Being an advanced version of WMP, Windows Media Player allows users to perform various media editing tasks smoothly. You can easily cut a video and audio track from a video to create an amazing movie or select and edit some parts before you save the final file in your mobile phone or media player. By the way, if you want to know how to cut audio file in Windows Media Player, check out this page: How to cut audio in WMP?

In any version of Windows, the Windows Media Player is present. It can play music in formats ‘mp3’ and ‘wav’ and also videos in formats ‘avi’ and ‘mp4’. Just like in its description, its sole purpose is to ‘play media’, but little do we know that it can also edit videos.

Initially, Windows Media Player has no capabilities of editing videos. But, there is something we called ‘plug-in’ with which the player can be compatible, and through that, it can now edit and trim videos. The plug-in is an extension that a program needs in order to incorporate another related function that is not available on its basic version.

Cutting Videos through Windows Media Player

In this editing feature, the best it can do is to trim the length of the video. Here, a very common third-party application is used as a plug-in. It is called ‘SolveigMM WMP Trimmer’. These are the steps on how to set it up and utilize it afterwards.

1. Download the SolveigMM WMP Trimmer plug-in on its website. It is easily searched in Google. The plug-in is available on a 21-day free trial, with a limit of 10 minutes. If you want to maximize its capabilities like longer cutting duration, you can decide to purchase the Home Edition or the Business Edition.
2. Once downloaded, have it installed on the system.
3. After installing, check if it is now integrated. Open the Windows Media Player and select the ‘Tools’ tab, then the ‘Plug-ins’ option. You will see that the ‘SolveigMM WMP Trimmer Plug-in’ has existed.
   
4. Play the video you want to trim down. While playing, you can move the blue slider of the video. If you want to start at a certain point, click ‘Start’ on the tools located at the bottom window of the Windows Media Player. If you want to stop, click on ‘End’.
   
5. In order to finalize the trimming, click on ‘In’. The ‘Out’ button is for cutting the interval and be ready to save it into another file.
6. Once you are satisfied, you can now save your work. Remember that the duration depends on the state of the plug-in you have installed, whether it is a free trial or purchase.

While trimming, the process can be very much cancelled if you want to. If you allow the process to continue, there will be a pop-up window indicating it is finished and lets you choose the directory where you want to save the files.

Limitations

The plug-in, however, is very limited. There are other options in Windows, without the help of third-party software, in which it can very much do the editing. One of which is the Windows Movie Maker.

In the Windows Movie Maker, you can convert a video in a half-screen ratio into a full-screen. You can also rotate the video clockwise or vice versa in media player, which is great for smartphone-captured videos. You can apply multiple transitions, too. The software may not be included initially in the Windows OS, but it can be downloaded on the Microsoft website, for free.

For Windows 10, the term ‘Windows Movie Maker’ became ‘Windows Video Player’. To trim videos using the application, it is just a simple drag and edit. It is so easy that it seems like you are just cropping a picture.

Summary: Cut video in Windows Media Player

• Open Windows Media Player.
• Open the video file you want to trim.
• Drag the mouse over the video segment you want to keep.
• Click "Home" at the top of the player, then click "Rip."
• Select a file name and location for your video clip.
• Click "Start Rip."
• Close Windows Media Player, then open it again.
• Click on the trimmed video to watch it.

Conclusion

With so many tools nowadays, it seems that anyone who spends time on gadgets and computers can be well-versed in editing videos.

For PC users who are loyal to the Windows OS, although a third party software is very much preferable, there are free-of-charge choices available like the Windows Media Player and Windows Video Player. Choose whatever you like, as long as it coincides with your time and budget.