VIDCONVERT: A REVIEW

From the name, you might quickly conclude that VidConvert is probably one of those basic video converters, you need to take a second look. VidConvert is arguably one of the best video converters for your Mac. It converts your videos to formats compatible with your Apple TV, iTunes, Android phones, HDTV and so much more.

This handy tool from Reggie Ashworth takes care of your video conversion through the use of simple presets; you can also take control and fine-tune the results to meet your needs. With VidConvert, converting from one format to another It couldn't be easier.

Pros

·        Easy to use.

·        Supports dozens of the most popular video formats.

·        Includes audio conversion options as well.

·        Preset selections available from a simple drop-down menu.

·        Advanced options give you complete control.

Cons

·        Must manually install FFmpeg open source libraries.

·        Preset names don't always describe how the conversion will affect the resulting video.

Installing VidConvert

VidConvert uses FFmpeg as its video conversion engine. But due to the licensing structure for FFmpeg, the video engine can’t be built into VidConvert; it has to be a stand-alone app that requires end users to grab it from the Internet and install it on their Macs.

VidConvert makes the FFmpeg install process as simple as possible, with easy-to-follow instructions. It also offers to open the FFmpeg site, to ensure that you're downloading the correct app to your Mac.

Once the download is complete, you just need to tell VidConvert where the FFmpeg app is located. You can do this by dragging the FFmpeg app to the VidConvert window, or by using the Add Conversion Engine menu item to perform the task of associating the FFmpeg app with VidConvert.

Getting Started With VidConvert

VidConvert opens to the main window into which you can drag video files. You can also just press the Add button, then navigate to your videos and add them to VidConvert. Once added, you can use the drop-down preset menu to select from 24 different video conversion options, as well as 7 audio conversion options.  

Supported conversion output types include: iPhone, iPad, iPod, Retina,

 Apple TV, QuickTime, .mp4, .avi, DivX, Xvid, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DVD (.vob), Windows Media, Flash, Matroska (.mkv), Theora (.ogg), WebM, .m4a, .mp3, .aiff, .wav, .wma, .ac3, ALAC, plus variations on each.

Once you've selected a preset conversion to use, you can select a normal or high-quality level. If you need more refinement and control, the Advanced options provide hands-on access to most high-quality conversion options.

With the setting made, you can preview your conversion, or jump right in and start the conversion process. Depending on how you set the options, the finished video conversion can even be added directly to your iTunes library.

If you want full control over the conversion, the Advanced options let you set conversion settings, such as bit rate, number of passes, join multiple videos into one, author a DVD, crop the video, even trim the start and end.

Review

There are quite a few video conversion apps available for the Mac, and like VidConvert, most make use of an open-source project called FFmpeg that performs the actual heavy lifting in converting from one video format to another.

 VidConvert deserves a look because of how easy it is to use, the details put into the app, and the sheer number of supported formats available.

The entire process, from end-to-end, is logical and easy to understand. Best of all, when you need to take matters into your own hands and tweak the FFmpeg settings, you can do so from within VidConvert, and never have to know that you're actually running an executable UNIX command-line app.

If you have some video and audio files you will like to convert, install VidConvert and get started.

A demo of VidConvert is available.