I want to put a lot of family videos together so they play from start to finish without clicking each clip. Can I do this on my iPhone, without editing the clips? I'd also like to keep the file size reasonable and possibly save it to a USB drive.
What's the easiest way to combine lots of iPhone videos into one?
Asked by
!sort.the+agenda
Answers
iMovie is a straightforward option on the iPhone. Start a new Movie project, select the clips, arrange them in the order you want, then export the finished video. You don't have to trim the clips, but check the joins because iMovie may add transitions between them. You can change those to None.
When sharing the movie, look for the resolution options. A lower resolution can make the exported file smaller, though it will reduce picture quality. A long movie can still be a large file, so check that you have enough free space for the export.
Reply to this answer
You might not need to merge anything. A player such as VLC can play clips in sequence from a playlist, and some players can automatically play the next video in a folder. That keeps the original videos separate and avoids exporting a lower-quality copy.
The catch is that a playlist isn't necessarily portable on its own. If you move the videos to a USB drive, you may need to create the playlist again on the device you use for playback. Check that the player supports the video formats too.
Brel.4+perhaps:
Playing a folder in order could be simpler if the playback device supports it. Check the clip order before handing the drive over.
Reply to this answer
For keeping these long term, save the original clips separately as well as any combined movie. You can transfer them by cable to a computer and store them on an external drive. A smaller export is handy for watching, but it won't preserve the originals at their full quality.
Reply to this answer
Add your answer
Answers are reviewed before publication.
!sort.the+agenda:
That sounds manageable. I mainly want the clips to run one after another, so I'll check the transitions.