Quickly trim videos using QuickTime

As far as media players go I have never rated QuickTime at all. It only supports a handful of file types and it’s not as fast to open like similar programs such as VLC and MPlayerX. In fact, if iTunes didn’t require it, then QuickTime would have no business at all being installed on my computer.

Fortunately it was, and it helped me out when I needed to extract a certain part of a video file for a client. I have outlined the process for doing this below and it really could not have been simpler -

The hardest part of the process would be having QuickTime open the file. Especially if it was in mkv or avi format. If the file isn’t compatible you will need to use a program like Handbrake to convert the file to MP4.

Once QuickTime is playing the file you can click on Edit, then Trim.. to start the trimming process.

Step 1: Click on Edit, then Trim

This lets you drag the yellow lines and select what part of the video you want to extract and save separately. When you’re happy with the selection click the Trim button in the lower right. It’s worth noting that this method QuickTime uses isn’t very precise. It can sometimes be difficult to get the exact part at start or stop. This problem can be overcome by trimming the finished product again or by using some AppleScript.

Step 2: Find part to extract, then click Trim

Next click File and then Export for Web. This option allows you to save a few versions of the file for different qualities and size. It is useful if you want to email a smalled sized video but upload a higher quality video to YouTube.

Step 3: Click File, then Export for Web...

Give the Trimmed version a name and click Export to have the video saved in the Where: location.

Step 4: Give the trimmed version a file name

And we’re done. If you’re in need of a way to extract part of a video and don’t want to use any other 3rd party software then QuickTime might be the tool for you. If you’re considering using it to play video file I’d recommend giving VLC (windows/mac/linux) or MPlayerX (os x) a shot instead.

Releasing the Handbrake

Finding the right tool for a job is often easier said then done. Especially if the tool is a quality software program. My recent dilemma was finding a good video convertor to transform movies and videos from AVI format to a more Apple friendly format such as MP4. Yes, Apple are bastards when it comes to format restrictions (among other things) on their devices. Usually a Google search is enough to find what you’re looking for, but in my case it only produced results of commercial software with poor reviews. The next trick is to search forums (Neowin and Whirlpool are two of the best) to see what other people are using. Bingo.

Handbrake is an open source, free utility for converting a variety of popular video formats into MP4 or MKV. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux and is relatively straight forward and easy to use. Select a file to convert, select a preset for the device you will be using it on, click start and wait for it to finish.

Converting video to MP4 or MKV using Handbrake

As of the current version (0.9.4) there is no iPad preset. However, Handbrake has a great community and a thread search produced this guide containing specific settings to use when converting for the iPad.

Next time you would like to transfer movies/videos in an unsupported video format to an iDevice, or just want your vids in MP4 or MKV format, look no further than Handbrake. It does the job, and it does it well.