The most common and powerful tool for converting video files is the program " format factory". Of course, you can also use Movavi or Any Video Converter. Each of these programs allows you to convert video files from one format to another. However, in this article we will look at Format Factory, especially since it is completely free and easy to use.
Program installation
To install Format Factory, do the following:- Download the installation package for your OS version. You can do this from the official Format Factory website (http://www.pcfreetime.com/).
- Run the downloaded file and follow the installation wizard prompts. When finished, click "Finish" to complete the installation.
To launch the program, double-click on the icon on the desktop or open "Start", then "All Programs" and open the program icon there.
Working with the program
To convert video:
In exactly the same way, you can convert audio files, photos, documents, and also convert disc formats. A flexible system of conversion settings will allow you to adjust the format to any end playback device.
The program also has additional utilities that allow you to merge 2 or more video or audio files, rename them, and edit metadata.
Separately, it is worth noting the possibility of multiplexing. It allows you to merge video and audio tracks. Simply put, you can add any audio track to a video file.
In general, the program does an excellent job with its functions, so it can be an excellent free analogue of programs such as Movavi Video Suite or Any Video Converter, and not inferior to them in any way.
The Format Factory software suite includes support for Linux and Windows operating systems. The software can work with multimedia files of most known formats, it is a multimedia software. In this article, we will consider how to work with this program.
Interface Features
Performing the conversion procedure
- Now let's look at how to perform the conversion procedure.
- Select the type of format to which you want to convert the file.
- A new window will open. In it, you need to select and add an object, specify the parameters, a place on the computer and a folder for the location.
- When preparing for conversion, you can select codecs, resolution, frequency, bitrate and other parameters.
- For video files, you can specify the length of the video track (beginning and end).
- Press the "Start" button and wait for the end of the process.
2. For audio files and photos, the settings will be the same. Big plus format factory is the ability to specify a template for the transformation. Thus, having performed the procedure once, it will not be necessary to repeat it for similar files in the future. To save the settings, use the "Save as" button, assign a name to the profile. Now the specified parameters will be written in the menu called "All to Expert".
Using Third Party Features
- AT format factory user can convert data to CD and DVD-disks. Create option supported ISO or CSO-disks.
- The developers have provided the functions of consolidating audio and video, added an analyzer with which you can get detailed information about the characteristics of a particular file. To use these features, you need to go to the "Advanced" menu.
Video: How to use the Format Factory program?
— Convert multimedia files with Format Factory
This program is a powerful converter of multimedia files of various formats. It has support for over 60 languages and can be installed on both Windows and Linux systems. Most importantly, this spreads software on a free basis, but at the same time its capabilities are quite large. By itself, this converter is easy to use, but some points are better to describe in detail. So, let's try to figure out what features Format Factory has. First you need to, and install it on your computer.
After installing the program and launching it, the main menu appears before the user.
The purpose of the "Themes" and "Language" buttons is quite obvious. They can be used to change appearance and language of the program interface. But the "Help" button will allow you to go to the Format Factory developer website, check for availability new version or just look at the history of changes that were made to this version of this converter.
Now let's move on to the main functions of the program, that is, to converting files. All file formats are listed on the left and divided into categories - video, audio, photo.
Basically, the most common media file formats are presented here. So in the "Video" section you will definitely find the ability to convert files to avi, mp4, mkv, wmv. In total, in the latest version of the program at the moment, this category contains 16 different formats. There are 12 in the "Audio" section, and 8 in the "Photo" section.
Let's try to convert one of the video files located on your computer. To do this, click on the icon of the format to which your file should be converted. A new window will appear in front of you. It will be pretty easy to figure it out.
Here, a suitable file is selected and added, its future parameters are indicated, as well as the place on your computer where it will be placed after the conversion is completed.
First of all, click the "Add File" button and select the video you would like to convert. After the file is added, go to the settings buttons. There are two of them, and each of them is responsible for what characteristics the file will have after conversion. The top button is responsible for such features as codecs, file resolution, frame, aspect ratio, etc.
The second (lower) setting button is responsible for such parameters as the length of the record. It can be kept in its entirety, or cut down to whatever size you need. You just need to specify the start and end time of the future video file. It is this fragment that will be cut out of the sample. If you check the box "Crop", then the image can be cropped around the edges.
After selecting all the settings, it remains to specify the location on the computer where the new, converted file will be created. Then press the "OK" button, which again returns you to the main menu. Now it will look something like this.
