{
  "id": 20082957,
  "title": "How to Split a Video With FFmpeg (Why -c copy Ignores Your Segment Time, N Equal Parts, Scene Cuts, and a pytest Check)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/how-to-split-a-video-with-ffmpeg-why-c-copy-ignores-your-segment-time",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-15T00:29:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/voorai/how-to-split-a-video-with-ffmpeg-why-c-copy-ignores-your-segment-time-n-equal-parts-scene-cuts-27dp"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "FFmpeg is a powerful tool for splitting videos, but it requires a specific command to achieve exact segment lengths without using the lossless and fast -c copy method. This command must include the segment muxer, specify the segment times, reset timestamps, and output the parts with sequential numbering.",
  "summary": "Short answer: to split a video with FFmpeg, use the segment muxer: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -map 0 -c copy -f segment -segment_times 4.041667,7.083333 -reset_timestamps 1 part_%03d.mp4 That is lossless and fast, but with -c copy FFmpeg can only cut on keyframes , so -segment_time 2 does not mean \"2-second parts\". If you need exact lengths you must re-encode and force a keyframe at every boundary.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Prioritizing precision over speed forces users to abandon lossless copying in favor of re-encoding to ensure that video segments align exactly with requested timestamps.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}