VersusSync Ex

VersusSyncEx

Version review, reimagined.

“If you want it done right, build it yourself.”
I grew tired of standard players that only show a single file, and corporate tools that are heavy, bloated, and resource-heavy. I built VersusSync Ex for myself—to handle mixed frame rates, local metadata, and lightning-fast visual review and validation natively on a Mac timeline. No cloud, no accounts. Just the tool I always wanted in my own suite.

The Missing Link in Post-Production

A standard player only opens a single file. A finishing NLE shapes the entire timeline. VersusSync is the precision review step designed exactly for the space between them. Built from the ground up for critical Review, QC, and VFX validation.

The Interface, Rethought

Command up to four media versions simultaneously with a single, unified playhead—even across mixed frame rates. Effortlessly align your scenes, then dissect every pixel using advanced tools like Difference view, Curtain wipe, built-in scopes, and a dedicated grading palette.

Seamless Ecosystem Integration

Keep your high-res media securely on your Mac while metadata moves instantly. Ingest timelines and markers via AAF, EDL, FCP7 XML, or OTIO, and effortlessly round-trip your review notes straight back to Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Avid Media Composer, or Autodesk Flame.

We provide the clarity - You make the call.

Two Ways to See Your Media

The same application, two surfaces. Switch when the job changes.

Minimalist Review

A clean, single-track player designed for fast everyday playback and distraction-free viewing. Open any file instantly, drop markers while you watch, and focus entirely on the content. Perfect for quick reviews and client viewings.

The Comparison Bench

Transform the player into a multi-track editing workspace. Drive up to four media versions simultaneously on a unified timeline. Even with mixed frame rates, everything stays locked to a single playhead, unlocking advanced QC and VFX analysis.

The Ultimate Review Toolkit

Open Align Compare Hand off

Open

Ingest & Hardware Output

Format agnostic: Native support for professional and everyday containers: MP4, MOV, MKV, MXF, and more.
SDR & HDR ready: Accurate color pipeline representation with multi-language audio toggles and subtitle tracking.
Broadcast Hardware Monitoring: Output pristine, uncompressed video signals directly through Blackmagic DeckLink or UltraStudio hardware to a professional grading monitor—fully locked to its native frame rate for pixel-perfect QC.

Align

Timeline Control

Mixed frame rates: Drive up to four edit versions together. Different frame rates stay in time on one playhead.
Flexible layouts: Compare the camera original with the master, or stack cut against cut to see how a version evolved.
Scene Snapping: Link matching scenes across tracks, snap clips to the playhead, or shift an entire track in one move.

Compare

Deep Analysis

Visual overlays: Spot micro-changes and VFX shifts with a Difference overlay or a Curtain wipe.
Broadcast QC: Validate the delivery before it leaves the room with waveform, vectorscope, and focus peaking.
Independent zoom: Magnify a single pane, and use a 6-to-20 color palette for a grading comparison.

Hand off

Smart Round-Trip

NLE integration: Markers and edit lists travel. High-res footage stays on your Mac.
Universal formats: Import or export timelines via AVB, AAF, EDL, FCP7 XML, or OTIO.
Actionable notes: Send review comments back to Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Avid, or Flame, or export compliance reports as DOCX or PDF.

Intelligent Automation

Advanced Scene Detection

Find shot boundaries across a whole clip or inside an In/Out range. Several detectors run together: luminance, adaptive threshold, color histogram, and perceptual hash. Scan at quarter resolution, read the changes on a sparkline, and jump to the cut. Apply what you find as edits, markers, or segment markers.

Intelligent Edit Group Detection

Link matching scenes across two, three, or four tracks, even when the cuts have drifted in length. A short trimmed clip does not snap onto the neighboring act. Green is the same edit, yellow is a change, red has no pair. Require the same clip name or the same In point, and export the report as PDF.

The Round-Trip Ecosystem

Your high-res media never leaves your Mac, ensuring absolute security and zero upload times. VersusSync processes only the metadata—translating edit decisions, timelines, and markers between systems instantly.

Ingest & Conform

Timeline & Edit List

AVB
AAF
EDL
FCP7 XML
OTIO

Comprehensive Marker Ingest

Adobe XMP
Embedded XMP
FCP7 XML
Avid XML
Avid Locators
Avid TXT
Avid Caption
Avid Summary
CSV
DaVinci CSV
Flame CSV
Flame XML
EDL
SRT
WebVTT
EBU STL
EFYR.io
TXT
DOCX
SeeDraft AAF

Seamless Deliverables

Targeted Marker Export

XMP
XML
Avid Markers
Avid SubCap
CSV
DaVinci CSV
Flame CSV & XML
RTF
EDL
DOCX
PDF

Open Exchange

.otio

Every imported note lands exactly where it belongs on the source timecode. When exporting, labels follow a clean, unified pattern (Format + Description). No heavy video rendering, no cloud uploads - just pure, local metadata exchange.

What's New

Version 1.3 on the Mac App Store. Requires macOS 13.5 or later.

Performance & Playback

Silky-smooth playback: Fluid multi-track scrubbing and fullscreen playback, including long GOP files, heavy codecs, and long timelines.
Instant sync: Multitrack sessions start in tighter sync from the first frame. The 10-bit Metal shader path keeps the color accurate on every display.

Smarter Interface & Shortcuts

Unified controls: The app menu — File, View, Clip, Track, and Markers — lines up with the pane context menu. The same commands live in both places.
Pro shortcuts: Hold M to open the marker editor. Shift-Q offsets the active track or selection to the playhead.
Clean fullscreen: In fullscreen, the Pane Vn chip at the top left switches to the next slot.

