BURN YOUR CD FOR FREE – VIDEO CONVERTER SOFTWARE RUNNERS-UP

This is a review of video converter software.

This program better resembles iTunes in form and function as a digital media library and player. But it’s even better than iTunes in some ways because of its ability to convert videos, music, audiobooks, and DVD movies. If you’re looking for an alternative to iTunes, this is the program you re looking for.

Xilisoft Video Converter This program has long-held a spot in our video converter software reviews. It’s easy enough to use and offers many of the customization and optimization tools found in the best programs. You can convert videos into all the popular formats, and even some of the more obscure ones. It has a decent library of optimization profiles, but when compared to the selection found in the best converters, your optimization choices are limited. Xilisoft has about 75 conversion profiles whereas the best have 150 or more.

However, time has passed this application by. It lacks many of the features found in the best converters. The ability to download videos online, burn converted videos onto a DVD and transfer conversions directly to a mobile device via Wi-Fi would all be additions that would make this software eminently more useful.

Another reason it lost its place in our top 10 is due to its relatively long conversion time. In our tests, it took this program almost two hours to convert an hour-long video and you don’t get extra quality for that wait time.

Our video and audio experts examined a converted test video and found significant quality loss in the picture. Pixelation, compression artifact and other defects were present and distracted from the viewing experience, especially if you were to watch it on a high-definition monitor or television. You do have tools that can increase the conversion quality but expect an even longer wait time.

ImTOO Video Converter This video format converter is nearly identical to Xilisoft. We suspect these two programs were coded by the same third-party company and sold as a branded program to several companies, and it suffers from almost all the same problems as Xilisoft.

Another big problem with both of these applications is that some of its extra features have ceased to function properly. In times gone by, you could transfer converted videos directly from the application into iTunes or onto a smartphone or tablet. However, this ability requires a connection to iTunes, and these older programs cannot recognize the newest version of that software; so that ability, while still preset, is nonfunctional.

Roxio Easy Copy & Convert This is another program recently featured on our side-by-side comparison chart that didn’t make the final cut. The primary reason we eliminated it from our review of the best converters is that it doesn t convert video into the most commonly used formats.

Of the six core formats we look for in the best video converter software (AVI, FLV, MOV, MKV, MP4 and WMV), only two MP4 and WMV were present. This severely restricts the usefulness of this program. The other output formats that are available, such as MPEG2, AVC, 3GP, are of limited value unless you happen to be an advanced user who needs an obscure format. And even then, selection is extremely limited.

Prism Video Converter If all you’re looking for is a basic program that simply switches out file formats, this is the video converter you want. Not only does the program have a very easy interface, but it’s also free to use with no restrictions.

Other products on our lineup have free versions, but they’re crippled unless you buy the full version. This is not the case with Prism. The free version is fully functional, though there’s an option to upgrade. But it’s not necessary to buy the upgrade to convert whatever video you wish.

This program dropped out of the top 10 because it’s missing some of the key features we look for in the best video converters. Abilities such as burning converted videos to DVD and support for the new 4K-resolution standard and more aren’t included with this software. But these omissions shouldn t bother you if all you want to do is convert video files.

Summary

In the world of video converter software, there are many options to choose from both free and paid. You can find the best products on our side-by-side comparison chart. These are the best of the rest. And even if they don’t do everything perfectly, you may want to check out their free trials to see if they work for you.