The Matroska format isn't particularly well known but it is growing in popularity despite a lack of support on popular games consoles Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

XenonMKV gets round this problem by allowing you to play videos in the Matroska format on the Xbox 360. It doesn't involve any lengthy or annoying transcoding however - only the video is downsampled meaning the video remains in perfect condition. This not only preserves video quality but makes it much quicker than normal MKV files.

Unfortunately, due to the makeup of the Xbox 360, the MKV files that are produced do not replay in surround sound which is something that Microsoft will have to address before you can do so. However, it's the video quality that you'll use for XenonMKV for because it's tailored for Xbox 360 video specifications.

XenonMKV is perfect for Xbox 360 owners who find themselves with a mounting MKV file collection that they've only been able to watch on their PC up until now.

Download XenonMKV 20080827_34 in Softonic

Not a day goes by – at least for me – without having to convert media files to one format or another. If you too are in this situation, you need something like FormatFactory.

This full featured format converter enables you to convert all sorts of multimedia files (audio, video and images) between the most popular formats, including WMV, AVI, MPG, MP3, WMA, AAC, JPG, PNG, GIF and more. What's more, FormatFactory supports all the media formats used by portable devices like the PSP or the iPhone.

The program is really easy to use – that is, once you get used to its somewhat weirdly designed- interface. Don't look for any File button or menu, because there isn't any. The option to add files to the program's interface doesn't appear until you select the target format. You can select individual files or complete folders, and also tweak some basic conversion settings if you want.

Despite its slightly confusing interface, I found FormatFactory to be a really handy, efficient application, and also one of the few I know that converts everything: photos, music and video.

With FormatFactory you'll be able to convert pretty much any media file to other formats, including those used by most portable devices.

Download Format Factory 1.48 in Softonic

Many people spend hours on Youtube and other similar sites watching online videos. But wouldn't it be better to download them to your PC and watch them any time you like?

xVideoServiceThief is precisely the tool you need. This smart app lets you download online videos from more than fifty video sharing sites and convert them straight away from FLV to other popular video formats including AVI, WMV, MPEG, 3GP and MP4 (iPod-compatible format).

xVideoServiceThief is extremely easy to use. Just copy and paste the video URL from your favorite video site and it'll be added to the download list. You can then start downloading it right away or collect a few videos to download them all at the same time later on. This is quite convenient, as you can leave xVideoServiceThief working in the background while you keep on working on something else, and you'll get a notice window as soon as the download process is finished.

Like I said before, xVideoServiceThief supports more than fifty video sharing sites and allows you to block inappropriate content if necessary. The program also features a handy drag-and-drop window where you can directly paste the video URL. It would be even nicer if it recognized URL addresses when copied to the Clipboard though.

With xVideoServiceThief you can easily download and convert online videos from pretty much every video sharing site you know.

Download xVideoServiceThief 1.8.2 Alpha in Softonic

Forget paying for a program to rip your DVDs to your computer because thanks to the wonders of open source, HandBrake is here to convert disks to MPEG for free. Considering it doesn't cost a dime, the application delivers exceptional results. Converting any type of DVD through a simple-to-understand UI, the program whizzes through the process of producing an MPEG-4 file to save on your machine.

You'll need to have the right codec installed for the type of file you wish to convert (DivX, Xvid, OGM, 3ivx, etc.) but HandBrake lets you perform two-pass conversions and to codify a double soundtrack. Another great feature is the bitrate calculator, which alters the quality of the video according to the final file size you wish to achieve. You can even trim the black bands around a movie to maximise the size of the file. Although I experienced a couple of crashes with this version of HandBrake, it's nevertheless a great open source solution for ripping your DVDs.

Download HandBrake 0.9.2 in Softonic

Apex Free 3GP Video Converter is a free converter that can convert any popular video to work on your Mobile Phone in 3GP format.

Apex Free 3GP Video Converter supports a huge number of formats. You can convert your favorite movies from AVI, DIVX, MOV, QuickTime, MPEG, VCD , DVD, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB to 3GP. As far as converters go, Apex Free 3GP Video Converter is pretty quick and getting started is relatively easy, with a quick and clear interface.

The converter supports batch conversions so you can queue an unlimited number of files to convert and let it work through them. You can also define exactly which in and out points you want, so you can select exactly how big you want files to be. The limit is 2GB which is pretty big and you can set it to automatically shut down your PC after conversion.

Apex Free 3GP Video Converter has everything you need to convert files to 3GP format although it's shame it doesn't support just a few more file formats.

