Installation and setup

How to install the Video CutterV2 on a Windows PC and get it ready for an event.

Requirements

Before the CutterV2 can operate correctly:

• The PC must run 64-bit Windows. The installer adds the .NET 10 runtime if it is missing, so you do not have to install anything beforehand.
• The PC needs an internet connection during installation, because the installer downloads FFmpeg from the FairReplay Cloud while it runs. After installation the CutterV2 needs the internet only for licence checks, not for cutting.
• You must be able to install software on the PC — the installer needs administrator rights. On a company-managed laptop you may need someone from IT to run it.
• You need a licence key to register the CutterV2. An unregistered copy refuses to start cutting at all — see Registration and licensing.
• The PC must be on the same local network as the JudoNet PC and the FR Recorder PC(s), and must be able to reach them directly. See Network requirements.
• JudoNet and FR Recorder must be up to date. The CutterV2 is developed alongside them and relies on data they provide; an out-of-date JudoNet in particular causes problems that are hard to spot. See Keep the other programs up to date.
• You need somewhere to write the clips. A fast local disk with plenty of free space is strongly preferred — see Choosing an output disk.

Installation

What you are downloading

A single file named FairReplayCutterV2Setup_<version>.exe — for example FairReplayCutterV2Setup_2026.06.30.115-f09df41.exe. The part after Setup_ is the version, and it is the same version the CutterV2 later shows in its title bar. The short string at the end identifies the exact build.

The file is large (several hundred megabytes) because it carries the .NET 10 runtime inside it, so the CutterV2 can be installed on a fresh PC without hunting for extra downloads.

Before you start

• Close the CutterV2 if it is already running. The installer replaces files that the running program has open. Note that only one copy of the CutterV2 can run at a time; if you start a second one it simply tells you "An instance of the application is already running." and closes.
• Stop any cutting in progress. The CutterV2 refuses to close while it is cutting, so press Stop cutting first.
• Have the administrator password ready, or ask someone who has it.
• Make sure the PC is online, because FFmpeg is downloaded during installation.

Step by step

1. Run the file. Double-click the downloaded FairReplayCutterV2Setup_...exe.

2. Allow it to make changes. Windows darkens the screen and shows a User Account Control prompt — a small dialog asking "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?", with the publisher shown as Datastat d.o.o. Click Yes.

This prompt is expected and is not a warning that something is wrong. The installer puts files in C:\FairReplay\CutterV2, adds Windows Firewall rules and creates a shortcut for every user of the PC, and Windows always asks for confirmation before letting a program touch areas shared by all users. If you click No, nothing is installed and the installer simply closes. If the prompt asks for a user name and password instead of a simple Yes, the account you are signed in with is not an administrator — someone with an administrator account has to run the installer.

3. Wait for the splash screen. A picture reading SETUP IS LOADING… appears for a moment. While it is on screen the installer is checking what is already on the PC and, if needed, installing the .NET 10 runtime.

4. The installer checks for an existing CutterV2. One of three things happens:

5. .NET runtime installation. If the PC does not already have the .NET 10 runtimes, two small Microsoft installers run one after the other, each showing its own progress window. This can take a couple of minutes on a slow PC. Let them finish; do not cancel them.

6. Read the FFmpeg notice. The wizard shows an Information page explaining that the CutterV2 uses FFmpeg 7.1, which is licensed under the LGPL v2.1 and is not owned by Datastat d.o.o. FFmpeg is downloaded during installation and copied into the installation folder, along with a copy of its licence. Click Next.

7. Confirm. The wizard shows a summary page. Click Install.

There is no page asking where to install. The CutterV2 always installs into C:\FairReplay\CutterV2 (more precisely, the FairReplay\CutterV2 folder on the drive Windows itself is installed on). This is deliberate: every FairReplay program lives under the same C:\FairReplay folder so that support staff always know where to look for logs and settings.

8. FFmpeg is downloaded. A progress window appears while ffmpeg.exe and its licence file are fetched from the FairReplay Cloud.

9. Files are copied and firewall rules are added. The status line briefly mentions Configuring Firewall rule… several times. See What the installer changes for what those rules are and why they are needed.

