Cropping Video

[carbon]

I'm new to working with video.
I wanted to know if it's possible to import a mp4 video (done with a phone), replace the soundtrack and crop the length of the video without re-encoding?

I'm worried that if re-encoding, then the video quality will suffer too much.

[vitalker]

Not in Reaper.

[Eliseat]

Hi carbon,

you could do the following: Use mkvtoolnix or Avidemux to change the length of your video without re-encoding. Then you could import this video, create the audio and only export the audio to join(mux) video and audio external also with mkvtoolnix or Avidemux without any loss of quality.

This sounds a bit confusing and cumbersome but it is actually pretty easy. If you have questions about it, just ask.

[carbon]

Originally Posted by Eliseat

Hi carbon,

you could do the following: Use mkvtoolnix or Avidemux to change the length of your video without re-encoding. Then you could import this video, create the audio and only export the audio to join(mux) video and audio external also with mkvtoolnix or Avidemux without any loss of quality.

This sounds a bit confusing and cumbersome but it is actually pretty easy. If you have questions about it, just ask.

I'll try that tomorrow. Thanks!
I'll be back if I get lost.

[Eliseat]

Here are some links!

mkvtoolnix (whoever invented this name ... ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)) can be downloaded here:
https://www.fosshub.com/MKVToolNix.html
I use the portable version. It allows to split videos without re-encoding BUT it puts the video in a mkv container afterwards. (No problem as Reaper can load them too.)

If you use VLC you can try my extension (still not official because I hate that I would have to create another account at videolan)
More info and download here: https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=216099

Greetings
Eli

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by carbon

I'm new to working with video.
I wanted to know if it's possible to import a mp4 video (done with a phone), replace the soundtrack and crop the length of the video without re-encoding?

I'm worried that if re-encoding, then the video quality will suffer too much.

I did exactly this, plus a bunch of video processing, and I don't think the quality suffered too much. Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH1p5pnWreI

Filmed with an iPhone, audio recorded by me. The music and video editing was all down in Reaper.

[carbon]

Thanks for the links Eliseat!

Originally Posted by Fabian

I did exactly this, plus a bunch of video processing, and I don't think the quality suffered too much. Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH1p5pnWreI

Filmed with an iPhone, audio recorded by me. The music and video editing was all down in Reaper.

I'll go through the process once and compare the results, if the extra effort of keeping the video intact is worth it.
And if I would want to add anything to the video - text, title, graphics, then reencoding can't be avoided.

Is there any difference what the ending file format is to be able to upload it to Facebook and Youtube, maybe Instagram?

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by carbon

Is there any difference what the ending file format is to be able to upload it to Facebook and Youtube, maybe Instagram?

For uploading to YT, mov format is apparently recommended. I installed ffmpeg and then rendered to mpeg4. Then I simply changed the file extension to mov. It works. (And this is for windows, I donät know about Mac).

I guess you should be able to upload that mov-file to both FB and Insta, but I have not tried it.

[carbon]

I've tried to upload a mov file to Facebook twice now and it hangs at 86.9%/602MB.
Don't know what's happening there, a size limit perhaps?

[carbon]

Stuck on processing for 15 h now on Facebook. I'll try my luck on Youtube in the meantime.

[blackshage]

If you just edit or the video, then it is possible to export it without re-encoding and quality loss.
You can begin with joyoshare media cutter, which designs a excellent learing curve. It is able to trim the video without loss, as long as you don't convert the format.