Download Apex Free 3GP Video Converter 6.49 in Softonic

Prism video file conversion software is a free video file format converter for Windows. It can convert video files from avi, mpg, vob, wmv (Windows Media Video formats) and more into avi, asf or wmv files.

Prism video converter is very easy to use. Just add the files you want to convert to the list, select the format you want to use, and then click the convert button.

Designed to be very easy and intuitive to use, this software will have you up and running within minutes. Simply download now and install.

Take a look at what this program has to offer:

• Converts all video formats that have a DirectShow based codec to AVI and Windows Media Video formats
• If you can play the video file using 'Windows Media Player' you can convert it using Prism
• Set compression/encoder rates of output files
• Set resolution and frame rate of output files
• Prism can be added to your right click menu for easy access
• Prism video file converter has an intuitive and easy to use interface

Download Prism Video Converter 1.15 in Softonic

The problem nowadays is that there are so many codecs needed to play videos and films that sharing them is not as easy as it should be.

MakeInstantPlayer gets around this problem by avoiding the need to even have the right player installed because it creates an EXE file that can be opened by anyone and played anywhere. There's no need to install any codecs or any player with MakeInstantPlayer.

MakeInstantPlayer uses the MPlayer compressor so that conversions are quite quick but the quality remains very good. However, the MakeInstantPlayer EXE files aren't exactly small so you'll need to either ZIP them up or transfer them by some other method than e-mail to friends. There is a certain amount of customisation you can perform too in MakeInstantPlayer - you can also add a URL with an image to appear before it plays and also select whether you want it to open in full screen mode or shrink mode when it's opened.

MakeInstantPlayer is a great way to send files to friends that either don't have the right player installed or not the right codecs.

Download MakeInstantPlayer 1.13 in Softonic

WinFF is the Windows version of one of the most popular video converters on Linux. It enables you to covert video files into several different video formats including Xvid and WMV.

WinFF has a basic GUI with a multitude of options and functionalities that will help you select the videos you need, previsualize them and define the format of the conversion. In addition, there are other specialised options such as the ability to change the ratio of the conversion, the resolution or the quality of the audio track.

Although WinFF is a fairly stable converter, it does struggle with long names especially those with unusual characters. To avoid problem, I advise you simply all of the names of the files that you want to convert. Otherwise, you might find that the program simply rejects the files for no apparent reason.

This is a convenient and quick file converter that still needs a few bugs ironing out before it would be my number one choice.

Download WinFF 0.42 in Softonic

Converting video to DVD format is obviously essential if you want to watch any of your favourite films or clips stored on your hard drive on your DVD player.

The likelihood is, most of your videos are in various formats so you'll need someway of converting them all without requiring a different program for each different format. Sothink Movie DVD Maker is designed for those that want maximum flexibility in this regard allowing you to burn to DVD format files from a wide variety of sources including AVI, MPEG, internet clips and those recorded by DVC or webcam plus virtually any other format you can imagine. When adding clips to the GUI, you can play your source clips to check that it's the right video you were looking for. Conversions can be cancelled at any time so if it's taking too long, there's no problem but it would have been much better if the developers had allowed us to pause conversion for completion at a later stage. However, they have added an option to extract video files to a DVD folder so that you can burn your films to DVD at any other time.

With the ability to add subtitles as well, you can create some surprisingly professional results with Sothink DVD Maker and it supports just about any format out there.

Download Sothink DVD Movie Maker 1.0.70424 in Softonic

It's great to have a portable multimedia device such as a PSP, an iPod or a Zune to watch movies on the go. The problem comes when you need to convert those videos from the PC to a suitable format so that you can watch those videos while commuting or traveling.

Koyote Free Video Converter can help you handle this issue in a very simple way. Far from complicated, bloated converting tools, this easy app lets you convert videos in a snap. You can choose between a wide range of formats, including those which are used in all popular portable devices. Available formats are presented as profiles with set preferences, but you can easily tweak them to suit your preferences.

Koyote Free Video Converter includes a small video window, but sadly it's only intended to watch video frames as the conversion process is working. It would have been nice to be able to use it also as video player to preview the contents of the movie before converting it.

With Koyote Free Video Converter you can easily convert videos to a variety of formats, including those suitable for portable devices.

Download Koyote Free Video Converter 1.2 in Softonic

MediaCoder has set itself as a software referent for video conversions and now is offering the same functionality and capabilities for portable devices.

