Avidemux 2.8.1 / 2.8.2 r240804Nightly

Overview

AviDemux is a free video editor which can also act as an encoder for video and audio media using a number of different codecs.

The software is open-source and has been developed to be cross-platform with versions available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and BSD operating systems.

The user can add video files, edit them, cut out scenes or parts of scenes they do not wish to include, run filters to improve audio or video quality, and then encode the video for distribution.

There is a scripting engine which allows the user to write their own powerful scripts to automate video editing processes for a series of standardized clips. This can include creating several versions of a video file in different resolutions and other common editing functions.

Can encode AVI, ASD, MPEG, MP4, MP2, FLV and AC3 video files.

Multi-core threaded mode is supported for parallel video encoding on supported systems.

Installation

The installation completed without any issues.

There was no adware, toolbars, spyware or malware included with the setup package.

AviDemux requires Windows 98, 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7 or 8.

Interface

The interface hasn't change too much in recent years and is starting to look a bit dated.

The menu system lines the top of the application window with a small row of toolbar buttons below it.

Along the left side are options for the video decoder, video output, audio output, and audio formats. Near the bottom is a playback system with controls to move through a video clip.

The interface is functional but clearly doesn't offer the kind of sophistication of a premium video editor.

Pros

• Free open-source video editor
• Edit AVI, MP4, ASD, ACE, MP2, FLV and MPEG files
• Uses multiple codecs for proper encoding of audio and video streams
• Scripting engine to automate some video editing processes
• Drag and drop functionality
• Multi-core hyper-threading supported
• Multi-platform support for Windows, OS X, Linux and BSD

Cons

• Older interface that doesn't make editing easy
• Features do not compare to premium application like Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere Pro

Alternatives

Sony Vegas Pro is a top-tier video editor which many professionals use for its extensive feature set. Adobe Premiere Pro is an excellent option for people who are used to the usual Adobe interface and use their cloud services.

Conclusion

AviDemux is an open-source video editor which can perform the basic functions of editing, but lacks a sophisticated editing interface or advanced features available with more advanced editors.