Had to try five times before it completely downloaded. But when I tried to install it I got a message that Windows could not create the destination folder.

This program will attempt to change your home page and search engine to BING if you do no uncheck during install. Even if you uhcheck, it will install a MSN Search toolbar. I attempted to join two files that I had already joined successfully with Avidemux 2.5. This program was unsuccessful.

However, it did otherwise install (and uninstall) successfully on Windows 7 x64.

I came to GATD today hoping to find a program like this. Thanks

downloaded and installed ok, never had the option to "uncheck" other downloaded stuff like bingbar, worse though, when I opened the program and clicked "Join" to add a video, a malware warning appeared for the 4media video editor file via AVG... i clicked "put it in the vault". 4 red dot warning. Now, cannot use the program.

I installed this on XP-Pro and *unchecked* any/all attempts to change my homepage, search provider, etc. I simply wanted to try the software. STILL- it installed a Zugo/Bing toolbar that is causing Intenet Explorer to error-out and crash whenever I try to close. If you want me to try a software with the possiblity of buying it for more computers in the future, that's fine. However, to ram other unwanted stuff down my throat that crashes my computer is cold blooded and underhanded. I'm removing this one. I've purchased other softwares after trying them on GOTD in the past, because they worked well enough that I wanted them for subsequent machines. This won't be one of them.

Does anyone know if this program will edit the AVCHD lite (.m2ts)video format, used by the Panasonic Lumix cameras.

Cat (no 1) can uninstal and reinstall , this time carefully withot opting for Bing.

Installed correctly on Win7 x64 - didn't see anything about a Bing toolbar. Is easy to use and works correctly but it worryingly tries to connect to the Internet (173.192.236.67) every time I start a new Join, Cut or Clip task. WTF? Luckily Comodo firewall caught it. Now I'll have to decide whether to uninstall the program or just put a permanent blocking rule in Comodo. By the way, I might pay $20 for this program but would never pay the $50 that they are asking.

I was disappointed by the app. You have to initiate each function totally separately. First you have to do all the splitting and then afterward you have to go back in and join the sections that need to be together - a total pain. Also, it seems that you can only define each section according to the second. So if something you want cut has a part of a second that you don't want you either have to cut part of what you want or keep in part of what you don't want. A part of a second doesn't seem like much but it can make a difference with regards to these things.

Why does the program want to connect to the internet every time you use it? I use online armour (thanks GAOD) which alerts me and it just keeps trying! I don't know why it does so, but I blocked it and the program got blocked as well.

Scary. Sure, it installed fine on W7x64. What scares me--and this is with the Bing toolbar unchecked--is that it calls home with every action you take. Not only does it call home, it attempts to connect to over half a dozen different IP numbers. I clicked my FW's "block" several times just to install it. (And yes, the code works fine with their standard setup.exe for those interested). Once installed, I clicked "Split", and again, it wanted to connect to half a dozen IP's?? If a software needs to do a codec check or something, you're generally prompted about it--not here, so no telling what's really going on. If your firewall is set to allow this stuff automatically, know that there's a lot more going on in the background than a simple file split.

The price is too high. Glenn C is right.

Why don't you just publish Sony Vegas Movie Studio on here :S

Seems pretty good for the few basic things it does. Note that this is another xilisoft sourced program that does numerous internet connections to various domains repeatedly during many steps in using the program. This is probably for registration authentication, but still it is slightly annoying for a simple video splicing utility to be phoning home so much.

Installed fine xp sp3 - yes you have to read the fine print and click no thanks on the bing toolbar. Program does what it says, was able to cut video (mp4) straight from a Sanyo Xacti. Thanks GOTD - another keeper.

I could do the same thing with Avidemux or VirtualDub even though they have less pretty interfaces. (Don't forget the compression settings on VirtualDub or you'll get insanely huge files.)

to "me" #13. SUPER will rotate
follow the several pages to the download at:
http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

It's not Adobe Premiere, and the separate join/split/cut functions (vs. one integrated program that can do all 3 job in any combination) make things a fair bit more complicated and manual: if you want to do a typical job of snipping a number unwanted sections out of a video, and then adding in prepared title sections, etc, you have to do all the cutting/splitting separately, keep track of all the file names, then go to the joiner, manually import each of the previously cut/split sections to create your final product; and if you find that you wanted a few extra seconds added back/cut off any section upon final viewing, well, then you have to exit the joiner and go back and redo the affected sections in the other programs..

It works, but it's not convenient, and it's certainly *NOT* worth $49.99 retail, and I'm not even sure it's worth the trouble of all the manual work even though the program is free today... You'll have to decide for yourself..

I used 4media-videoeditor-2 to crop ('cut') out a scene that no other video editor had been able to handle. The original was a saved large 'streaming'.wmv file that most video players had trouble just merely playing. Though it was very slow in the actual cutting function, 4media-video-editor-2 cropped it and it plays back beautifully in VLC, GOM and Windows Media Player. Also the video clip now scans easily in all 3 video players. The GUI is shockingly simple, but it works! Thank you GOTD and 4media Software.

Installed and registered ok W7 64 bit OS.. does not appear to be able to handle subtitles that were encoded in the vid. I will test a bit, though.

I won't be downloading and testing today's GOTD program as I tend to use a program called AVS Video Editor which has all the tools one normally requires such as change colour (lighten, darken, Temp, Contrast, Gamma, Hue) & auto and a host of options like Speed, Stabilization, Trim etc. The free version places its little Logo for the first few minutes or so and at the end (depending on length of video) but if you use a bit of logic, then one can utilise its in-depth editing ability to use it to join a number of "logo-free" parts - together. I have registered & bought my copy as I do a lot of self 8mm film transfer to DVD movies and require intricate editing.

From its key features, today's offering looks if it might suit quite a number of ppl however, for those of you who wish to test something different then perhaps you may wish to try one of these:
http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/download.html
http://apps.pinnaclesys.com/
http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/
Hope this is of use to someone.