Mpeg Streamclip is essential for filmmakers

Mpeg Streamclipis a marvellous example of cost free software - yes free! That allows you to transfer and encode video files easily into different formats and codecs. It is readily available on Mac and Windows packages.
The technology was made by Squared 5 and may also be downloaded using their website.

It is possible to use MPEG Streamclip to open, play and edit video clips with slice, insert and clone operations.

The backed input types: M2V, M1V, MPV, AIFF, M1A, MP2, MPA, AC3, MPEG, VOB, PS, M2P, MOD, VRO, DAT, MOV, DV, AVI, MP4, TS, M2T, MMV, REC, VID, AVR, ...

I use Mpeg Streamclip to transcode the H264 files rendered by my own Canon 5DMk2 to Pro res LT before importing to Final cut pro 7. It’s worthwhile noting that whilst MPEG Streamclip does indeed have numerous codecs inbuilt, the Prores codecs employed by apples Final Cut Pro are only offered if Final Cut Pro is equipped on your computer system. And also this is true for Avid’s codecs - DNX is only on hand if Avid Composer or an alternative editing program by Avid is working on your system.

I’m mostly a Final Cut Pro User, and FCP actually does have the ability to encode H264 files into ProRes incorporated within the software, however I have found it to be more time consuming than MPEG streamclip and in some cases a little unstable, sometimes bizzarely slicing the end of a variety of my clips while transcoding, so my chosen option is to batch import into MPEG streamclip and save all these files off to my Raid drive, these transferred files will be then imported into Final Cut Pro.

In addition, I Choose MPEG Streamclip to collect info on a specific video file such as frame rate, frame size and codec. A certain amount of of this info is readily obtainable by just right clicking on on a video file and gaining info but a good deal more data is normally offered in Streamclip by looking at the ‘file ‘menu and hitting ‘show stream info’.

In some cases I’m instructed to clone DVD’s for editing and enhancing - mainly any time a client requires a showreel. I used to achieve this by just playing the DVD into Final Cut Pro through the firewire hookup, it’s time consuming and mind-numbing procedure which unfortunately actually leaves you with a little editing to eliminate the leading few seconds and tailing seconds of the file. You also will have to park yourself there and watch it as otherwise Final Cut Pro will just routinely keep ingesting the DVD menu after the movie has finished.

But with MPEG streamclip, encoding a DVD becomes significantly easier - simply load the DVD straight into the computer system then discourage it from playing with the built-in Digital video disc player. Open up MPEG Streamclip and browse through to the contents of the DVD disc. Import the largest video file into your MPEG streamclip computer program. It will now inquire if you'd like to construct a video stream - Yes! Determine your file format and codec and where you would like to save it and you can trust it to  go do it’s thing. Simple.

Consequently MPEG streamclip is highly recommended piece of free software I wouldn't do with out. Have I mentioned it’s free!