How To Convert Video With Xilisoft Video Converter

How To Convert Video With Xilisoft Video Converter

by Stacy Reed

I was looking for a good video conversion tool recently and asked a fellow computer professional if there were any that he would recommend. I told him I needed something that was easy to use and could handle batch conversions of multiple file formats. Without batting an eye, he replied, "Xilisoft Video Converter." His praise of this practical and inexpensive software was convincing, so I took his advice and installed the program, only to find out for myself that this is one very awesome tool. It's no wonder this highly popular software scored a 5 cow rating from our review team!

Xilisoft Video Converter is so easy to use, I was converting files within minutes of installing. It's pretty straight forward and simple, but Xilisoft has made the conversion process even easier by offering a wizard for beginners that walks you through step by step. Don't let the ease-of-use fool you though, because it is also rich in features that allow you to customize your video conversions to best suit your needs.

It would be impossible for me to cover all that this software does in one article, but I'd like to highlight some of my favorite features:

Let's start with the wizard - first it walks you through loading the source file and shows the audio and video parameters for verification, then the next step allows the user to easily set the start and end times by moving a slider to the desired location or manually inputting the time values.

In the next step, the wizard allows you to choose the target format. Xilisoft Video Converter supports many popular multimedia devices such as iPod, MP4 players, mobile phones, Zune, PSP, iPhone, and there are multiple formats to choose from for each device. By clicking on the Settings button, you can make adjustments to aspects like video size and frame rate, video and audio bit rate, or you can customize the file further by embedding a URL, comments or copyright information. You also have the option of disabling the video or audio altogether, which was a feature I was looking for specifically. Once you have configured these settings, it's just a matter of choosing your target location, specifying the output file name and clicking the Encode button to begin the conversion process.

If you're a beginner with conversion software, you may find that operating the full version of the software isn't all that difficult after you have familiarized yourself with the wizard. One of the features that really rocks is the ability to convert multiple files at once, but unlike many of their competitors, Xilisoft allows the user to configure each file differently. In this quick tutorial, I'll show you how easy it is to perform a batch conversion.

1. Launch Xilisoft Video Converter and click the Add button.
2. Choose your source files. These files do not have to be in the same folder; they can even be spread out across multiple computers on the same network.
3. In the same way that you could configure video and audio output aspects in the wizard, you can also do so here. As you can see, I have loaded 3 files into the queue but you can add more or less according to your needs. Click on each of the files in turn and make any adjustments you would like.



4. Below the file queue, you will find the Profile field. This is where you can choose image formats as well as destination and file name for each.
5. You'll also see a field that will allow you to configure the Zoom mode from several preset options for each individual file.
6. Additionally, you can choose to split your file into multiple parts which can come in handy if you will be burning them to DVD or other portable storage device. Configure each file accordingly.
7. Click the Encode button. This will start the batch conversion process. You can choose to pause or stop any file at any time.

That's how simple it is! Xilisoft Video Converter has many features that weren't mentioned here, but if you buy this software, I'm sure you'll be very pleased with all that it has to offer. They provide excellent sources of help and documentation, including a tutorial (that is much more thorough than this). The help files include a detailed table of each of the file formats it supports with information that will help you decide which ones will best suit your needs. The software supports APE, CUE decoding and audio CD ripping as well. For all that it does, and that it does so quickly and with the utmost of ease, Xilisoft Video Converter deserves much praise. Therefore, it wins the Editor's Choice Award!

• Xilisoft Video Converter
• Version: 3.1.14.1110b
• System Requirements: Windows 98/NT/2k/Me/XP/95
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