Avidemux 2.8

Avidemux is intended for non-linear video editing and transcoding. It is good that, despite its name, the application actually supports various popular media formats as both input and output. Unfortunately for inexperienced users, this tool does not seem to have been designed for them. In fact, its interface is rather confusing even if you are familiar with this type of software. Probably, one of the most difficult things about using the tool is setting the output profile, as this program, unlike other similar products, does not come with any presets. To make it worse, there is no direct help link from the interface.

As an editor, the application allows simple operations, such as extracting or clipping a video segment. Good news is that these features can be expanded by installing plugins, such as removing the audio track and applying filters. Furthermore, the program allows automating procedures by writing your own scripts.

The most important aspect about a tool of this type is naturally the quality of the format conversion process itself. Luckily, Avidemux does a perfect conversion, without any type of loss or lag between audio and video. In this respect, what I really liked the most is that it works much faster than other transcoders, probably because it does not transcode video if it is not necessary.

All in all, Avidemux may certainly not be the ideal tool for common users, probably because its interface needs to be rethought to make it more intuitive. Yet, it deserves special attention because of the quality and speed of its transcoding. Moreover, the fact that it is multi-platform lets you have a similar experience from within the applications regardless of the operating system you are using. Finally, another aspect that cannot be disregarded is that the product is open-source and absolutely free.