LosslessCut vs SolveigMM Video Splitter

Lossless video editing allows you to make changes to your video files without sacrificing any of the original quality. Unlike standard editing, which re-encodes the video and can introduce compression artifacts, lossless editing preserves every pixel. This is crucial for maintaining pristine video quality, especially when working with high-resolution footage or archiving valuable content. Lossless editing also has the second advantage – the fast editing: the speed of editing in lossless tools is much more efficient than in ordinary editing apps. For anyone working with video, especially those who need to quickly trim or cut footage without sacrificing quality, lossless editing tools are indispensable. If you’re wondering how to cut videos without losing quality or how to merge videos without re-encoding, the key is to use a video editor that supports lossless cutting and merging.

Both LosslessCut and SolveigMM Video Splitter are powerful lossless tools for video editing. Let’s break down their key differences to help you choose the right tool for your workflow.

Below is a list of the main advantages and disadvantages of the programs relative to each other. That is, for example, if some advantage (such as editing without loss of quality) is found in both programs, it was not included in the list of advantages.

LosslessCut

LosslessCut is a cross-platform tool designed to make video editing incredibly fast and efficient, without compromising quality. It leverages the power of FFmpeg to offer a user-friendly interface for a range of media tasks. If you’re wondering, is LosslessCut safe to download and use, the answer is generally yes, as long as you obtain it from reputable sources. Although its primary function is lossless cutting, if you’re wondering “Can LosslessCut crop videos?”, the answer is that it doesn’t offer a cropping feature. However, you can merge videos with the same parameters in LosslessCut.

Many users also ask, “Is LosslessCut actually lossless?” and the answer is yes, it preserves the original video quality by avoiding re-encoding during cutting and joining operations.

The Key Feature: Lossless trimming and cutting with key frame accuracy

Main Features of LosslessCut:

• Cut (save and delete) segments from video and audio files
• Change the order of segments
• Merge video and audio files
• Work with streams from the file: extract the needed stream, combine streams.
• Customizable keyboard shortcut settings
• Remux video or audio into another format
• Save screenshot from video file on PNG or JPG file format
• Extract video frames to images
• Manage file metadata, track, and track disposition metadata
• Adjust video rotation and orientation metadata
• Show track technical details
• Timeline Zoom in/out
• Navigation through frames, key frames
• Tag and label cut segments
• Export and import the project in different formats
• Chapter editor for MKV and MP4 Files
• Show subtitles
• Detect black scenes, silent audio, and scene changes
• Segment timeline by length, size, segment count, or randomly.
• Adjust video and audio speed
• Has CLI and HTTP API
• Display DJI GPS track on map
• Support for HTTP video downloads

LosslessCut’s main advantage is its ability to trim and cut videos and audio files without re-encoding. This means you can:

• Save Space: Quickly remove unwanted footage from large video files captured on cameras, GoPros, drones, etc., without losing quality.
• Extract the Best Parts: Isolate the most engaging sections of your videos and discard unnecessary footage, saving valuable storage space.
• Add Tracks Without Re-encoding: Seamlessly add music to your videos without the need for a time-consuming and quality-compromising encoding process.

How It Works:

LosslessCut utilizes FFmpeg’s capabilities, the edits are executed incredibly fast. This translates to:

• Speed: Experience lightning-fast editing without sacrificing quality.
• Efficiency: Save valuable time and resources by avoiding slow re-encoding processes.

Pros of LosslessCut:

• Cross platform application, works on Windows, macOS and Linux
• Ability to increase/decrease font size of interface
• Ability to get a screenshot of the frame in different formats (JPEG, PNG, webp) and set its capture quality in preferences.
• Ability to show keyframes right on the timeline.
• Can change the rotation of files and save it for the output file
• Can edit existing metadata and add new metadata
• Can import/export project file of variety of different formats
• Ability to export the file in a different format (if possible for the codec of the file) and change fps for the file (increase its speed for playback in players).
• Additional tools: deleting black scenes, deleting silence scenes, detecting scene changes, creating scenes from keyframes.
• Combine arbitrary tracks from multiple files (add music or subtitle track to a video file)
• Ability to change author, title, GPS position, recording time of a video
• Can cut a file by its MP4/MKV chapters and a YouTube video by its chapters
• Free application (no installer included), the paid application with the installer is also available

Cons of LosslessCut:

• By default, the editing goes with a group of picture accuracy, so the output result can be inaccurate. Smart cut is experimental, works not with all files.
• No Batch Manager to edit several files in one pass
• Can’t mute some selected segments, only disable audio for all segments on the timeline.
• It is possible to place only one file on the timeline
• Can’t edit and save files with subtitles
• There is no installer/uninstaller in the free application
• The latest version of the LosslessCut is not compatible with Windows 8.1 and lower.

