How to Convert Video and Audio from One Format to Another
I bet most of you have had the need to convert a video or audio file from one format to another, either because your favorite software doesn’t support the first one or you needed to make the file smaller, or maybe you had another reason to.
Most of the users in this situation find out that there are very few good tools that will help them. Even paid software has some bugs, is difficult to use or somehow just doesn’t want to work as you intend it to.
I’m going to show you a secret that will solve all these problems. There is a piece of software in this world that is indispensable for the arsenal of a media lover and artist. It is a free utility called SUPER. And indeed it is super!
It allows you to convert almost any audio and video file to any other format AND specify all parameters that can be specified: size, aspect ratio, compression, sampling frequency, frame rate and anything else that is part of a video or audio composition.
I’m going to explain how to get it (it’s not as easy as it sounds) and the basics of using it.
First, to download it, head over to http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html , scroll past the ad(s) at the top to the very bottom where you’ll see some more advertisements and a link saying “Start Downloading SUPER”. Click on it, then scroll down about 5 lines and click the “download and use” link, which is blue (in between red text).
Now scroll to the bottom again and find and click “Download SUPER setup file”, after which I recommend saving (not just opening) the installer to avoid going through this again (although you will have to do it in order to get an updated version).
I think the reason why you have to download it in such a roundabout way is that the developers want to make some money while keeping the software free, and putting up ads for people to click on was the only solution they could find (and I’d say you should click, if only as a means of saying “thank you”).
Double click the installer and install it as you would do with any other program. Now when you open SUPER you will see the following window and a lot of options:
If you know what these options mean, then you don’t need to read any further, just start using the software and enjoy its amazing features.
If you aren’t a professional and just need to get some files converted, here are a few instructions on how to get started (you’ll still need to know stuff like the aspect ratio for video and compression for audio, or you’ll get less than satisfying results).
First click the M in the top right corner and click “Output File Saving Management”. Here you can select the folder where the converted file will be stored. Select one with plenty of space available just in case the file is bigger than expected.
Now look at the top left corner and notice the text “Select the Output Process” and 2 radio boxes to the left of it. Click the top one to select the converter (the default selection is the muxer, which joins different files together). I don’t know why they were not labeled, but thankfully they work.
Now drag and drop your files into the field below the text “DROP A VALID MULTIMEDIA FILE HERE” (or click M, then “Add multimedia files”) and select the output format and parameters from the top dropdown boxes and radio buttons.
The default settings should be enough in most cases, however I really recommend that you learn all those parameters so you can get a better quality or a desired effect.
That’s about it: I’ve shown you the tool and the basics of usage, now it’s your turn to learn how to use it like a pro and start creating things with its help. Good luck!
