Working with video files has never been easy. All actions with pictures are available to almost any user without training. It’s enough to write what you need to do with a picture and a free online tool will do it in seconds, and with the advent of AI tools it became even easier. Video files are a different story. The same actions as with pictures are almost impossible in the form of online tools, and they also take much longer.
In addition to the complexity of the process itself, it is also difficult to find the right tools that will not cause problems. Somewhere the video won’t open, somewhere it is slow, somewhere it weighs too much. You need a software that, after clicking on the “do it” button, will apply all the settings you need and the result will be perfect.
The search often goes too far, and it’s no wonder that so many users give up and stop searching. We hope that our article will catch you before you give up. We took on this unpleasant task, went through a lot of tools and chose five video converters, downloading which you will be able to do what you wanted and not be disappointed in the result. The main thing is to clearly understand your task and choose the right tool for it, but we’ll talk about it further.
HandBrake – when free doesn’t mean bad
As it is clear from the title, this program is free, which means that this alone will make most of the users stop at it. However, the other part will immediately think that free is bad and will not even try to consider this software.
Review
The program is valued by users who like to control the process from start to finish, rather than pressing one button to get the result. The program is also open source, which is also appreciated by a large cluster of users. The interface may seem a bit behind the modern trends. It does not boast bright and intuitive buttons, but there is a surplus of inscriptions with terms that a beginner will obviously have to google. However, the tool is reliable and performs its tasks properly, so it may be worth spending some time and getting familiar with it.
Features
Support for most popular formats, including MP4, MKV, WebM, H.264 and H.265. You can choose subtitles, change audio tracks and save your own presets. Everything can be customized exactly the way you want it. A nice bonus is the absence of ads.
Adobe Media Encoder – the choice of professionals
Here we should start with a disclaimer – this software is for those who are patient and ready to spend their time and nerves just to understand what to do here. The program is most often used by professionals in the video industry – designers, cameramen, editors, and so on. Like any Adobe product, it is built into the ecosystem and synergizes perfectly with such products as Premiere Pro and After Effects.
Review
The program works stably and without hangs. You will not see the program hang at the end of rendering after long hours of waiting. Projects of any severity will be processed, and the result will match your settings. However, confident and fast work implies that you have a modern and fast hardware – it is worth considering. To the main disadvantage of the program can certainly be attributed to a high threshold of entry and a heavy foundation for beginners. The presence of such a huge number of functions and settings simply does not leave the program a chance to be intuitive.
Features
Like any Adobe product, the program is not free, but any user can download Adobe Media Encoder free. The program has the ability not only to create tasks, but also to queue them for even results. There are dozens of ready-made presets, customized for specific platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Reels), but you can also manually customize everything imaginable.
Wondershare UniConverter – for everything at once
This is one case where a newbie will definitely catch the eye and decide to settle for this option. Here is something you won’t find in the competitors – the interface seems friendly. Instead of a bunch of incomprehensible buttons and settings, you will be greeted by a convenient interface window with large and as if even understandable buttons. Everything seems logical and ready to use.
Review
The program is distributed on a paid basis, but downloading Wondershare UniConverter crack is just as easy. The limitations of the free version don’t come into effect immediately, but you will quickly get stuck with a limited number of conversions, watermarks on videos and other unpleasant things. UniConverter is a golden mean between user-friendly interface and wide functionality, which makes it an excellent choice for both beginners and advanced users who don’t really want to spend time on mastering the whole program for the sake of a single action.
Features
The arsenal of possibilities is wide, and it is a pleasure. The publisher claims support for more than 1000 formats, including rare and long-forgotten ones. Hardware acceleration makes the conversion process faster, and the built-in trimming, compression, subtitling and merging functions as well as GIF creation are intuitive and easy to use. The video compression feature is worth paying special attention to, as you can easily reduce the file size significantly without seeing any degradation in quality.
FFmpeg – for the most adventurous
Pure power, completely devoid of a user-friendly graphical interface. As an analogy, we can say that this is a kind of Linux in the field of video conversion. The software came straight from hacker movies, and for any beginner, watching it will seem something incredible. There are no buttons, switches or anything else – all tasks are given as commands in the command line.
Review
The program is distributed free of charge, which can also be attributed to its undeniable advantages. Due to the absence of an interface and the developers’ focus on functionality, the program does not take up much space in the system and is unpretentious. For a beginner, it may seem intimidating, and it is, but professionals of their business will find here a treasure trove of useful functions for their activities.
Features
The charm of the program is the absolute control over the process. You can convert, cut pieces, swap them, apply filters, change frame rate and much more – but all this without a convenient graphical interface. A logical question arises – who are these people who need to complicate their lives so much? It’s simple – the value is in the flexibility and possibilities. The tool is used even in the work of YouTube, so if you learn to work with it directly, you can do things that are impossible to do when using competitors.
Movavi Video Converter – when you want simple and convenient
Against the background of the previous software – this one seems to be the friendliest guy in the world. It has an interface, it has buttons, it works by dragging and dropping videos and then selecting the changes to be applied to them – what else do you need? This is one of the secrets why Movavi is so popular.
Review
The program is distributed on a paid basis, but it cannot be called frighteningly expensive. There is a trial version, which promises to show all the features of the program for understanding, but the limitations are still present. The program is for those who do not need details and full control of the process, but need a simple and quick result.
Features
Support for a large number of formats, fast operation thanks to hardware acceleration, batch processing and the ability to simply edit video (trim, rotate, overlay text) make the software easy to use and understand. Simplicity and clarity will always be in favor in any field. If you don’t know anything about such words as codec and bitrate, you don’t need it. You will be able to do what you need. And if you not only know about them. But you also want to customize them – there will be no problems either.
The most important thing is, who will fit what?
We don’t see the point of complicating and writing cumbersome texts. Let’s squeeze out all the meanings and juices. If you need to convert video and do it quickly and without fuss – Movavi Video Converter is your choice. If you appreciate the beautiful interface, convenience and functionality of a Swiss knife – Wondershare UniConverter is for you. You are not afraid to learn new things and like to control the process from start to finish – HandBrake will not disappoint you. You are not a beginner and want to develop your professional skills – Adobe Media Encoder can do everything you could ever want. You like to deal with technical tasks and are not afraid of difficulties – master FFmpeg and you will be unrivaled.
Outcome
There is no perfect solution. But there is a suitable one. Each of the competitors is good in its own way and everything always depends on the complexity of the tasks you face and of course your tastes and preferences. The programs reviewed here cover all your needs – from simple video conversion to full-fledged and complex work with video files on a professional level. All you have to do is choose one, and we will be glad that we could help you.
Read More: tim lincecum now