The user will only have to press the "Start" button and the conversion process will begin. Its duration will depend on various factors, but primarily on the size of the file.
In the case of audio files and photos, the sequence of user actions practically does not change. Of course, these processes have their own characteristics, for example, when setting the settings (upper button). For audio, video and photos, they will be different. For images, the lower settings button will be absent, because in this case we are not talking about any range selection.
For those people who often use the same conversion option for a certain type of file, it is worth pointing out one option that will make their work easier. The fact is that choosing an extension for a future file, and then specifying all the settings for it every time again, can be somewhat tedious. To avoid all these difficulties, after you select certain settings for the file, click the "Save As" button in that box and enter a name for this profile. In the future, when you start the program, you will see the "All to Expert" icon.
Just click on it and you won't have to spend time specifying file parameters again.
Now a few words about other functions of this program, which are located at the very bottom of the left panel. The column "ROM device" contains several options for converting CDs and DVD discs. Their contents may be stored on your computer in various audio or video file formats. At the same time, it is possible to create a disk image with the iso or cso extension. There are not so many settings for each of these actions, so there is no need to describe them in detail.
In the last, lowest column "Advanced", there are functions such as combining audio and video files, as well as a multimedia file analyzer that allows you to find out all their characteristics after a short check.
As you can see, Format Factory has a fairly wide range of options for converting both individual multimedia files and entire DVD discs. Developers are gradually fixing bugs that can sometimes be encountered when converting files to some of the formats. Therefore, it can be expected that over time the potential of this program will only increase.
On the
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Program Fformat factory is a truly revolutionary solution in the field of converting file formats. It is clear that such programs have always existed, but it is also obvious that not every user could deal with such combines, especially when it came to products with wide functionality. Some options offered a more or less understandable interface for a simple user, however, they were extremely limited in settings, not allowing you to optionally adjust the output file to current requirements.
But now a solution has been found: Format factory will help you deal with transcoding one format to another quite simply, thanks to intuitive controls and versatility, it has already won the attention and interest of many users. Unlike most familiar converters, this program deals with more than just one particular type of file: it supports working with photos, videos, and audio tracks.
All this looks just amazing, because now instead of several programs, you can use just one. The program is actively developing, bugs and possible limitations are being patched from version to version: it is becoming more powerful and at the moment is close to ousting more familiar competitors from the market, which, it would seem, have always been unshakable. The software is aimed at the average user and is built as conveniently as possible, both in terms of management and functionality. Main advantagesFformat factory:
- Quality and fast work.
- Ability to recover damaged files.
- MP4 to file encoding for Apple and Blackberry portable gadgets.
- Absolutely elementary control.
- Internal algorithms for compression and optimization of file size and codecs.
- Complete free.
- Work with any DVD.
- Support for a large number of formats.
- Full support for the Russian language.
Work with Fformat factory.
Opening the program, we will see a fairly typical window in which, in principle, everything is clear at a glance. Functions and options are divided into visual blocks, in which it is rather difficult to get lost, since the interface is very informative. There is nothing superfluous here, the default language is Russian, and the program is immediately ready to work without installing any additional packages.
On the left we see all the options for converting, on the right a list of tasks is formed, here the principle is quite typical. To get started, you just need to drag and drop the files you want to transcode onto the right area.
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For example, we took one track in MP3. After we have transferred it, the following window appears. Here you can select the required format, and in the "Indicator" button, you can also select its internal parameters. At the bottom, you can set the path along which you can expect the finished result. If everything is correct, click "OK".
The task appears in the list, select it and press "Start". A fairly quick encoding process starts, the progress of which you can easily watch on a percentage scale. Accordingly, if everything was successful, the task will disappear from the list, and you will find your file on the specified path.
It is also worth visiting the options section, in which you can quite conveniently configure everything for yourself. You can adjust the format options, interface and notifications of the program.
As you can see, the program is an excellent solution for converting many file formats, which is convenient and pleasant to use.
And this is a very good idea - to develop a program that would directly describe the contents of any file byte by byte. At the entrance she has any source. At the output - not only is the reproduction of the contents of this file, this is just not necessary. At the output, most importantly, a byte-by-byte description of all content - you get an excellent tool for analyzing the format and studying it.
It is not necessary, of course, that a file be converted from one format to another. First, this is a narrower task. And secondly, it has already been largely solved, for example, by such programs as Format Factory, one of the best in its class, especially free to distribute.
