# Video Scene Detection - Find Shot Changes, Cuts & Chapters

> Detect shot and scene changes in a video online: adjustable threshold, scene thumbnails, contact sheet, CSV and EDL cut lists, YouTube chapters, scene clips.

- URL: https://qilingtools.com/en/video/scene-detect
- Category: Video Tools (https://qilingtools.com/en/video)
- Tags: [Video](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/video), [AI](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/ai), [Merge & Split](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/split-merge)
- Last updated: 2026-10-26
- Price: Free, no sign-up
- Privacy: Runs locally in the browser; files are never uploaded

Whether you’re logging footage, adding chapters to a long video or breaking a film down shot by shot, the first job is finding where each shot changes. This tool uses FFmpeg’s select filter in your browser to give every frame a difference score against the previous one; frames above the threshold are cuts. Drag the threshold and minimum-scene-length sliders and the scene list updates instantly without re-analysing. A change curve shows how strong each cut is, and you can add a cut at any frame or remove false hits. Every scene gets a thumbnail: export them as a ZIP (preview size or full resolution) or as one contact-sheet image; export the cut list as CSV or a CMX 3600 EDL for Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve; give scenes titles, then copy YouTube description timestamps, download an FFMETADATA chapter file or embed the chapters straight into the video without re-encoding. You can also split the video into one clip per scene as a ZIP, fast (keyframe cuts) or precise (re-encoded). If FFmpeg analysis fails, the tool falls back to comparing colour histograms in the browser. Everything runs locally; your video is never uploaded.

## How to use

1. Choose a video and click Detect scenes
2. Adjust the cut threshold and minimum scene length, add or remove cuts, and title scenes if you like
3. Export thumbnails, a contact sheet, CSV / EDL, chapters, or split the video into scene clips

## Features

- Per-frame FFmpeg scene scores with a live threshold
- Minimum scene length filters flashes and whip pans
- Add or remove cuts by hand
- Scene thumbnail ZIP and contact sheet
- CSV and CMX 3600 EDL cut lists
- YouTube chapters and FFMETADATA, or embed in the video
- Split by scene: fast or frame-accurate

## FAQ

### What threshold should I use?

0.25–0.4 suits most videos. Hard cuts usually score above 0.5. Lower the threshold if cuts are missed; raise it, or increase the minimum scene length, if fast motion or camera flashes are flagged as cuts. Yellow bars on the change curve are frames above the threshold, so you can see where to set it.

### Are fades and dissolves detected?

Gradual transitions spread the change over dozens of frames, so each frame differs only a little from the previous one and scores lower than a hard cut. They may be missed or land a few frames off. Lower the threshold, or pause on the transition and use Cut at the current frame.

### Why don’t my YouTube chapters show up?

YouTube needs the first timestamp in the description to be 00:00, at least three chapters, and every chapter to be at least 10 seconds long. Set the minimum scene length to 10 seconds or more, then copy the generated timestamps.

### What’s the difference between fast and precise splitting?

Fast mode copies the video data without re-encoding, so it finishes in seconds with no quality loss, but it can only cut on keyframes and each clip may start 0–2 seconds after the scene change. Precise mode re-encodes each clip to H.264 MP4 with frame-accurate cuts, which takes longer.

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