Getting a video out has always been one of the best ways to while away an evening at home. However, these days few people choose to trudge down to the video store, preferring to download a movie, or plunder the near-infinite archives on popular video sharing sites such as YouTube and Google Video. Until recently it's been impossible to obtain movies from these sites without having to stream them online. However, Vdownloader is one of a number of programs changing that, allowing you to download these videos to your computer in AVI or MPEG format.

Essentially what this means is that you don't need to wait an age for popular videos to start streaming and can keep your favourites on your hard drive to watch at any time. This application does the job as simply as you could wish for. The executable makes a very small footprint and although the interface is very barren, it makes it easy to grab videos from YouTube, Google Video, Grinvi or DailyMotion very quickly. Basically all you need to do is copy and paste the link to the video into the box provided and hit ‘download'. Alternatively, you can browse the sites themselves by selecting the portal of your choice from the drop-down menu.

In one sense, the sparseness of the interface is an advantage, as it keeps things as clean and simple as possible. In another respect we were left wanting for extra features and options to help us peruse and download the videos we want. Practically the only setting you can tweak is the via the format dialog, allowing you to specify the format of the saved video (AVI or MPEG), the size of the video and the audio bitrate. We feel that the addition of a built-in video search tool or some video compression utilities would have lifted the program from being a good program to a great one.

Add to the fact that you can't download embedded movies like the ones you find on the front page of Google Video and you can't help feel frustrated that VDownloader doesn't do quite as much as it perhaps could. Having said this, the app is still in the early stages of development and the fact that it is so lightweight makes it prefect for those who want to grab video content with the minimum of fuss.

Download VDownloader 0.74 in Softonic

Creating customized DVD movies is a piece of cake with Droppix DVD Maker. The program takes care of everything so that you only have to worry about enjoying your favorite videos from the couch.

You can use any video files stored in your local drive (the program supports the most popular formats) or import videos right away from famous video websites like Youtube, Daily Motion or Google Video with just a single click. Droppix DVD Maker also includes several ready-to-use menu templates you can use to create personalized DVD menus, though the method to change them is not very well implemented (a double click on the current menu image would be much more intuitive than having to open the program's settings menu).

Another drawback to Droppix DVD Maker is the fact that you can't preview the video before converting and recording it to the actual disc, while other similar tools usually include a built-in player. At least the conversion process is easy and quite fast too.

Droppix DVD Maker lets you create customized DVD movies in a very easy way, but lacks some handy features found in other similar tools.

Download Droppix DVD Maker 1.5.0 in Softonic

Xilisoft Audio Converter provides an easy and complete way to convert between all of the popular audio formats, such as MP3, WAV, WMA, MP4, M4A, MP2, VQF, APE, OGG, AAC and FLAC.

One of the benefits is that the audio converter supports converting m4a to mp3, mp4 to mp3. The audio converter supports ID3 tag, all ID3 tags in the original files will be reserved after the conversion. In addition, you also can convert video formats including AVI, MPEG, WMV, ASF to all popular audio files with Xilisoft Audio Converter. All conversion processes are very easy to handle and fast.

Features:

• Convert between MP3, M4A, WAV, WMA, MP4, MP2, VQF, APE, OGG, AAC and FLAC
• Convert AVI, MPEG, WMV, ASF to MP3, WAV, WMA, MP4, M4A, MP2, VQF, APE, OGG, AAC and FLAC
• Support batch conversion
• Copy ID3 tag between audio formats (reserve ID3 tag during conversion)
• When converting to MP3, bitrate, VBR or CBR, stereo or mono are selectable
• You can select the compression method, sample rate, bitrate, stereo or mono when converting to WAV
• Allow users to select whether delete the original files

Download Xilisoft Audio Converter 2.1.69.1123 in Softonic

If you have an MKV video file and no idea about how to play it, you may as well convert it to the most common format AVI.

MKV to AVI With Subtitles offers you the possibility to perform this conversion in just a couple of steps. All you have to do is loading up the video on the program and click the "Convert" button. Just bear in mind that in order to make the most of the program you'll need to have the MKV codecs installed on your system.