Use cases of LosslessCut

• Precise Cutting & Trimming:
  • Cut commercials from recorded TV shows.
  • Losslessly split videos into segments based on scenes.
  • Cut away silent parts from audio/video files.
  • Quickly cut files using MP4/MKV chapters or YouTube video chapters (or music times from comments).
  • Segment timeline by specified length or size, a set number of segments, or randomized segments.
• Audio Manipulation:
  • Remove audio tracks from a file.
  • Extract music tracks from videos.
  • Add music to videos or replace existing audio tracks.
  • Combine audio and video tracks from separate recordings.
• Format & Compatibility:
  • Re-format from TS to MP4.
  • Quickly convert H.264/H.265 MKV videos to MOV or MP4 for iPhone playback.
• Subtitle and Chapter Management:
  • Include external subtitles in videos.
  • Change the language of a file’s audio/subtitle tracks.
• Metadata Editing:
  • Change author, title, GPS position, and recording time of videos.
  • Attach cover art/thumbnails from external JPEG files or from a frame on the timeline.
  • Fix incorrect video rotation flags (ideal for phone videos).
• Special Effects & Processing:
  • Speed up or slow down video and audio files.
  • Loop video/audio clips multiple times without re-encoding.
• Import/Export & Automation:
  • Import cut times from other tools as EDL (CSV) files.
  • Export cut times as CSV EDL files for use in other tools.
• Tagging and Organization:
  • Annotate segments with tags.
  • Organize segments or create output folder structures based on tags.
• Other features:
  • Convert a video or parts of it into image files.
  • Split video into segments to for example respect Twitter’s 140-second limit.

While LosslessCut is a popular choice, a range of LosslessCut alternatives offer different feature sets and user experiences. Let’s find out what SolveigMM Video Splitter offers to users.

LosslessCut free download is available here.

SolveigMM Video Splitter

SolveigMM Video Splitter is your ultimate solution for effortless video editing. In the world of video editing, precision is paramount. It’s the difference between a rough cut and a polished, professional product. SolveigMM Video Splitter understands this, offering features that empower you with precise control over your edits.

The Key Feature: Frame accurate editing without loss of quality

• Exact Timecode Control: Edit your videos with pinpoint accuracy, cutting and splitting at specific timecodes down to the individual frame. No more guesswork or sacrificing quality for speed.
• Preview Mode: Visualize your cuts in real-time, ensuring that each edit aligns perfectly with your vision.
• Interactive Timeline: Navigate through your video timeline with ease, making precise adjustments with ease.

Why Precision Matters:

• Professional Look: Precise editing ensures clean, seamless transitions, eliminating jarring cuts and awkward edits.
• Time-Saving: Accurate edits save you time and effort in the long run, reducing the need for rework and ensuring a polished final product.
• Creative Control: The ability to make precise edits empowers you to express your creative vision and refine your video to perfection.

Main features of Video Splitter:

• Smart editing: lossless cutting and joining with up to frame accuracy. Preserve original video quality by avoiding re-encoding.
  • Trim, split, cut video and audio files
  • Merge several files with the same parameters into a single file.
• Can edit one or several files on the one timeline at the same time. Useful to delete several segments from different files and join them at one pass.
• Supports almost all popular file formats and codecs.
  • Supported formats are: MXF, AVCHD, MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, FLV, AVI, DV AVI, ASF, WMV, MPEG2(TS, PS, VES), MPEG1(SYS, VES), MP1, MP2, MP3, WAV.
  • Supported codecs are: H265/HEVC, H264/AVC, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, VP8, VP9, MPEG-4, DIVX, XVID, MJPEG, WMV1, WMV2, WMV3, MPEG Audio, PCM, AC3, AAC, OPUS.
• Supports editing files with up to 4K resolution.
• Edit embedded and external subtitles in MP4, MKV, WEBM, AVI, and TS Formats
• Multi-audio track editing support (MP4, MKV, WEBM, AVI, TS).
• Slice files based on parts, duration, or file size
• Batch Editing: process unlimited tasks in one go (Business and Broadcast Editions only)
• Automate with XML: control batch tasks via command line (Business and Broadcast Editions only)
• Export and import project file
• Set audio silence to the selected segment or the whole file
• Work with streams: select what streams to preview and edit. You can disable any track for preview or editing.
• Easy frame or key frame navigation and navigation by markers.
• Customizable hot keys for main commands
• Dark/light theme
• Zoom video in/out feature for preview
• Collapse cut out segments feature: useful for playing only selected segments before the editing starts to ensure your choice.
• Easy and demonstrative video compare mode (available in Business Edition and Broadcast versions). Perfect for comparing the same frame in files of different resolution, or for other needs.
• Activation on up to 5 different computers with one license key, one copy of Video Splitter can be used at the same time.
• Show Yandex maps and GPS navigation panes if the file contains this information.
• Multilanguage support: English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Russian, Polish.

