If looking for a no-nonsense video transcoder with support for some of the most common video formats, audio extraction capabilities, and customizable output settings, Wise Video Converter is a free option worth considering. Its lack of extra features and complicated settings makes it an excellent choice for inexperienced users and for those who simply require a fast and straightforward conversion tool.
Do not expect to find any more features than those necessary to build your conversion list, select the output format, and launch the conversion process. No video player to double-check your selection, no editing tools, no downloading capabilities, and no list of device-based output profiles – Wise Video Converter simply converts your video files between formats. The list of supported codecs on the input side is extensive enough to cover all the most common formats and devices. Actually, the program’s splash window will let you choose the device you’ll be using to watch the converted videos – Cellphone Device, Pad Device, and PC Device – in order to adjust the output to their specific requirements. You can always tweak the default settings according to your preferences, though.
Once you’ve made your pick, you can proceed to populate the conversion list with as many files as you wish. You’ll be presented with a thumbnail size of the first frame and with useful information about the video filename, size, duration, and original codec. The length of the list of supported source formats – which includes 3GP, AVI, FLV, MKV, MOV, MPEG, VOB, WebM, and TS, among others – contrasts with the much shorter list of the eight output formats that the program supports, namely MP4, AVI, FLV, WMV, RMVB, MKV, WebM, and MPEG. Besides, you’ll find MP3 at the end of the list as the only output audio format you can extract your audio streams to.
Maybe to compensate this shortage of output formats, this free app comes with a feature that I find most useful and that’s still a rare addition even to the most sophisticated and expensive video conversion tools – multiple-output batch conversion. While the norm is to convert all the video files on the list to the latest format selected, Wise Video Converter will let you convert each file into the format of your choice in one single transcoding process. Actually, every time you select an output codec for one of the items on the list, you’ll be asked if you wish to apply your selection to all the other items as well – just answer “no” if you want to make use of this multi-output feature. All converted titles will be listed in the program’s “Completed” tab together with their storage path.
There is no more to it than this. It is a pity that a conversion tool with such level of flexibility on the output side shows such a complete lack of extra features everywhere else. Actually, it is so simple that you can carry it with you everywhere using its portable version. However, if you want to add some more functionality to it, you can always upgrade to the Pro edition, which will allow you to convert files longer than 30 minutes and to perform various edits to your videos before converting them.
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