10. Finish. The last page offers a Run Video CutterV2 tick box, ticked by default. Leave it ticked and click Finish to start the program straight away, or untick it if you want to start it later.

A CutterV2 icon now sits on the desktop, and the program also appears in the Start Menu under FairReplay.

Starting the CutterV2

Double-click the CutterV2 icon on the desktop. You can also press the Windows key and type CutterV2.

The first time it starts, Windows may show a Windows Defender Firewall dialog asking whether to allow the program to communicate on the network. Tick both Private networks and Public networks and click Allow access.

While the program loads, a small splash window appears. On a first start this can take a few seconds while Windows checks the code signature of every file.

What the installer changes on your PC

Useful to know if you have to explain the installation to an IT department.

Your settings are not stored in the program folder. They live in %APPDATA%\VideoCutter\videocutter.conf.json, which is inside your Windows user profile. That is why they survive upgrades — and also why two different Windows users on the same PC each have their own CutterV2 settings.

Keep the other programs up to date

The CutterV2 does not work alone, and it is developed together with the other FairReplay programs at the venue. Always run the latest version of JudoNet and FR Recorder alongside the latest CutterV2.

An out-of-date JudoNet is the one that causes real trouble, because it fails quietly rather than with an error message. Typical symptoms are the competition identifier not filling in when you select the server, and empty competitor names and categories on the Contests tab.

When you update the CutterV2, treat it as an opportunity to check that the JudoNet and FR Recorder machines are current as well. Updating everything together, before an event rather than during one, avoids a whole category of problems that are otherwise very difficult to diagnose.

Network requirements

The CutterV2 talks to two other machines. If either conversation is blocked, it cannot work.

All of these are defaults and can be changed in the Settings tab, but there is almost never a reason to.

The FR Recorder shared folder

The CutterV2 does not download recordings; it reads them directly over the network from a shared folder on the FR Recorder PC. When cutting starts, it quietly signs in to each recorder using a built-in account. You do not have to configure anything for this, but it does mean the recorders must be reachable by Windows file sharing, not just by HTTP. The credentials are listed in Troubleshooting for when you need to test the connection yourself.

Choosing an output disk

The output directory is where every clip lands, and it is worth a moment's thought.

• Prefer a local disk over a network drive. Every clip is written there, often three at a time.
• An SSD makes a noticeable difference, because several processors write large files simultaneously.
• Leave plenty of free space. The CutterV2 needs at least 5 % of the drive free. It refuses to start cutting below that, and stops immediately if free space falls below 5 % while it is running. A full disk produces broken files, so this guard is not negotiable.
• Use a separate folder for every competition, for example D:\exports\mac2026\. The CutterV2 uses the contents of the folder to remember what it has already cut, so mixing events together makes the statistics meaningless. See the companion file.
• If the Video Ingester is on the same PC, this folder should be one of the Ingester's watch folders.

The default is c:\exports\, and the folder is created automatically if it does not exist.

Upgrading

Installing a newer version over an older one is safe and is the normal way to upgrade:

• Your settings are kept — they are stored outside the program folder.
• Your registration is kept — the licence file stays in the installation folder.
• Your clips are untouched — they are in your own output folder.

Just close the CutterV2 first (stopping any cutting in progress), then run the new installer exactly as described in Step by step.

Uninstalling

Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find FairReplay CutterV2, and choose Uninstall. This removes the program folder and the four firewall rules.

It does not remove your settings file (%APPDATA%\VideoCutter\videocutter.conf.json) or any clips you have produced. Delete those by hand if you want a completely clean machine.

First-run checklist

Once installed, work through this before the competition starts:

1. Register the program. An unregistered CutterV2 will not cut. See Registration and licensing.
2. Pick the JudoNet server with the magnifying glass next to JudoNet IP. The External ID fills in by itself.
3. Pick the FR Recorders with the magnifying glass next to FR Recorder IPs.
4. Choose the output directory.
5. Leave Cutting Start Mode on Automatic. It is the default and it is the right answer — see why.
6. Press Test cutting. This proves the recorders are reachable and that cutting actually works, before it matters.
7. Delete the test clips it produced.

All seven steps are described in detail in Using the Video CutterV2.