Pros of Video Splitter:

• Frame accurate editing is possible with all supported file formats. You will get on output the accurate edited segments that start from the frame selected by the user.
• Batch Manager is available to edit several files at one pass (in Business and Broadcast Editions).
• Join Manager is included. In addition to merging, it is possible to save and load the join list.
• It is possible to place several files on the timeline and edit them in one pass (save or delete fragments from different files)
• The time calculator is included
• Shows GPS navigation data of the file if it is in the file.
• Zoom video on preview feature. Convenient when you need to see small details in a video image.
• Compare video mode is available in Business and Broadcast Editions
• Works on Windows 7 / Windows 8 / Windows 10 / Windows 11 operating system.

Cons of Video Splitter:

• There is no Linux version at the present time. It works on Windows and there is the Mac OS version also.
• Video Splitter is the paid product, the price starts from $7.49/month. The trial version is available (Free Edition).

Use cases of Video Splitter

• Lossless and accurate cut out unwanted segments from any video or audio file for any personal (edit home video, edit video for sharing with friends) or for business needs: for your customers, for colleagues, for educational purposes, for future use of the video in presentation, for your study project or any other area.
• Edit commercial from TV recorded videos
• Video/audio censoring to remove adult or any unwanted scenes, for example for watching by kids
• Mute sound in moments with foul language
• Keep storage on your computer by removing segments from large sized video files
• Make videos smaller to upload for social media: on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn or any other web resource where there is the limitation on file size
• Making ringtone for phone from audio files
• Edit audio podcasts
• Edit web conferences for sharing with colleagues
• Edit any screen recordings for future usage and sharing
• Work with big portions of video files in the Batch Manager when it is necessary to process the list of video files in the one pass (supported in Business and Broadcast versions)

Selecting the right tool depends on your task. If your aim, for example, to clean up your space on the computer or make archives from large video files, when the precise editing is not so important, Lossless will be the suitable tool.

If you need to edit your files with frame precision, then SolveigMM Video Splitter will be the right tool for your needs.

SolveigMM Video Splitter download is here.

LosslessCut vs SolveigMM Video Splitter performance comparison

We took two files and ran a couple of tests to find out the performance of the tools. Below are the files specs:

Test file #1: MP4, 1920x1080px@25fps, 10 min 33s, 6.2 Mb/s AVC video (FullHD)
Test file #2: MP4, 3840x2160px@25fps, 10 min 33s, 22 Mb/s AVC video (4K)

The tests include trimming intervals out of both files in a frame-accurate mode. To minimize the affection of the file reading and writing operations the tests run on an SSD.

In the test #1 we trim one segment (00:00:26,314–00:10:33,600).

Here is how the interface looks like to these two applications when selecting one segment.

Picture 1- LosslessCut test#1

Picture 2 – SolveigMM Video Splitter test#1

In the test #2 we trim two segments and save them as a single output file (00:00:26,314–00:04:28,042; 00:06:28,000–00:09:05,113).

Here is how the interface of both programs looks when selecting multiple segments for saving.

Picture 3 – LosslessCut test#2

Picture 4 – SolveigMM Video Splitter test#2

While performing the tests, we measured the operation’s time and maximum RAM usage for both utilities. We got the following results:

From the tests results, we can see that the FullHD file processing time is nearly the same for both tools, but the Video Splitter operates faster in case of the 4K file.

But if we take a look at the RAM utilization, we’ll see that the LosslessCut utility consumes significantly more RAM for the FullHD file processing and in the case of trimming multiple intervals from the 4K file.

User experience of LosslessCut and SolveigMM Video Splitter, interface design, ease of use.

LosslessCut interface

Picture 5 – LosslessCut interface

LosslessCut free video editor prioritizes a straightforward and effective user experience. Even beginners can easily master LosslessCut’s user-friendly video editing environment. The software’s interface is uncluttered, with simple-to-understand controls and an intuitive timeline. The software features minimal controls and settings to ensure users can quickly jump into the editing process without overwhelming complexity. This allows users to quickly learn the basics of cutting, joining, and extracting video segments without any prior video editing experience. The software focuses on doing one thing well: providing a fast, no-fuss lossless cutting experience, making it an accessible tool for those new to video editing.

