The Best Video Conversion Software and (most importantly) Why?

[DVDR_Dog]

Just wondering what is making the rounds these days and what's your personal experience.
I go way, way back doing this but I really haven't kept up.
I understand that there is a whole bunch of things to keep in mind.
Some "hi-speed" convertors either drop frames or wind up confusing the heck out of the codec when the finished pixelated product is played.
So I am willing to devote some time and system resource to do a good job, because in the end that's all that should count.
So all you videophile members how about sharing your information?

 

[ThumperTM]

Just wondering what is making the rounds these days and what's your personal experience.
I go way, way back doing this but I really haven't kept up.
I understand that there is a whole bunch of things to keep in mind.
Some "hi-speed" converters either drop frames or wind up confusing the heck out of the codec when the finished pixelated product is played.
So I am willing to devote some time and system resource to do a good job, because in the end that's all that should count.
So all you videophile members how about sharing your information?

I havent use videon converter last years, when i used long time ago, i used Total Video Converter.

 

[dfm0]

I use the free open source Avidemux which is also in the free PortableApps platform at PortableApps.com

 

[starhawk69]

Handbrake is what I usually use. You can find out more about it here. https://handbrake.fr/

 

[Talaba]

I use this. I love it because it can convert video with same quality and less "fat." Video let say 1GB after conversion you get same quality and 800MB. That function is the most important for me.

 

[cyrillino14]

I use Wondershare Uniconverter. You can convert into a variety of outputs.

 

[DVDR_Dog]

I use Wondershare Uniconverter. You can convert into a variety of outputs.

This is my fall back program. It does a pretty good job, just wondering what else might be out there.

 

[DVDR_Dog]

I use this. I love it because it can convert video with same quality and less "fat." Video let say 1GB after conversion you get same quality and 800MB. That function is the most important for me.
View attachment 5652

Hey what the heck, I'll give it a try. Nice clean interface I see.

 

[Talaba]

I have tried many video converters over the years but this WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe is the best for me. As I said, it reduces the size of the video, sometimes by half, while maintaining the same quality. Dudes upload those tutorials that are terribly fat for a few gigabytes. When I convert them, I get a third of the thickness they were with the same video quality. And I was lucky to get serial - free giveaway.

 

[philalethes]

I go through this periodically too, finding my stable of older vid converters now out of date or making errors.
Lately was on a binge to convert h264 to h265. Too many converters do not have h265 option.
I found Bigasoft total Video Converter to have good interface and do the job.

 

[DVDR_Dog]

I go through this periodically too, finding my stable of older vid converters now out of date or making errors.
Lately was on a binge to convert h264 to h265. Too many converters do not have h265 option.
I found Bigasoft total Video Converter to have good interface and do the job.

There's a new one to me. I'll have to give it a look. Thanks!

 

[Hewey Dewey]

I like to know what I'm doing, so I like to do conversions the "hard way" using FFmpeg. It can convert just about anything to just about anything else. I take needlessly bloated video files and convert them to, generally, much, much smaller x265/H265 format MKV container files. After climbing to the top of a steep learning curve I've optimized the parameters and procedure into a Windows CMD file. Use of it has been very reliable in all cases and is completely automatic. It is configured to produce maximum compression. It can even greatly compress "bloated" x265 formatted files from, say, a bluray rip of many gigabytes in size to less than 2 GB with very little loss of quality.

Along the same line, many DVD rips keep the original, hugely swasteful DTS audio format. A FFmped-based script can convert any video file's audio (of any type, not just DTS) to a modern AC3 audio wich is highly compressed with excellent results. It also keeps all the original auidio channels (2, 5, 7, whatever).

The scripts are attached. Wherever you store them, create shortcuts to them so you can simply drag-n-drop source video files to be converted onto the icons (lnk shortcut files).

 

[philalethes]

Am I missing something?
Where are the scripts? With Louie?

 

[DVDR_Dog]

I like to know what I'm doing, so I like to do conversions the "hard way" using FFmpeg. It can convert just about anything to just about anything else. I take needlessly bloated video files and convert them to, generally, much, much smaller x265/H265 format MKV container files. After climbing to the top of a steep learning curve I've optimized the parameters and procedure into a Windows CMD file. Use of it has been very reliable in all cases and is completely automatic. It is configured to produce maximum compression. It can even greatly compress "bloated" x265 formatted files from, say, a bluray rip of many gigabytes in size to less than 2 GB with very little loss of quality.

Along the same line, many DVD rips keep the original, hugely swasteful DTS audio format. A FFmped-based script can convert any video file's audio (of any type, not just DTS) to a modern AC3 audio wich is highly compressed with excellent results. It also keeps all the original auidio channels (2, 5, 7, whatever).

The scripts are attached. Wherever you store them, create shortcuts to them so you can simply drag-n-drop source video files to be converted onto the icons (lnk shortcut files).

That is a heck of a learning curve figuring out the parameters and how the algorithm works with motion prediction. Once you figure out compression is more than just dropping every so many frames you can take some real pride in the work you’ve done, but ain’t it a bitch. I started doing that work when P3s were the best that was available. Good for you. That kind of work and reverse engineering were my gateway into learning computers.