Color & Analytics

Intelligent OCIO: SDR media bypasses an extra convert, so the color pipeline stays clean.
Instant color palettes: Pull 6 to 20 dominant color swatches from any frame for a fast visual reference.

Connected Workflows

Expanded ingest: Import review notes from efyr.io and SeeDraft AAF. Clip markers from OpenTimelineIO and FCP7 XML land on the source timecode.
Autodesk Flame: New export presets for Flame CSV and XML.
DeckLink sync: Play out through Blackmagic Desktop Video when it is installed. Open the DeckLink panel and a desktop delay keeps the Mac picture in phase with the external monitor. Without the driver, playback stays on the Mac display.

Quick Start Guide

Learn how to compare two edit versions in seconds. For the complete documentation, press ⌘? directly inside the app at any time.

Load video files

Import your media natively. Open files or drag-and-drop them directly onto a pane, track, or the Media Pool to instantly populate your timeline segments.

⌘O · drag & drop from Finder
Play in sync

Feel the power of a single playhead driving every track simultaneously. Step through frame-by-frame or shuttle using industry-standard NLE muscle memory.

Space · ←/→ · J / K / L · 1–4 (Switch Panes)
Split and trim

Cut each version into scenes. Easily nudge and refine your edits using side-A, roll, or side-B trims, or adjust gaps for empty spaces.

H (Split) · T (Trim) · I / O (In-Out) · C X Z V B (Edit Tools)
Align the versions

Link matching scenes across different tracks, snap clips to the active playhead, or shift an entire track in one motion.

W (Link) · Q (Align) · ⌥ + Drag Track
Compare the picture

Reveal the differences instantly. Toggle between Difference and Curtain modes to spot visual shifts by eye, check built-in scopes for QC, and zoom in to inspect micro-details.

⌘1–⌘5 (Compare Modes) · ⌥-drag (Zoom) · ⇧-Drag (Pan) · ⌘F (Fullscreen)
Mark and hand off

Turn feedback into metadata. Jot down comments on markers, export them natively in your NLE’s preferred format, or save the entire session as an open OpenTimelineIO project.

M (Create Marker) · ⌥↑ / ⌥↓ (Jump Markers) · Export Menu · Save as .otio

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about VersusSync. Can’t find the answer? Reach us on Telegram @MDVAvid.

Capabilities & Workflow

Who is VersusSync Ex built for?: Editors, QC, and VFX who need to compare versions side by side, keep markers, and stay in sync. VersusSync is a review and validation tool, not a full NLE for finishing a show from scratch.
Is this an automatic pixel-diff or change detector?: No. Difference and Curtain make changes easier to see by eye. You decide what matches and where the markers go.
Can tracks handle mixed frame rates?: Yes. Sync follows time on one shared playhead. Tracks can each have their own frame rate and still stay together.
How do I align two different versions?: Select the matching segments, press W to Link them, then Q to Align them to the playhead. Or Option-drag a whole track. In the app, Help → Three levels of sync.
How does VersusSync help with un-cut long clips or shifted timelines?: A built-in scene detector reads luminance, histograms, and hashes to find shot boundaries in a long clip or an In/Out range, shown on a live sparkline. Apply those points as edits, markers, or segment markers. For shifted timelines, Detect Edit Groups links matching scenes across up to four tracks, even when the cuts have drifted in length. Matches are color-coded green, yellow, and red, and the report exports to PDF.

Media & Project Management

Where do my files live? How does the Media Pool work?: Clips stay on your Mac in the Media Pool. Press F outside fullscreen, or drop a folder there. OP-Atom MXF groups automatically. Timeline segments point at those pool clips.
How do I save, share, and reopen a session?: Save and open a VersusSync project as .otio: the timeline and the Media Pool references. You can also import one external OTIO track onto a track already in the session.
Which marker and timeline formats are supported?: Timelines and markers come in from Adobe XMP, Avid, Flame, DaVinci, SeeDraft AAF, efyr.io, and subtitle files. Export goes back to NLE formats, CSV, or PDF and DOCX reports. The full list is in Bring in / Send out.

Tech Specs & Infrastructure

Do I need a Blackmagic DeckLink or UltraStudio card?: No. Playback on the Mac display is the normal path. The DeckLink panel appears when Blackmagic Desktop Video is installed, with a desktop delay so the Mac picture stays in phase with the external monitor.
Does the app upload my media or require a cloud account?: No. Media and timelines stay on your Mac. There is no account and no upload. See the Privacy Policy.
Can I customize the keyboard shortcuts?: Yes. Settings (⌘,) → Keyboard. Help (⌘?) lists the bindings that are active now.

Support

Something broke, or I need help. How do I reach you?: Help inside the app is ⌘?. For a bug or a question, Telegram @MDVAvid.

Get Support Instantly

Need assistance, want to report a bug, or have a feature request? We’ve got you covered.

In-app help

Comprehensive Documentation

The user manual and the workflow guide are built into the app. No internet connection required.

Press ⌘? anywhere in the application to open Help.

Direct line

Human-to-Human Support

Skip the ticket queue. Write the people who build VersusSync for troubleshooting and workflow advice.

Message us on Telegram: @MDVAvid

Your media stays local

VersusSync Ex does not collect or store customer information and personal data. Media you open stays on your Mac.

If you installed from the Apple App Store, Apple may collect some data under Apple App Store privacy policy.

Full Privacy Policy · questions: Telegram @MDVAvid.