That is the theory. The truth is that during our tests, MKV to AVI With Subtitles was a bit unstable. Maybe I didn't have the proper codec, but at least I expected the program to tell me or give some kind of advice instead of just crashing.

Also, I missed more configuration options, a preview window for the video and a slightly more user-friendly interface. You know, plain gray windows were fashionable for Windows 98, but not now.

MKV to AVI With Subtitles seems to be a handy, straightforward tool to convert MKV videos to AVI... if only it worked properly.

Download MKV To AVI With Subtitle 1.0 in Softonic

With such an ever growing range of multimedia devices, no wonder format converters are becoming so popular these days!

Any Audio/Video Converter is one of those converters: a simple, easy-to-use application that support pretty much any format you can find nowadays and lets you convert both audio and video files in just a few steps.

The program works with a list where you add the files you want to convert, no matter what format they are. Then you configure the conversion options for each one of them separately and finally click on the "Convert" button to let the program do the rest. I think this method is quite handy and saves you loads of work and time; pity the trial version only accepts one file on this list!

Any Audio/Video Converter includes a built-in player in its interface, but it's only good to watch the video while it's being converted and not preview it before actually starting the process.

With Any Audio/Video Converter you can convert basically any audio and video file you can think of, in a quite easy process that involves very little effort.

Download Any Audio/Video Converter 5.6 in Softonic

If you have different devices with video capabilities, you need a complete video tool like ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter.

With ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter you can convert from the most popular video formats to those formats used in devices such as the iPod, the Zune, the PSP, the PS3 or the Apple TV. All you have to do is load the source video, select the target format and let the program take care of the rest. Plus, you can convert several videos simultaneously.

Formats are conveniently organized in profiles according to the target device.
ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter lets you tweak those target profiles by customizing bitrate, frame rate, video codec, audio bitrate and other elements, but unfortunately you can't save this customization as a new personal profile.

ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter features a straightforward interface and is really easy to use. It includes a video window preview, but it's meant to only show video as it's being converted, not work as a built-in player.

With ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter you'll always find the right combination to convert videos from one format to another and watch them on any device.

Download ALO AVI MPEG WMV 3GP MP4 iPod PSP Converter 6.6 in Softonic

The 3GP converter allows users to convert AVI to 3GP, MPEG to 3GP. The 3GP Converter supports almost all popular video formats including mpeg1, mpeg2, mpeg4, wmv, mp4, 3gp, mov, rm, dv, yuv, h264 to 3GP file conversion. Xilisoft 3GP Video Converter also convert 3GP video file to popular video formats such as 3GP to AVI, 3GP to MPEG, 3GP to Divx. The 3GP Converter supports convert audio-only 3GP file to MP3, WAV, and vice versa.

Download Xilisoft 3GP Video Converter 5.1.2.0829 in Softonic

VSO ConvertXtoDVD is an attractively designed and easy-to-use video burner that gives you the power to convert and burn a huge range of formats.

VSO ConvertXtoDVD can handle just about any format you throw at it including AVI, WMV, MKV, YouTube, OGM, MPEG and Quicktime. So instead of having to watch your downloaded films and videos on your PC, you can watch them in the comfort of your lounge on your DVD Player. VSO ConvertXtoDVD goes much further than just mere DVD creation though because it helps you create and author DVD menus.

It offers the possibility to add background video, image or audio and even have chapter and audio/subtitle menus. If you do want to add subtitles, it supports most of the major formats including SRT, .SUB/ID and .SSA and VSO CovertXtoDVD gives you control over color and font selection, and supports tags like italic, bold and the ability to toggle them on or off with DVD player remote control. The encoder makes a decent job of converting videos in terms of the output quality although it is slightly slow - estimate about 1 hour for conversion of a full movie.

A powerful and easy way to get your favourite movies and video clips onto DVD and give them an extra touch of class with a menu.

Download VSO ConvertXtoDVD 3.2.1.55 in Softonic

When you extract audio from video there's usually an inevitable loss of quality but Pazera Free Audio Extractor extracts audio tracks from video files without any notable loss of sound quality.