After releasing a PSP and iPod Touch versions, we've been presented with MediaCoder for Mobile Phone, a new MediaCoder edition that has been especially developed to convert video files to mobile formats such as MPEG-4, 3GP and AVI. While the format selection is not that wide in itself, it should be more than enough to fit most mobile phones nowadays.

The program features three possible interface configurations (Simple, Normal and Expert) from which we recommend the first one, as you don't really need to tweak all the program's settings and it's clearly the easiest to use.

Available formats and codecs can be selected via a drop-down menu: this means you can select them manually, but there are no profiles ready to be used. A standard mobile phone image lets you get an idea of how the video will look like on your device. Sadly there's only one to choose from.

MediaCoder for Mobile Phone converts your favorite videos to mobile compatible formats in an easy, fast and efficient way, so you can carry them anywhere with you.

Download MediaCoder Mobile Phone Edition 0.6.0.3902 in Softonic

Quick Media Converter is a flexible and comprehensive solution for converting video and audio with an eye on simplicity, usability and speed.

In fact, it is the speed of this particularly converter that impresses above everything else. It's incredibly fast at processing and converting files although it dies seem to be hit and miss in the final result. For example, some files you may find have not converted quite like they should have or are totally unreadable. It seems that sometimes, the speed is down to the fact that it's not quite processing files in the right way. The interface is very easy to read with all the logos of the possible conversion formats across the top - including FLV, Quicktime and RealMedia. This is sufficient for most users although if you need control over the specifics of the output file there are more options in the Expert Mode tab. From here, you can specify everything from resolution ratios to audio compression and codecs. The problems here arise however if you don't have the right codecs installed. If you try to convert to Xvid or vice versa without the right codecs, then the conversion will either refuse to run. Everything is easy enough to configure via drop down menus and tabs.

A powerful and speedy converter that works across multiple formats although don't be surprised if some of your conversions result in blank videos or unplayable files.

Download Quick Media Converter 3.48 in Softonic

Many portable devices feature video capabilities, but not everyone takes advantage of them as you usually need to convert video files to another format and there's no easy way to do it.

XviD4PSP solves this problem by providing you with an intuitive, easy-to use tool that lets you convert almost any kind of video file to a wide range of formats, including those that most portable video devices (iPod, iPhone, PSP) work with. The program features a highly detailed settings window where you'll be able to configure every single detail about the video conversion. In fact, it's such a complete configuration menu that it'll take you some time to tweak it properly.

XviD4PSP includes an embedded video player where you can preview the video file before applying any change to it. Note that the program requires some extra tools to work but they come bundled with the installation file. And in case you get any warning messages about missing components, you'll probably do fine by just installing a coded pack.

The program features a nicely designed interface, but if there's something I especially enjoyed about XviD4PSP is the huge array of supported video formats. It works with pretty much anything you can play as a video!

In all, XviD4PSP is a powerful tool that comes in very handy for those of you who like to watch movies on the move and therefore need to convert video files very often.

Download XviD4PSP 5.0.30 in Softonic

With the expansion in capacity and range of mobile devices, users are increasingly demanding to be able to watch their favourite visual content on the move.

Acala 3GP Movies Free is a professional program for converting Avi, DivX, Xvid, Mpeg, Vob and several other formats to work on mobile devices. The interface is very professional yet easy to use and conversions are usually excellent quality and lightning fast.

The developer claims times of just 10 minutes to convert a two hour movie to 3GP and while this may be a little overstretching it, it certainly works quicker than any other 3GP converter I can remember. The good thing is that the program works in a similar way to a video editor - you can mark the in and out points of your film so you can cut out annoying titles at the beginning and end if you don't want them.

If you've got a lot of files to convert, it also supports batch conversions. You can easily split and preview films as they are converting to see whether the quality is to your liking.

All-in-all, this is an excellent 3GP conversion tool, especially if you need to cut and splice files and are in a hurry.

Download Acala 3GP Movies Free 3.7.5 in Softonic

Sometimes you'd like to watch a short video on your phone to have some fun while commuting to work or waiting for the usual latecomer. But do you know how to convert them to the right format?

ABC 3GP Converter now makes it easier for you. This tool allows you to convert your favorite videos to the 3GP video format that most mobile phones can play nowadays. You only need to load the source video on the program's interface, adjust conversion settings to your needs and then start converting. The program only converts to 3GP but supports a variety of video sizes, frame rates and bitrates, though only as presets that can't be changed or customized in any way.

