Best Video Converter Software Apps 2021 for Windows 10.
Streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix make video easy, but once you have to start working with the medium yourself, things are very different. There are many different video codecs and a bunch of settings that you can tweak in each one. So when you need to convert a video from one format to another, it can feel like drawing in jargon.
This is where a good video converting software package comes in handy. We’ve rounded up some of the best examples of both paid and free options to make your next video conversion job as easy as pie.
What We Want From Video Converter Software for Windows
When evaluating video conversion software, we look at a few things:
- The range of codecs and conversion options offered.
- How easy it is to use the software for all levels of users.
- How fast the software is and how well it uses your hardware.
These are the most important aspects of any video converter, but we’ll also deduct points for a few things:
- Extremely intrusive ads.
- Ugly user interfaces.
- Unstable or incorrect operation.
Those are six pretty simple criteria, so let’s get down to meat and potatoes with some juicy, little reviews.
Aicoosoft Video Converter
We agree that the poor quality of the English text on the Aicoosoft site will make anyone think. However, many excellent utility developers are from outside the English regions. So it can be a little forgiven when it comes to a strange language error.
There is no free version of this video converter, but you can try it for free before you pay anything. You can pay for an annual license or, for a slightly higher price, buy a perpetual license.
One interesting feature of Aicoosoft Converter is the ability to record the screen. However, we’re not sure who really needs this feature. For Windows PCs, there are open source options such as Open Broadcast Software. If you have a GPU from Nvidia or AMD, you also have their screen capture software.
If you’re using macOS, you can take advantage of the wonderful built-in screen recorder, which is just one keystroke away. However, this is not the main value of this software. Aicoosoft promises lossless video conversion and fast conversion using both GPU acceleration and multi-core.
Does it deliver? With GPU acceleration enabled, it converted our 3-minute 4K test clip to 720p in 45 seconds. This is more than three times faster than in real-time! Having checked the result visually, we found no problems. So it goes well and works as advertised.
Rating 5/5
ANVsoft Any Video Converter Free
The free version of Any Video Converter is probably more software than most people will ever need. The paid Pro version offers advanced mobile support and the ability to create DVD menus. However, most users don’t really need the additional features of the paid version. In fact, you quickly forget that you are using the free version with limited features.
Any video converter has a great interface, tons of ready-made templates, excellent batch conversion and it only takes a couple of minutes to figure it out. The only real negative we can say about this great free package is that there are too many presets to scroll through. It might be time to move some legacy presets to a separate menu to make it easier to find more suitable ones.
Compressing our 4K clip to 720p worked great and was actually slightly faster than Aicoosoft’s solution. The output quality was slightly worse and the file was slightly larger compared to this, but at the zero price point, this is a fantastic deal.
4/5 rating
Handbrake
The handbrake is the secret weapon for video transformation that geeks are muted about. The reason Handbrake achieved near-cult status was for its ability to rip DVDs while destroying copy protection without any glitches.
Ripping discs isn’t something most people need to do these days, but Handbrake is a great all-in-one video conversion package. The software has earned a reputation as being too technical for the average user. To be honest, this is not an entirely unfair assessment. However, if you spend a few minutes watching some YouTube tutorial videos, you will have access to one of the most powerful video conversion systems out there.
That being said, when actually doing a simple operation like converting our 4K test clip to 720p, it wasn’t this difficult to understand. We just used the “fast” 720p preset for general use. The output quality was excellent, but it took much longer than other converters to complete the job, at roughly the speed of the live video.
3/5 rating
DivX Converter
Unlike other conversion software packages, DivX Converter is part of a larger package that includes Player and Media Server. There is both a free and a pro version of the software, with some high-tech features reserved for the Pro version.
If you pay the asking price, the ads will disappear. You can also connect your Google Drive and Dropbox accounts, expand codec support, and access high-quality audio standards. However, for most people, the free version will do.
You would expect the DivX Converter to only convert videos to DivX, but you can also create H.264 and HEVC videos. This is one of the most optimized apps out there, and if you just want something that works easily and will be compatible with just about any device, this is a good choice.
We’re going to deduct a point from DivX for trying to sneakily install additional software in its setup wizard. In addition, the software constantly asked for administrator rights every time it had to perform a conversion. This is really very annoying!
The output quality was excellent and the conversion did not take long. Overall, the app is extremely easy to use.
3/5 rating
Prism Video Converter
Before we talk about Prism Video Converter itself, we need to clarify things a bit. At some point, this software was discovered to contain unwanted drive-by downloads. While not outright malicious, some of these unwanted add-ons include things like browser toolbars. Oh.
The good news is that Prism has been certified parasite free since 2015. So you have nothing to worry about anymore.
As for the software itself, it has a very modest interface. Despite the claims by NCH software that Prism is one of the easiest packages to use, it was a little difficult for us to figure it out. Especially compared to Any Video Converter or DivX Converter.
After we found the correct conversion options while digging through the menus, it took about a minute and a half to convert our 3-minute 4K clip. The output quality was also very good!
3/5 rating
Have You Been Converted?
There are so many options for desktop video conversion software that just picking one might seem like a full-time job. Then you will have to grapple with the complexity of video conversion, hoping that your result looks good, performs well, and takes up no more space than it needs to.
Each of these five video converting apps for Windows 10 has its own strengths and weaknesses when compared to each other. However, we believe that each is a worthy choice if it suits your specific needs. If you just need to convert a few old holiday videos that won’t play anymore, or you are working on a professional project, these are sure to be a perfect choice.
–
Best Video Converter Software Apps 2021 for Windows 10
Best Video Converter Software Apps 2021 for Windows 10