Aimersoft Video Converter for Mac

The only major drawback in our top-rated Mac video converter was its inability to convert audio files; Aimersoft Video Converter for Mac (standard version) does not suffer the same fault. In fact, it falls behind only in terms of editing features and ease of use. That is why it is ourTopTenREVIEWS Silver Award winner.

Features    

Aimersoft Video Converter for Mac has nearly all of the features you could want in a Mac video conversion application. It lacks only a few of the more advanced editing tools, such as adding a watermark, creating slideshows from still images and a bitrate calculator to help you determine output quality and file size. It does not offer the ability to directly split video files into multiple, smaller files, though this can easily be done manually. Just load the video file into the application as many times as you want the file split (for example, load the original into the software five times if you want five segments). Use the software’s trimming tool to cut the videos into the proper segments, make sure the output format is the same for all the files, and click Start to create your split files.
Merging multiple video files into one larger file is much easier. After loading the desired files into the Mac video converter and making sure they all have matching output formats and parameters, check the Merge into One File box at the bottom of the screen, then click Start. The software will combine everything together for you and export the new file to the location you specify.
There are a number of other handy editing tools available with this Mac video converter. You can crop the image to remove unwanted objects from your video using a click-and-drag box, or you can use the sliders at the bottom of the edit screen to manually determine the crop region down to the exact pixel. You can also rotate the video in 90 degree turns (a useful tool if you accidentally held your camera or phone at the wrong orientation). Flip the video to create an upside-down or mirror image of the original. Mac users who record video with their built-in camera will appreciate this function, as the Mac camera records a flipped video in the first place. And of course, you can make adjustments to the image itself through brightness, saturation and contrast adjustment sliders. You can also raise or lower the base volume level of the audio that accompanies your video, or apply one of six special visual effects like Old Film or Negative for a quirky touch.
Of course, its easy to compare your edits to the original video with the handy side-by-side preview; the original video is shown on the left, while the video you've adjusted and edited with the Mac video converter is displayed on the right. Like the changes you made? Apply them to all the videos in your conversion queue by clicking Apply to All.
Aimersoft Video Converter for Mac offers helpful features for the actual conversion process as well. We found that the conversion profiles were both well organized and well chosen; there were no unnecessary profiles in the list, and all were easy to find. The profiles are divided into eight categories, including Apple Devices (like iPods and Apple TV), Apple Software (iDVD, iMovie, Final Cut Pro), Game Console, Portable Video Players, HD Movie, Mobile Phone, Video and Audio. Each profile is designed to optimize output quality for the device in question, which takes the guesswork out of Mac video conversion for you. Of course, you can tweak any of the settings if they don’t exactly meet your goals, so you’re sure to always get the best quality video for your needs.
You can also extract the audio track from a video file by converting it to one of a number of common audio formats, and you can extract a still image from a video by using the handy snapshot button next to the media player.

Supported Video Formats    

Aimersoft Video Converter for Mac handles all of the most common video formats, like MPEG and MPEG-4, Adobe Flash formats, DVD files, QuickTime movies and a wide array of high-definition formats. Unlike our top-rated Mac video converter, this application can convert videos to SWF files, though it cannot convert from or to RealMedia (.rm or .rmvb) file formats.

Other Supported Formats    

This Mac video converter can easily convert between almost every audio file format available, including less-common formats like OGG and APE, so you know you’ll always be able to load your music into iTunes or onto your phone, regardless what format it’s in when you download or purchase it.
Though Aimersoft Video Converter for Mac cannot convert image files, it can export your snapshots of video scenes as either JPG or BMP files; export it as a JPG and you’re sure to have an image that can be read by almost any software or internet application.

Ease of Use    

This was the one category that presented major drawbacks in our review process. It took us several minutes to figure out how to navigate between the editing tools screen and the main conversion screen. As it turns out, you have to click the red X button in the top-left corner of the editing screen to return to the conversion screen. We clicked the X, thinking that it would close everything, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that it took us exactly where we wanted to go: back to the main screen. Other Mac video converter applications use an OK/Cancel button combination in the bottom-right of the editing screen. This is a much more intuitive and less confusing option, one which we wish Aimersoft Studio would utilize as well.
The main window lacks a separate area with output options, which makes it a little difficult to tweak the conversion profile. You have to click the output icon (which looks like whatever conversion profile you have selected – for example, an iPod) to change the conversion profile. From there, you must click the Options button to further customize the output parameters. Again, we found other applications in our review that made this process much smoother.

Help & Support    

This software offers the very best help and support features of any of the Mac video conversion applications we reviewed. In addition to the basics—checking for updates, FAQs, an email address and an online contact form—Aimersoft Studio offers great online support. From how-to tutorials to specific conversion tips, you’ll find anything you need to know on the website. There is even a glossary of common conversion terms and file formats. There is no specific user manual per se; rather, a brief tutorial on the three-step conversion process serves as your introduction to the converter's features.

Summary

We found Aimersoft Video Converter for Mac to be a great tool for converting and editing both audio and video files. If you’re looking for an application that’s a little more intuitive to navigate, check out our side-by-side comparison of Mac video converters.

Developer: License / Price: Size / OS: Binary Format: Last Updated: Category:

Aimersoft Studio Demo / USD 54.95  17.2 MB / Mac OS X 10.5 or later  Intel only April 11th, 2011, 23:32 UTC Home / Multimedia

<<back