Adobe VideoBite

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on February 25, 2013

In recent iterations of the iPhone, the camera has taken center stage, allowing users to record full HD videos on the fly, quickly and easily. The one thing missing from the experience, though, is the ability to just as quickly and easily edit and share those videos with friends and family. This is where Adobe enters the picture with its VideoBite app. Exactly as it sounds, VideoBite is designed to slice and dice your favorite videos (or record new ones) and share them with anyone through your Library or on Facebook. The interface is clean, smooth, and responsive, the app loads fast and instantly catalogs your video library, and rendering takes only seconds, making this a clear (and free) choice for iOS users with videos to share.

The app is free and installs quickly so you can get started almost right away. Adobe doesn't require any registration and because Facebook is now integrated into iOS, you won't need to log in at any point. Features are limited, but in this case that is a very good thing. A quick tap of the menu button reveals four options: Capture, Select, Arrange, and Share. With Capture, you can record directly from the app. However, the real fireworks are in the "Select" and "Arrange" options. As your video plays, simply tap the "Favorite Moment" button -- a heart in the right corner -- and mark which parts of the video you want to cut out. For parents with 20-minute videos waiting for a baby to stand up and toddle, this is incredible. We found it not only easy but also quick and responsive. Once you've selected those clips, go to the Arrange menu and all of your favorites are ready for splicing into a single, ready-to-share video.

Once done, tap the Share button to render the video and VideoBite preps it for Facebook or your Library. This is the only problem we found here, the limited number of sharing options. It would be nice to have options to share directly to YouTube or via e-mail from the app. Though you can save to your Library and do it there, it's an extra step. Still, it's a small gripe for an app that so cleanly does what Apple has not yet done: make editing and sharing custom videos a snap. This is a must download for anyone who records videos with an iPhone.