{"id":8872,"date":"2026-01-08T16:16:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T16:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/?p=8872"},"modified":"2026-01-08T21:50:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T21:50:56","slug":"shotcut-video-editor-simple-quick-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/multi-media\/video-editing\/shotcut-video-editor-simple-quick-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Shotcut Video Editor Simple Quick Start"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>While testing the free Shotcut Video Editor, I ran into some compatibility issues with programs like Camtasia and Vegas Video Studio. With help from ChatGPT, I put together this simple step-by-step guide for editing VHS recordings converted to DVD using a Panasonic VHS\/DVD recorder and exported to MP4 with Uniconverter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shotcut Complete Workflow \u2013 New Project \u2192 Export MP4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Create a New Project<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open Shotcut.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>File \u2192 New Project<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Project Folder:<\/strong> where all project files will be stored.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Project Name:<\/strong> choose something meaningful.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Video Mode:<\/strong> (optional now, can set later) leave <strong>Automatic<\/strong> for simplicity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Start<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Your project is now ready with an empty timeline.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Import Media<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Open File<\/strong> \u2192 select your MP4 (or any media file).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The video will appear in the <strong>Preview Window<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Optional: Open <strong>View \u2192 Playlist<\/strong> to see all imported files in a panel.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is useful if you plan to work with multiple clips.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Add Media to Timeline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <strong>View \u2192 Timeline<\/strong> (if it\u2019s not visible).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drag the video from <strong>Playlist<\/strong> (or Preview) <strong>onto the Timeline<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You should now see <strong>V1 (video track) and A1 (audio track)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure the clip starts at <strong>0:00<\/strong> on the timeline.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Basic Editing \u2013 Remove Sections<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To remove the first 10 seconds (or any unwanted portion):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Move the <strong>playhead<\/strong> (vertical blue line) to the end of the portion you want to remove (e.g., 10 seconds).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the clip in the timeline to <strong>select it<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Press <strong>S<\/strong> to <strong>split at playhead<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the unwanted portion (first 10 seconds) \u2192 press <strong>Delete<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drag the remaining clip to the <strong>start of the timeline<\/strong> (0:00) if needed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>You can split multiple times to remove other unwanted sections.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Apply Filters \/ Crop Video<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select the clip in the timeline.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open <strong>View \u2192 Filters<\/strong> (or press Ctrl+7).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>+ \u2192 Video \u2192 Crop: Rectangle<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adjust <strong>Left \/ Right \/ Top \/ Bottom<\/strong> sliders to remove unwanted edges.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Optional:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add <strong>Deinterlace \u2192 YADIF<\/strong> if your source is interlaced VHS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add <strong>Reduce Noise \u2192 HQDN3D (light settings)<\/strong> for VHS cleanup.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6. Set Video Mode (Optional for VHS)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Settings \u2192 Video Mode \u2192 NTSC \u2192 NTSC DV (720\u00d7480) 4:3<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This ensures the timeline matches VHS\/DVD resolution and aspect ratio.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Useful if preserving original VHS proportions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7. Configure Export Settings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Export<\/strong> (top toolbar).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Export panel<\/strong> appears on the left.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose a preset: <strong>H.264 Main Profile \u2192 MP4<\/strong> (good default).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Optional advanced settings:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Resolution:<\/strong> 780 \u00d7 420<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Frame rate:<\/strong> 29.97 fps (or match your source)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scan mode:<\/strong> Progressive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Audio tab:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Codec:<\/strong> AAC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bitrate:<\/strong> 128\u2013192 kbps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>8. Export the Video<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Export File<\/strong> at the bottom of the panel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose <strong>filename and location<\/strong> \u2192 click <strong>Save<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open <strong>View \u2192 Jobs<\/strong> (Ctrl+8) to monitor progress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wait until <strong>Finished<\/strong> \u2014 the MP4 is now playable.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips &amp; Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Timeline = everything you want in final video.<\/strong> Only clips on the timeline are exported.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Split (S)<\/strong> \u2192 Delete = Shotcut\u2019s \u201ccut\u201d tool. There\u2019s no select-and-cut tool like some editors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Always check the <strong>playhead position<\/strong> before splitting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crop filter only applies to <strong>selected clip<\/strong>; make sure clip is highlighted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Export panel must be used \u2014 <strong>File \u2192 Export \u2192 Save As<\/strong> alone will NOT produce a real MP4 in newer versions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This workflow covers <strong>everything you need<\/strong> for a simple VHS workflow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Start a project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Import media<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cut\/remove unwanted sections<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crop edges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set video mode (optional)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Export to playable 780\u00d7420 MP4<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick Reference Table<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Action<\/th><th>Shortcut \/ Location<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Show Timeline<\/td><td>View \u2192 Timeline<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Show Filters<\/td><td>View \u2192 Filters (Ctrl+7)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Split Clip<\/td><td>S<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Delete Clip<\/td><td>Delete key<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Crop<\/td><td>Filters \u2192 + \u2192 Video \u2192 Crop: Rectangle<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Export Panel<\/td><td>Export (top toolbar)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Monitor Render<\/td><td>View \u2192 Jobs (Ctrl+8)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tips for VHS<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Crop a few pixels on left\/right to remove black edges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crop top\/bottom if there are tracking lines or border noise.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use <strong>Deinterlace<\/strong> for interlaced VHS sources.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep <strong>timeline start at 0:00<\/strong> for clean export.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While testing the free Shotcut Video Editor, I ran into some compatibility issues with programs like Camtasia and Vegas Video Studio. With help from ChatGPT, I put together this simple step-by-step guide for editing VHS recordings converted to DVD using a Panasonic VHS\/DVD recorder and exported to MP4 with Uniconverter. Shotcut Complete Workflow \u2013 New\u2026&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/multi-media\/video-editing\/shotcut-video-editor-simple-quick-start\/\" class=\"rmlink\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","iawp_total_views":4,"wds_primary_category":91,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[94,93,96,95],"class_list":{"0":"post-8872","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-video-editing","8":"tag-dvd","9":"tag-mp4","10":"tag-shotcut","11":"tag-video-editing","12":"entry"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/01\/Video-Editing-with-Shortcut-Infographic-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/01\/Video-Editing-with-Shortcut-Infographic-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Jack Alltrade","author_link":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/author\/jacka11trade\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8872"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8872\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8876,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8872\/revisions\/8876"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/computing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}