diff --git a/VideoNodes/FfmpegBuilderNodes/Video/FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars.cs b/VideoNodes/FfmpegBuilderNodes/Video/FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars.cs
index ea48ae3f..4e8d9a7f 100644
--- a/VideoNodes/FfmpegBuilderNodes/Video/FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars.cs
+++ b/VideoNodes/FfmpegBuilderNodes/Video/FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars.cs
@@ -48,10 +48,29 @@ public class FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars : FfmpegBuilderNode
             args.Logger?.ELog("Failed to find video height");
             return string.Empty;
         }
-        return Execute(ffmpeg, args.WorkingFile, args, vidWidth, vidHeight, threshold);
+        return Execute(ffmpeg, args.WorkingFile, args, vidWidth, vidHeight, threshold, (int)videoInfo.VideoStreams[0].Duration.TotalSeconds);
     }
 
-    string Execute(string ffplay, string file, NodeParameters args, int vidWidth, int vidHeight, int threshold)
+    private int[] GetTimeIntervals(int seconds)
+    {
+        if (seconds < 2)
+            return new int[] { };
+        if (seconds < 10)
+            return new int[] { 1 };
+        if (seconds > 360)
+            return new int[] { 60, 120, 240, 360 };
+
+        int increment = seconds / 5;
+        return new int[]
+        {
+            increment,
+            increment + increment,
+            increment + increment + increment,
+            increment + increment + increment + increment,
+        };            
+    }
+
+    string Execute(string ffplay, string file, NodeParameters args, int vidWidth, int vidHeight, int threshold, int seconds)
     {
         try
         {
@@ -59,7 +78,10 @@ public class FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars : FfmpegBuilderNode
             int y = int.MaxValue;
             int width = 0;
             int height = 0;
-            foreach (int ss in new int[] { 60, 120, 240, 360 })  // check at multiple times
+            var intervals = GetTimeIntervals(seconds);
+            if (intervals.Length == 0)
+                return string.Empty;
+            foreach (int ss in intervals)  // check at multiple times
             {
                 using (var process = new Process())
                 {
@@ -99,12 +121,12 @@ public class FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars : FfmpegBuilderNode
             if (width == 0 || height == 0)
             {
                 args.Logger?.WLog("Width/Height not detected: " + width + "x" + height);
-                return String.Empty;
+                return string.Empty;
             }
             if (x == 0 && y == 0)
             {
                 // nothing to do
-                return String.Empty;
+                return string.Empty;
             }
 
             if (x == int.MaxValue)
diff --git a/VideoNodes/Tests/FfmpegBuilderTests/FfmpegBuilder_BasicTests.cs b/VideoNodes/Tests/FfmpegBuilderTests/FfmpegBuilder_BasicTests.cs
index 8f7e0181..62db7b81 100644
--- a/VideoNodes/Tests/FfmpegBuilderTests/FfmpegBuilder_BasicTests.cs
+++ b/VideoNodes/Tests/FfmpegBuilderTests/FfmpegBuilder_BasicTests.cs
@@ -1219,6 +1219,98 @@ public class FfmpegBuilder_BasicTests
         string log = logger.ToString();
         Assert.AreEqual(1, result);
     }
+
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void FfmpegBuilder_BlackBars_Short()
+    {
+        const string file = @"D:\videos\testfiles\tag.mp4";
+        var logger = new TestLogger();
+        const string ffmpeg = @"C:\utils\ffmpeg\ffmpeg.exe";
+        var vi = new VideoInfoHelper(ffmpeg, logger);
+        var vii = vi.Read(file);
+        var args = new NodeParameters(file, logger, false, string.Empty);
+        args.GetToolPathActual = (string tool) => ffmpeg;
+        args.TempPath = @"D:\videos\temp";
+        args.Parameters.Add("VideoInfo", vii);
+
+
+        FfmpegBuilderStart ffStart = new();
+        ffStart.PreExecute(args);
+        Assert.AreEqual(1, ffStart.Execute(args));
+
+        FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars ffCropBlackBars = new();
+        ffCropBlackBars.CroppingThreshold = 10;
+        ffCropBlackBars.PreExecute(args);
+        ffCropBlackBars.Execute(args);
+
+        string log = logger.ToString();
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 2 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 4 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 6 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 8 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+    }
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void FfmpegBuilder_BlackBars_30sec()
+    {
+        const string file = @"D:\videos\testfiles\50-mbps-hd-h264.mkv";
+        var logger = new TestLogger();
+        const string ffmpeg = @"C:\utils\ffmpeg\ffmpeg.exe";
+        var vi = new VideoInfoHelper(ffmpeg, logger);
+        var vii = vi.Read(file);
+        var args = new NodeParameters(file, logger, false, string.Empty);
+        args.GetToolPathActual = (string tool) => ffmpeg;
+        args.TempPath = @"D:\videos\temp";
+        args.Parameters.Add("VideoInfo", vii);
+
+
+        FfmpegBuilderStart ffStart = new();
+        ffStart.PreExecute(args);
+        Assert.AreEqual(1, ffStart.Execute(args));
+
+        FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars ffCropBlackBars = new();
+        ffCropBlackBars.CroppingThreshold = 10;
+        ffCropBlackBars.PreExecute(args);
+        ffCropBlackBars.Execute(args);
+
+        string log = logger.ToString();
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 6 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 12 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 18 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 24 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+    }
+
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void FfmpegBuilder_BlackBars_LongVideo()
+    {
+        const string file = @"D:\videos\testfiles\sitcom.mkv";
+        var logger = new TestLogger();
+        const string ffmpeg = @"C:\utils\ffmpeg\ffmpeg.exe";
+        var vi = new VideoInfoHelper(ffmpeg, logger);
+        var vii = vi.Read(file);
+        var args = new NodeParameters(file, logger, false, string.Empty);
+        args.GetToolPathActual = (string tool) => ffmpeg;
+        args.TempPath = @"D:\videos\temp";
+        args.Parameters.Add("VideoInfo", vii);
+
+
+        FfmpegBuilderStart ffStart = new();
+        ffStart.PreExecute(args);
+        Assert.AreEqual(1, ffStart.Execute(args));
+
+        FfmpegBuilderCropBlackBars ffCropBlackBars = new();
+        ffCropBlackBars.CroppingThreshold = 10;
+        ffCropBlackBars.PreExecute(args);
+        ffCropBlackBars.Execute(args);
+
+        string log = logger.ToString();
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 60 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 120 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 240 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+        Assert.IsTrue(log.Contains($"-ss 360 -i \"{file}\" -hide_banner -vframes 25 -vf cropdetect -f null -"));
+    }
 }
 
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file