Lossless vs. exact trimming
Videos are compressed in groups of pictures that start with a key frame — a complete image — followed by frames that only store changes. A lossless cut can only start at a key frame, because the frames after it depend on it.
Fast (lossless) mode copies the original data between key frames: the quality is identical to the original and even a one-hour video is trimmed in seconds. The handles snap to key frames, which in phone videos are usually 1–2 seconds apart.
Exact mode decodes the video and encodes it again, so it can cut at any single frame. Use it when a cut must be frame-perfect — for example to remove a single word or to loop a clip seamlessly.
Which mode should I use?
| Task | Mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Remove the first/last seconds | Fast | Instant, no quality loss |
| Split a long recording into clips | Split + Fast | Each clip in seconds |
| Cut out an ad in the middle | Cut out + Fast | Good enough at key frames |
| Remove a single word or blink | Cut out + Exact | Frame-accurate |
| Make a seamless loop | Keep + Exact | Exact start and end frame |
Tips
- Use ← and → to step frame by frame and I / O to set the start and end at the playhead.
- After trimming, shrink the file with the Video Compressor.
- Turn a short clip into an animation with Video to GIF.
- Need to remove only the sound of a part? Use Mute Video.