Whatsmore, it converts to a huge range of formats including MP3, AAC, AC3, WMA, FLAC, OGG and WAV formats. Pazera Free Audio Extractor also works with most major video formats including AVI, FLV, MP4, MPG, MOV, RM, 3GP, WMV and VOB. Alternatively, you can just use it as basic audio converter so you can switch between formats fairly easily and with rapid conversion times.

The program is useful for either novice or advanced users. Novice users are able to use predefined settings (known as profiles) depending on the type of conversion you perform. This means that you don't have to worry about setting the correct compression ratio or encoding algorithm to use as it's all done for you. However, if you do need extra control, you can access advanced encoding parameters as long as you know what you are doing.

Pazera Free Audio Extractor is not the most attractive looking converter or audio extractor but it handles a huge range of formats in double quick time.

Download Pazera Free Audio Extractor 1.2 in Softonic

Open Video Converter is probably one of the easiest tools you can find to convert videos, though the truth is that it's also a fairly simple one.

This tool accepts quite a few source targets (MPG, EMV, ASF, VCD, SVCD…) but only converts to AVI, which in my opinion limits the program's usefulness a lot. At least you can tweak the AVI file's settings by setting the resolution, frame rate, video and audio compressors and other details.

Once you load the video on Open Video Converter, a preview window will open up. But instead of having the playback control buttons on this same window, they're on the main interface, something I personally found very awkward and difficult to use.

The best thing about Open Video Converter though is that before the conversion process begins, you can mark both the starting and ending points of the video. In this way you can convert just your favorite scene – and not the complete video.

On the whole, Open Video Converter is a simple tool that works fine if what you want is simply converting to AVI. If you need any other extra features, you'd better look somewhere else.

With Open Video Converter you can easily convert quite a few videos, though only to AVI format.

Download Open Video Converter 3.21 in Softonic

Joining videos seems to be an easy task, but you still need the proper tool to do it. And Open Video Joiner is one of them.

This simple application lets you join several videos into one single clip. It supports many source formats (MPG, AVI, WMV, ASF and more) though once they're joined they will all be automatically converted to AVI.

The best thing about Open Video Joiner is its simplicity of use. The program features a really basic interface where you only need to choose your videos and press the "Join" button. But that's not all: the program also features a wide selection of transition effects to insert between videos, and a built-in video preview to see how everything looks.

We could say Open Video Joiner is a really handy app that does its job, and does it well – despite the AVI-only target format...but seriously, that interface needs some improvement.

With Open Video Joiner you can join as many videos as you want in a single AVI file, with transition effects between them.

Download Open Video Joiner 3.2 in Softonic

Audio/Video To EXE converts audio files and video executables and allows you to send them to another person without having a player and codec. In addition to this primary function, Audio/ Video To EXE also performs conversions between various media formats.

There are two types of conversion offered - EXE and multimedia formats, with a list of tasks and completed quickly. The only drawback of this free version is that you cannot select the sampling frequency and hence the quality of the resulting files. This is a great tool for sending small videos and songs by e-mail, ensuring that the recipient can play the file. Almost all audio/video formats [3GP, AAC, AC3, AIFF, ASF, AVI, EXE, FLAC, FLV, GIF, M1V, M2V, M4V, MOV, MP2, MP3, MP4, MPC, MPG, NUT, OGG, RA, RM, SWF, VOB, VOC, WAV, WMA, WMV, WV, YUV] are supported. You can even play and convert your executables without a player or a codec. It works as a standalone and the latest version adds M1V, M2V, M4V, and YUV support.

If you love to share clips with someone who's forever having problems with their media player, then Audio/Video to EXE is the answer to your prayers.

Download Audio/Video To Exe 1.5.3.0 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

There are a multitude of audio converters and rippers around but few free programs offer the simplicity and functionality of BonkEnc. As well as being able to rip music from a CD and turn it into an audio file, the program boasts a converter for changing the format of a file between a wide range of file types, including MP, Ogg, AVI and WAV.

BonkEnc queries and stores track information using the online free CDDB database, automatically adding this meta data into the file to make it much easier to search and sort your music collection. The application performs its duties quickly and reliably and although the user interface looks rather old-hat, it hides a huge number of options for ripping and converting music, which makes this one of the most powerful free rippers you'll find.

