MP4 Video Editor
As a hobby, I started taking aerial videos using a RC Drone (not over campgrounds).. All of the videos are in MP4 format but are long and utilize a lot of memory.. I would like to edit them on my lapt...
Forum Discussion
SCVJeff wrote:GordonThree wrote:Maybe with whatever you edit with. We've been capturing and editing MP4 files for years and flipping them into Avid and Harris servers for newscasts across the country. Even iMovie edits and clips my helicopter files both in the Mac and even iPad. Once upon a time you were correct, but stream splicing was licked a long time ago. Yes you can also do a non-destructive NLE edit to the original material and essentially play out a play list that builds the show real time, but you can just as easily save a clip.
mp4 is a tricky format to edit, since it's not exactly a linear format (that is, you can't take a chunk out of it, and just play that chunk.
BTW-"Linear" editing is whats referred when tape editing as that's how you edit: front to back.. Non-Linear is what it's referred to in a file format that's total random access
"MP4" is simply nothing more than a "container" that holds a COMPRESSED COMPUTER video "format".
Has nothing to do with Linear/non linear editing..
"MP4" container can hold many different file compression formats, not all of those formats are "edit friendly". The reason for this is depending on how the file compression works accuracy of the "cuts" will vary.
Compression often will use "key frames"s, the next few frames will have only the CHANGES from the key frames.. That will continue until the next key frame..
Often is more idea to convert the compressed file to a uncompressed file format, then edit, then compress.. This does have a few potential pitfalls by adding unwanted noise artifacts.. But allows for very precise edit cuts.
As far as linear/non linear editing, using a computer to directly edit IS NON LINEAR.
The old school analog editing using one, two or more video sources (Video play back) and one RECORDER with a editing console is LINEAR editing.
In a nutshell you play your video source, start the recorder for the section you want, then stop the recorder for the section you want to cut.
The downside of this is your video quality is degraded one generation from the master raw footage..
Yeah, I did work in a old school video recording/editing studio for a while.. Was cool working with commercial 1" (open real) and 3/4" video tape equipment :B.. Was "state of the art" back in the mid 1980s..