The conversion process is surprisingly fast and produces high quality videos. Also, if you'd like to cut some scenes out of the video before converting it, ABC 3GP Converter includes a handy trimming tool for the same price – that is, free.

ABC 3GP Converter enables you to enjoy your favorite videos on your mobile phone by converting them to 3GP in a fast, easy process.

Download ABC 3GP Converter 2.1 in Softonic

With Flash video still the most popular format available on the Net, Softonic has loads of programs designed to help users download and convert FLV and SWF movies to a more usable format (such as AVI). Freez Flv to AVI/MPEG/WMV Converter tackles the conversion side of this operation, but unfortunately, it leaves a lot to be desired.

While the program is technically free, it constantly prompts and pesters users into visiting the developer's website, for no reason. The irritating 'There may be an update on our website' dialog box actually means nothing because this program isn't equipped with an update-checking service. For this reason, I've classified the software as 'Adware': true freeware doesn't pester the user like this.

The functionality of Freez Flv to AVI/MPEG/WMV Converter is limited to say the least. It allows you to convert any .FLV file to AVI, MPG or WMV and gives you some control over video encoding settings like frame rate and bit rate. Unfortunately, we found that choosing the wrong settings will result in not only a failure to convert the file correctly, but also Windows Explorer will crash: a pretty serious failing.

When we did manage to convert a file successfully, the end result was perfectly satisfactory. But given that we had the Explorer Shell (including the Start Menu and Task Bar) crash on us four times during testing, we cannot recommend use of this application. The program also doesn't include standard window menus or buttons, an irritating design choice.

Freez Flv to AVI/MPEG/WMV Converter is a poorly designed tool for converting popular video formats. When it works, it works well. But most of the time, it's liable to causing major system processes to crash. Not recommended.

Download Freez Flv to AVI/MPEG/WMV Converter 1.5 in Softonic

This video converter looks pretty basic, but despite its simple interface it really works very well. Digital Video Converter supports the most popular formats and converts videos in just two clicks, that is, as long as you have the necessary codecs installed on your computer.

Simply select the video you want to convert and its target format. You'll also be able to tweak some settings such as width, height and frame rate. The result can then be played on your favorite video player.

Convert any videos to popular formats very easily.

Download Digital Video Converter 1.2.0.16 in Softonic

Videora Xbox360 Converter is a free video conversion application developed by the creators of Videora. It allows you to convert your regular PC video files (avi, mpeg, etc) into the proper video format that your Xbox360 understands. Videora Xbox360 Converter connects interface access to the console Microsoft to post videos and especially transform them into an appropriate format for Xbox360.

The conversion process is very simple - you just need to choose the quality of video, audio, the conversion speed and resolution. In almost all cases, it is only sufficient to indicate high, medium or low - you do not need to know codecs, sampling and other technical terms.

With Videora Xbox360 Converter, you can also download videos directly to the console from YouTube together a library of files. In this way, you can order your favourite videos and know at all times what you have and where it is.

For Xbox owners addicted to YouTube, this is a must have app.

Download Videora Xbox360 Converter 2.25 in Softonic

Free Movies To DVD converts video files to DVD format in three easy steps. if you've ever needed to convert files to watch on your DVD player instead of your PC, then this program will help you do so in relatively few steps.

The first step is to choose between NTSC format (720x480) or PAL (720x576). next you have to choose the sampling frequency and appearance (16:9 or 4:3). In the file browser, you can navigate to the video files you require to convert for the DVD and finally choose the destination i.e. a DVD disc, an ISO image or simply compile files with DVD IFO, VOB, etc. The burner is simple although you might find it better to save the file on your PC and use an alternative program to burn it because it doesn't offer many advanced features.

In short, Free Movies To DVD provides a simple way to enjoy films in DVD format in just a few clicks.

Download Free Movies To DVD 1.0 in Softonic

AVI2ISO converts video files to DVD format and at the same time, can make changes in the encoding of analog signals in NTSC and PAL. The program works with a list of tasks that allow it to progress through each conversion without the presence of the user.

During this process. the conversion includes other special features such as Dolby 5.1 audio channels and it also consolidates DirectShow and AVISource. Of course, you can also take your DVD's and convert them to AVI and not lose any of these features also. Because this tool supports both NTSC and PAL it's a great crossover tool for those that work with DVD formats on both sides of the Atlantic.

Whilst conversion times seem to be pretty slow, this is one of the few solutions out there that allows you to watch your AVI films in perfect Dolby Surround sound.

Download AVI2ISO 2.08.05b in Softonic