Mac OS X | Audio / Video | Converters | MovieConverter

MovieConverter - 1.2

encode for DVD or DV without losing quality

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All Time:	(3.0)
Version 1.2:	(3.0)
Selected Version:	1.2
Release Date:	2008-04-23
License:	Commercial
Downloads (version 1.2):	1,459
Downloads (all versions):	2,318
Price:	$23 (15 EUR)

Information Related to Version:

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Product Description:

Easy and powerful:
step 1 - load a video
step 2 - define a final display (4/3 or 16/9)
step 3 - encode
Do you know nothing about video? No concern, you will have quality in result.

Unlike others softwares, MovieConverter manages automatically to you all it is problematic:

anamorphous files (so that a european balloon of football will not look like an american balloon of football -will not be deformed after encoding).
the order of fields (so images of the video will always display in the good order).
the interlaced (not to have some visible "comb effects" during the broadcast).
the conversion of the number of frames per second (so your videos will be converted to your TV standard WITHOUT jerks and whatever is their original standard).
Last point: all the informations of your video will be preserved. There where the other software -by ease- eliminates half of the information of your video, MovieConverter preserves them (example: if you bought a camera DV or a DVD only to have a VHS quality, you do not need MovieConverter, all others softwares are your friends).
And if your video does not have any of these concerns(marigolds)? MovieConverter will manage them as well as the others ones ;-)

You are not sure of your unique setting (step 2)? Preview the result before encoding (and change it if the result was not the one you hoped).

You knew all the concerns previously quoted? You are a specialist in video, welcome. The "expert's" setting are for you, they will allow to you to make more and to disconnect the automatisms.

MovieConverter, specialist's functions "for dummies".

Features:

The same quality than iDVD...
...decodes the integrality of your iMovie's files...
...but any other type of files too (avi, wmv, etc).
Convert any video in PAL<>NTSC, without jerk nor loss of quality.
Ability to pause the video encoding.
Fully automated (detection of the interlaced files, their readout order, etc).
Entirely disengageable (for those which do not like the automatisms).
Automatic adaptation of the aspect for any video (even the anamorphous ones).
Ability to transform any video in 16/9 or 4/3 PanScan (whatever its original size or its interlacing).
Live preview before encoding.
Batch mode
etc, etc, etc (and take a look to the site if that's not yet enough for you)

What's new in this version:

New features:

Compatible with QuickTime 7.4 version and later. MC remains compatible with earlier versions.
Conversion from interlaced NTSC VIDEO->PAL has now the same quality than other processes (it wasn't true before).
A far better compatibility with output for DVD and very strict DVD Hardware Players (do not dream, better does not mean perfect, but the rate of "possible freezes" are reduced by 5 to 8).
(Intel only) Speed: the "good" quality with FFmpeg encoding is now almost as good as "superior" (but much faster :-)) so use it.
New interface, same on Tiger and Leopard (the drawer's look differed between system versions, thanks to Apple designers).
New button to access to "Tools (MC's Additional functions)" (nobody realized they existed ;-)).
Management of subtitles (cf "Tools": see below).

Tools (MC's additional functions)
Subtitles (access via tool "Mux"):

Handles text subtitles (srt, ssa).
Support every encoding, from MacRoman to japonese, cyrillic,… (but the first loading of an .srt will be a little slow).
Keep subtitle synchronization even in case of standard conversion.

Major bugfixes:

iMovie decoding (interlaced videos decoded by QuickTime) was "broken" since the last FFmpeg update (so during version 1.1).
A stupid failure with the NTSC Film encoding with quality "fast".
In some cases, the MC's ability to cut introduction of your videos, induced an out-of-synch.

Minor bugfixes:

New encoding optimizations = faster.
New version of the tool to extract audio via QuickTime (it now handles audios from flv and mkv via Perian codec).
More reliable decoding of wmv (and avoid to force the default decoder assigned to you by MC).
A "less false" announced duration for .VOB (to obtain the real duration during analysis, it would be necessary to lose 1 minute per hour of video with a recent INTEL Core2Duo… imagine the necessary time with a PPC ;-)).
Audio process optimization for DV output (it could be extremely long).
Black borders added to videos were too dark since v1.1
Stop a process from the tools window AND during a paused encoding in the main window, does not stop anymore the paused encoding (you didn't understand circumstances? …you did not encounter this case yet ;-)).
Batch mode is activate by default for registred users.
Better recognition of anamorphous files (I will keep this sentence, I think I will use it again with all new version ;-)).
A lot of other stuff… (in bulk and incomplete: better management of exotic characters, of .eyetv duration, MC does not monopolize some file extensions, internal code more reliable, encoding progress bar didn't display on PPC, better FCP compatibility, better .mkv decoding, reorganization of some Menu items, i you encounter an error -and in order to correct it- MC will guide you automatically to report the bug, etc).