SolveigMM Video Splitter interface

Picture 6 – Video Splitter’s main window interface

SolveigMM Video Splitter provides a reliable and professional-grade video editing experience. Designed for professionals and enthusiasts who demand precision, SolveigMM Video Splitter provides a powerful yet accessible video editing experience. Its interface is highly responsive, offering frame-accurate cutting and joining capabilities. The design balances a clean layout with robust features, including support for various video formats. The user interface enables users to efficiently handle multiple video clips, quickly make cuts, and maintain the highest possible video quality through its lossless editing capabilities.

The interface of this video editor is designed for accuracy and control, providing a stable environment for handling video files and performing precise edits. The timeline-based interface enables users to easily select precise cut points and easily see the file duration, the selected in and out points. The software’s design prioritizes efficiency and ease of use while delivering lossless video editing capabilities. This enables professionals and advanced users to quickly make changes and modifications to videos. With a clear, user-friendly interface, SolveigMM Video Splitter streamlines the video editing workflow and focuses on the essential aspects of video editing, ensuring reliability and professional-grade performance. The interface emphasizes ease of use, making it easy for users to load video, navigate the timeline, make their edits, and quickly export the result.

SolveigMM Video Splitter includes additional interface windows of Join Manager (in all Editions) and Batch Manager (in Business and Broadcast Editions).

Picture 6 – Join Manager interface of Vide Splitter

Picture 7 – Interface of Batch Manager of Vide Splitter

Feature comparison of LosslessCut and SolveigMM Video Splitter

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ SolveigMM Video Splitter developers team works on adding AV1 support at the present time and plan to have it ready in 2025, within 3 months.

⁽²⁾ SolveigMM Video Splitter can create GIF image from the selected segment.

⁽³⁾ In SolveigMM Video Splitter the video rotation and flip are available only for preview at the present time.

⁽⁴⁾ SolveigMM Video Splitter has CLI. HTTP API is not yet available.

⁽⁵⁾ LosslessCut supports muting only the whole audio track of the video file and can’t mute the selected segment(s).

⁽⁶⁾ Ability to increase/decrease font size of interface feature in SolveigMM Video Splitter works with the increasing of DPI value: when you change the display settings for your OS the interface scale of Video Splitter also changes.

Comparative Summary: LosslessCut vs. SolveigMM Video Splitter

Both LosslessCut and SolveigMM Video Splitter excel at lossless video editing, allowing you to trim, cut, and join video clips without re-encoding and sacrificing quality. However, their approach to user experience and features caters to different needs.

• LosslessCut: This editor prioritizes extreme simplicity and speed. It features a minimalist interface, making it exceptionally easy for beginners and users who need to quickly perform basic cutting and joining. It is completely free and open-source.
• SolveigMM Video Splitter: This program focuses on precision, stability, and advanced features within a more structured environment. It offers a more professional-feeling interface and lossless frame accurate editing without the quality effect on the resulting output file.

Recommendations Based on User Needs:

Here’s a tailored recommendation section based on common user profiles:

1. The Beginner/Occasional User:

• Needs: Quick video trimming, removing unwanted segments, joining clips without technical fuss and when the accuracy of editing does not much matter.
• Recommendation: LosslessCut is the ideal choice. Its straightforward interface and minimal learning curve allow you to achieve your editing goals quickly, without getting bogged down in complex features or spending any money. However, the accuracy goes up to the Key frame, so the selected segments can start not on the frame you have selected. Although LosslessCut excels at speed, users seeking more in-depth tools might explore SolveigMM Video Splitter as one of the LosslessCut alternatives.

2. The Power User/Enthusiast:

• Needs: Lossless frame-accurate cutting, precise control over the editing process, and a stable environment.
• Recommendation: SolveigMM Video Splitter offers more advanced capabilities with the precision of editing up to frame and without quality loss.

3. The Budget-Conscious User:

• Needs: Video editing capabilities without spending any money.
• Recommendation: LosslessCut is completely free and open source so it has obvious economic advantages. However, Video Splitter has the Free Edition plan, so you can try it before the purchase.

4. The Format-Flexible User:

• Needs: Edit a wide variety of video and audio files.
• Recommendation: SolveigMM Video Splitter supports more file formats and codecs.

In Conclusion:

Both editors are excellent, but they cater to distinct user needs: LosslessCut excels for simplicity, speed, and its zero cost, whereas SolveigMM Video Splitter is tailored to a user who wants a dedicated program that feels more professional, and needs greater editing accuracy within a more robust graphical environment. If you require frame accurate support, explore LosslessCut alternatives, such as a SolveigMM Video Splitter, that specialize in that area.

The choice is a matter of personal preference and project requirements.