Format Factory Specifications
The conversation about this tool becomes doubly relevant in the light of the message of recent days - MP3 format developers are relinquishing the rights to it, will no longer charge a tax for its use, will not support and modify it, in general, they will let it float freely. And this is about MP3, which for many years was considered the leader in the field of sound on the PC. It is no exaggeration to say that any disk on any computer contains hundreds of resources in this format.
Now the value of the Format Factor is further enhanced, as conversion from MP3 to the recommended higher quality AAC is one of the most used features in Format Factory.
In addition, the factory knows the following audio formats (of course, it can convert from one to another): WMA, FLAC, MMF, AMR, M4A, M4R, OGG, MP2, WAV, WavPack.
Among the video formats used by FF, and this is perhaps the more valuable type of conversion, at least more exciting: MP4 (the passion of all lovers of Apple products), AVI (perhaps the most common video format), 3GP, MKV, WMV, MPG, VOB, FLV , SWF (Internet Super Animation Format), MOV, GIF, RMVB, FLL, WebM.
But FF doesn't stop at multimedia formats. She is also subject to many graphics. As a form at factory converter for graphics, the program knows: JPG (the most popular), PNG (brilliant alternative to GIF), ICO, BMP, GIF, TIF, PCX (albeit outdated, but they should be paid tribute to), TGA, WebP .
Among other features of the described software, we note:
We also note the environment in which this software was created:
- developer: Free Time;
- target working operating system: Windows (but the popularity of the program is so great that it is necessary to expect the appearance of its versions for other systems);
- availability of versions in 62 languages of the world;
- the first issue took place on March 1, 2008;
- version 4.1.0.0 was released on May 1, 2017;
- nature of distribution: free of charge;
- developer website: pcfreetime.com.
We work in Format Factory
Here are the program settings:
- distribution kit name (one file): FFSetup.exe;
- distribution size: 46 Mb;
- installation location: C:\Program Files\FormatFactory\;
- the ability to start: from the Main menu and from the Desktop;
- volume in the installed version: 154 MB - 147 files - 12 folders;
- executable file: formatfactory.exe.
Please note that the Picosmos Tools package is also included in the package. It can be downloaded separately or bundled with FormatFactory.
How to work in this program, even a novice user can easily figure it out. Of course, there is a menu, but it is nominal, there are the most common commands - exit, help.
All work is concentrated in the choice of conversion formats on the left, which are grouped:
- Video - here the most interesting are the lines "Mobile" and "SWF".
- Audio - here we pay attention to "AAC".
- Photo - here, among other things, Picosmos Tools are collected (if this application has not been installed before, the procedure for installing it will begin by going to the site for downloading it).
- Documents - the program is not specifically designed to work with documents, but the conversion from pdf to html may be of interest to many.
- ROM/DVD/CD/ISO - here we convert DVD to Video, Audio CD to files, even ISO to CSO and vice versa, and in addition, Bluray disc to MKV.
- Utilities - these special tools are of particular interest, they allow you to combine two videos, sound, one video and one sound file into one; get detailed information about the file.
So, to the question of how to use the program, we answer:
Questions about how to convert video or how to use the format factory are by and large not relevant here at all - everything is done extremely simply and logically.
For example, if we want to merge two audio files into one, and take a piece from both from the middle (and who interferes in this situation, first take 10 seconds (from the 20th to the 30th) from one and the same 10 from the other, get file, then take 10 seconds (from the 90th to the 100th) from the first and the same 10 from the second, get the file again, and in the end combine these two new received files - the field for editing creativity is boundless, it would be a fantasy) . For this:
- Let's go to Utilities.
- Select Merge Audio.
- Select the file format in the window that opens - you can merge files of the same format.
- Select the files themselves - "Add File".
- For each of the selected ones, select the merging range - "Set Range".
- And then, after exiting the settings window, start the process with the "Start" button. Note that if the transformation sometimes takes a long time, then the merging is a fairly fast process, everything is done literally in 30-40 seconds (although, of course, everything also depends on the duration of the merged pieces).
The Format Factory program is a very useful tool for anyone who is interested in computer audio and video formats, who works with graphics at the transformation level. But it is of particular interest to those who are looking for creativity in their work, but the techniques offered by commercial programs, for example, from Adobe, seem too complicated to them.