OpenSource Tools:

New version of FFmpeg (some features more).

Operating System Requirements:

This product is designed to run on the following operating systems:

Mac OS X 10.5 Intel
Mac OS X 10.5 PPC
Mac OS X 10.4 Intel
Mac OS X 10.4 PPC

Additional Requirements:

QuickTime 7.1.3 or higher

Feedback Summary:

Version 1.2:
Overall Rating:	(3.0)	Features:	(3.0)	Support:	(3.5)
Ease of Use:	(3.0)	Quality / Stability:	(3.0)	Price:	(4.0)

Key to Types of Feedback:

Reviews Reviews Troubleshooting Usage Tips Developer Notes Commentary Featured Reviews

(Does't work) ...contact me directly - Version: 1.2, 6/1/2008 12:09PM PST

mcherve

Hello, yes I'm french, no the app is localized in English (made by a native english speaker). Localization in the app is made "on the fly", but didn't succeed with your computer (and you saw my debug display, nobody should access to it normally) Could you contact me by mail (my address is in the web site) to know what happened and to correct it... PS: you are the first one to report this error. If MC bugged at launch time, seems coherent that the app does not work at all :( PSS: The "Help" is only online sorry to contradict you but there is a help inside the app (access: Menu item "Help"->"Help") waiting for a feedback... thanks and bye

Doesn't work - Version: 1.2, 5/30/2008 10:23AM PST

(1 of 2 users found this comment useful)

grh-svo

MacBook Pro Intel Core 2 Duo, OSX 10.52

Looks totally un-mac-like. I say "looks" because I can't get it to actually work so I don't know anything about it beyond start-up.

Written by a French-speaker. I am not American and, in fact, I spend much time in France and love both the country and the people so there is no "bias against non-English foreigners" here. But any non-English person seeking to release a tool for English-speakers needs to do a much better job.

For example, there is absolutely no reason for putting every menu item between <chevrons>. It looks ridiculous. No, it looks ridiculous and unprofessional.

Command-O achieves nothing. No dialog box...nothing!

The "About" dialog box should be closable with a simple click rather than having to click a special button.

All of the text in the second box that opens when you choose "About" is in French. Not helpful! Not even to me, and I can read French!

The English in the "Prefs" window is Frenglish. Equally unhelpful.

The "Help" is only online. Ok this is a personal thing. I mourn the passing of proper manuals. Big tools (Photoshop, Excel, even OSX) _need_ (but no longer have) proper, written, printed manuals. Small tools like MovieConverter at least deserve a decent written electronic manual with the utility for people who might be trying to use it offline.

Oh yeah. In the Prefs window, clicking "OK" produces an error message. Can you believe it? "Bug collecte 'output' DVD" (sic) whatever the hell that might mean!

And the <quit> button produces a new error dialog. "Select how to proceed with your background image"

Sorry, this app is pure rubbish. Force-quit then plonk.

My favorite video app! Easy mkv or PAL-NTSC conversions. - Version: 1.2, 4/24/2008 08:25AM PST

(2 of 2 users found this comment useful)

Ed_Zeppelin

If you're like me, and don't have a lot of time to fiddle with different apps, you just want to burn the DVD and be done with it. This is the app to do it with! I use this more than any other video app, and the developer is absolutely the best I've met. From the time I bought it, he has continually responded and improved his product, making it the best value of any video app ever. I use it to clean up every single movie file, from mkv, mp4 and wmv to avi. It creates a separate folder with .jpg screencaps and a mpg of your movie, ready to burn. (For details on all the things this puppy will do, check out the features.) It demuxes and remuxes audio in either AC3 (5.1) or MP3, and where it really shines is in manipulating interlacing, allowing you to choose which field works best (with a preview screen so you can see it with your own eyes!), and adding black bars as needed (you choose). Great for my brand new 50-inch Panasonic plasma TV. In case you're wondering, I don't know the developer personally (he's in Europe) or work for the company. This is just my own, honest opinion. I just upgraded to version 1.2 today, and it's even better!