# simple&free program for editing videos? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2007, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362 "2007-07-19T08:22:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/1 "2007-07-19T08:22:53Z")
I’m planning to do some very simple editing. What I’d like to do: -Open _.AVI files -Cut&paste some good parts of my videos together -Resize it from 640_480 pixels to 320\*240 pixels -Possibly add some sound and/or music -Insert a caption or two -A bit low on the priorities list, but I’d like to lighten the overall video a bit Does anyone know a free program that lets me do this without much of a hassle? ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/2 "2007-07-19T08:47:50Z")
[QUOTE=MostlyClueless] I’m planning to do some very simple editing. What I’d like to do: -Open _.AVI files -Cut&paste some good parts of my videos together -Resize it from 640_480 pixels to 320\*240 pixels -Possibly add some sound and/or music -Insert a caption or two -A bit low on the priorities list, but I’d like to lighten the overall video a bit Does anyone know a free program that lets me do this without much of a hassle? [/QUOTE] **MostlyClueless** I do something similar and use VideoMach. It isn’t free but there is a 2 week or 1 month trial period. The program is very easy to use but you need to remember to sync the sound to the audio, As with a lot of apps, the instructions and help files leave a bit to be desired. Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/3 "2007-07-19T12:04:36Z")
[Windows Movie Maker 2.1](http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx) ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/4 "2007-07-19T18:15:15Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] [Windows Movie Maker 2.1](http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx) [/QUOTE] Or iMovieHD if you’re using a Mac (you might need an extra codec for the .avi file). You’ve probably got one or the other of these already installed. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/5 "2007-07-19T22:46:42Z")
other possibilities that might do what you want VirtualDub works well - use it myself [http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/VirtualDub-v-Experimental.shtml-v-Experimental.shtml](http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/VirtualDub-v-Experimental.shtml-v-Experimental.shtml) t@b-ZS4 never tried it but it looks interesting [http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/t@b-ZS4-Video-Editor-for-win32.shtml](http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/t@b-ZS4-Video-Editor-for-win32.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/6 "2007-07-20T04:52:08Z")
[QUOTE=scm1001] other possibilities that might do what you want VirtualDub works well - use it myself [http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/VirtualDub-v-Experimental.shtml-v-Experimental.shtml](http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/VirtualDub-v-Experimental.shtml-v-Experimental.shtml) t@b-ZS4 never tried it but it looks interesting [http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/t@b-ZS4-Video-Editor-for-win32.shtml](http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Video-Editors/t@b-ZS4-Video-Editor-for-win32.shtml) [/QUOTE] **scm1001** I also like Virtualdub but tend to use it more for repairing movies with improper joins and the like. It’s a good app. Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/7 "2007-07-20T15:24:50Z")
The VirtualDub link gives a 404 error. Did you mean [Video Dub](http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/Other-VIDEO-Tools/Video-Dub-Pack.shtml)? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/8 "2007-07-20T15:29:57Z")
[VirtualDub](http://www.virtualdub.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-free-program-for-editing-videos/412362/9 "2007-07-20T17:37:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Or iMovieHD if you’re using a Mac (you might need an extra codec for the .avi file). Be warned that iMovie likes to throw out the sound when it merges movies. You’ll probably have to demux the sound out into separate files, merge and otherwise process them seperately, and then re-attach the merged sound file to the merged video file.