Download BonkEnc 1.0.9 in Softonic

If you have a large collection of videos and a video-capable portable device, this might be the perfect app for you.

ImTOO MPEG Encoder Ultimate provides you with a straightforward tool to convert video files between a wide array of formats, with special attention to mobile devices, handheld consoles and multimedia players such as iPod, iPhone, iRiver and Zune. All supported formats are saved as profiles that you simply choose from a drop-down list, though you can also create your own format profiles by tweaking a few settings.

Besides converting, ImTOO MPEG Encoder Ultimate includes some extra tools with which you preview the video, take a snapshot, add special effects, trim the image or even add a watermark to it. Too bad the program was so unstable during our tests: it crashed every now and then without any apparent reason.

Despite these crashes, ImTOO MPEG Encoder Ultimate is a very complete video converting tool that well deserves a try.

Download ImTOO MPEG Encoder 5.0.9.9 Ultimate 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

Have you ever wanted to search for and download your favourite videos without using your browser? Free FLV Converter lets you automatically access sites such as YouTube, DailyMotion, Google and Metacafé without opening anything else.

You can search by keyword and preview each video found in the rather basic interface and also download them in FLV format. After that, you can convert the files to AVI, IPod, IPhone, 3GP or PSP format. It also works vice versa and if the files in question are already in FLV format, it can convert to DivX, Xvid, MPEG, DVD and AVI with automatic HTML embed links. This means you can paste them into your website or blog to share instantly with the world. If you don't require these functions, the program interface still provides a convenient search platform because you can browse and watch videos at the same time. With just one click, you can download the video you are previewing. For ease of use, it allows you to create a download list of videos you want to save. Once it's complete, you can just leave the program to download the videos whilst you get on with something else although unfortunately, it still doesn't support batch downloading.

A very useful application for those who are not content with only having videos on the Internet but also want them on their hard drive but don't want to visit each video content site seperately.

Download Free FLV Converter 5.6 in Softonic

Smaller Animals ThumbNailer is a Windows utility that allows you to create thumbnail images and image galleries. You can use it to convert between one graphics format and another, change image color depth, resize images, make image galleries for the web or CD and more.

Features of the app:

• Wizards to help you get up and running quickly
• JPG, GIF, MPEG, JPEG-2000, PNG, TIFF, PCX, BMP, WBMP, PhotoCD, Photoshop, TGA, ASCII, WMF and EMF
• AVI, TTF (TrueType Fonts), animated GIF and multi-page TIFF frame extraction
• Support for reading RAW, NEF, FlashPix, video files and more via plug-ins
• Batch or single file operation
• HTML page generator, with links, tables, HTML templates, and more
• Output images in a wide choice of formats and color depths
• Apply contrast, sharpening, brightness corrections
• Copy EXIF and IPTC data from JPG files

Download ThumbNailer 9.1.0.1 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

VideoMach is a powerful audio/video builder and converter. Use it to construct video clips from still images, enhance your recorded material or convert video, audio and image files between popular media formats.

VideoMach features:

• Suports popular video and image formats (mpeg, avi, divx, flc, jpeg, png, tif, gif, bmp and more)
• Reads and writes standard Linux and UN*X image formats (xpm, pnm, sgi, ras and more)
• Supports most popular audio formats (mp3, mp2, ogg, wav, ac3)
• Imports the output of high-speed imagers and time-lapse cameras (bayer, cine)
• World's fastest image sequence detection, more than 50,000 images per second
• Professional-quality MPEG, AVI and Bayer readers, video is decoded at highest quality unlike in most media players
• Fastest software MPEG encoder, more then 120 frames per second
• Can read or write very large MPEG files, up to million terabytes
• Creates industry standard VideoCD MPEGs by NTSC and PAL / SECAM video specs
• Connects to both Video For Windows (VFW) and DirectShow (DS) interfaces ensuring support for vaste number of AVI codecs / subformats
• Easy to navigate but powerful AVI output video / audio codecs selection dialog
• Integrated media player
• Fast, compact and reliable installer with built-in anti-virus check

Download VideoMach 5.0.5 in Softonic