Constant vs. Variable Frame Rate?

I used Handbrake to encode/convert my videos to mp4, and it recommended “Same As Source” which was Variable. I’ve tested one clip after converting to Constant per recommendation from another free software, still yielding the same result from both programs: choppy playback.

What does this have to do with Shotcut please?

Sorry I wasn’t more clear.

I came to Shotcut after finding out that my laptop did not meet my previous video editor’s system requirements. When I installed Shotcut, I immediately tested a clip’s playback, and it is choppy. Why? It’s converted from vfr to cfr. It appears that my specs meet Shotcut’s system requirements.

System requirements to open and use Shotcut are not the same as system requirements to play (without being choppy) every video type imported into Shotcut, or a video which is being edited in Shotcut whereby you have added filters and so on.
Can you tell us more about the Video file and more about your laptop’s specs please?

All my video clips are originally from DVDs that I own. I used MakeMKV to rip the DVDs, then Handbrake to encode the episode chapters to mp4. I used Freemake to cut a particular chapter down to a 1-minute clip that I may want to be the opening scenes of my video, which is known as a “fanvid,” a compilation of scenes from television or film set to an audio track. The previous editor’s tech support said “No vfr! Must be cfr!” so I processed the clip as cfr, tried again, still choppy. Here I am with the same issue. The previous vid editor does not support the integrated AMD graphics on my laptop. I can’t tell if that’s the case here.

Looks like I can’t attach anything yet, so here goes:

Windows 8.1
AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon HD 7310 Graphics 1.40 GHz
RAM 4GB
64-bit OS, x64-based processor

The minimum requirements are at least one 2Ghz CPU core for SD.
Your processor is only 1.4Ghz.

Your laptop is a low powered and low performance unit, not really intended for video editing I’m afraid.

  1. It’s a dual-core processor…does that make a difference?
  2. What about the type of video clips I’ll be using? It’s just a matter of editing the scenes together with transitions and music…doesn’t seem that complicated.

No, that’s a lot of heavy lifting for a processor. It’s nothing like photo editing.
That AMD E1-1200 system is not suitable for video editing.

Meaning I have to spend hundreds of dollars on a new laptop so I can use free software on it…baffling.

Yes, unfortunately that laptop just was not designed for video editing.
All software has hardware requirements - being free has nothing to do with it.

I was merely commenting on the irony…

I use this old machine but 2.4 Ghz and it works quite good.
https://www.fnac.com/mp19518259/Toshiba-Satellite-R840-16E-14-Core-i5-2430M-6-Go-RAM-640-Go-HDD/w-4

You can verify if you are in the best settings for your case (interpolation…). Try GPU but not sure it will help…
If not ok, you’ll have to wait and search for the less ressource eater editor…
Openshot kinf of worked on muy OOOOLLD precedent machine on Ubuntu. I could edit video that the machine itself could’nt read at all…

Thank you for the help @Steve_Ledger and the suggestion @Keno40. I have a family member and friend who have extra laptops, one of which may work. It’s frustrating because this project may be my swan song in video editing and there have been so many obstacles.

Video Editing can be frustrating, slow and at times boring.
It helps a lot when the hardware doesn’t get in the way.

I have a 6-Core 3Ghz desktop machine with 16Gb of ram, 2Gb of VRAM and SSD but Shotcut still get’s choppy in playback if I’ve used certain processor intensive filters.
DaVinci Resolve runs better than Shotcut, but the learning curve is far steeper. Shotcut is great for quick jobs when you don’t need all that DVR offers.

Since you mentioned DVR, what about Hitfilm Express?

And to bring this full-circle to the original topic, do you recommend I re-process all my clips as cfr, in anticipation of finding a system with adequate specs, regardless of what software I end up using? Handbrake must have assumed I would only be using the clips for playback, to suggest vfr…or? Shotcut only supports cfr from what I’ve read

HFE has higher hardware requirements and doesn’t run nearly as well as DaVinci Resolve.
(BTW: Version 14 of DVR has just been release and now runs even better, has lot’s of upgrades and now includes Fairlight Audio editor)

I always constant framerate.