As
opposed to other video trimmer tools out there, this one is not only a
splitting tool but a free media player, and secondly, it is insanely
fast and works with almost any format you throw at it – MP4, WMV, AVI,
3GP, ASF, MP3, you name it!How to split a video file
1.In order to split a video, open it with VLC Player, then click onView at the top and select Advanced Controls. You should now see a bunch of new buttons appear on the main screen.
2.Use your mouse to slide along the progress bar to locate the start position of the part to be splitted, then press on the
record button. In my case ( See screenshot below ), the video will split as from 02:51.
3.Press the
Play button to let the movie or audio play and press the record button
again when you have reached the end position. The duration between the
two clicks on the record button will result in a new file saved in My Documents.- You can also use the keyboard shortcut Shift + R to Start/ Stop Recording.
- The file will normally be saved in the same format as the original file.
4.In case you do not see the file in
My Documents, you will have to set a location to save the splitted file. Go to Tools > Preferences or access it by pressing Ctrl + P simultaneously. Then click on Input & Codecs and browse for a path next to Record directory or filename.
The Good
Using VLC Player is a quick way to split a video or audio file. You don’t need to install a separate application just to perform this task. Another thing I like with VLC is the output quality – it is as good as the original file.The Bad
Despite all its merits, VLC Player has some drawbacks. It lacks some fine tuning controls. If your video requires more precision in cutting (in milliseconds), then VLC Player might not be the right tool. Another problem is that you will have to let the video play while splitting. So, if you have a long video to split, it will take you more time to get the job done.Are you amazed at the power of VLC player? Check out my previous article on how you can fix audio and video synchronization issue of your favorite movie using VLC Player and grab my free copy of VLC keyboard shortcuts cheatsheet to make yourself a VLC ninja!
Other free tools to split video
In case VLC Player does not satisfy your needs, I have compiled below a list of other free software that you can use to split video or audio files:| Video / Audio splitting tools | Format Supported |
|---|---|
| AsfBinWin | WMV, ASF AND WMA |
| Avidemux | MP4, MKV AND AVI |
| MPEG Streamclip | MOV, DV, AVI, MPEG-4, MPEG-1; MPEG-2 or VOB |
| Free Video Cutter | MPEG 1/2, MPEG4, DivX, Xvid, AVI, WMV, Quicktime MOV, Flash video |
| SolveigMM AVI Trimmer + MKV | AVI and MKV |
| Machete Video Editor Lite | AVI and WMV |
| VirtualDub | AVI |
| Media Cope | MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA, AMR, FLAC, M4A, AC3, RMVB, MP4, 3GP, WMV, MOV, AVI, DIVX, MPG, FLV, MKV AND VOB |