Computers, whether desktop or laptop, lack support for optical discs such as CDs, DVDs or Blu-ray. The use of this type of media is on the decline, but there are still many out there. You probably still have some with content that you would like to save and the easiest way is to use a storage software. video conversion pass it directly to MP4.
Selecting the MPEG-4 format, better known to everyone as MP4, is the smartest option for a conversion. The first reason is that it is a multimedia format supported by practically any device and operating system. Furthermore, the conversion process is extremely simple.
VLC is the simplest and most versatile
Although there are many different converters, the option I like the most to convert video is VLC Media Player, or better known simply as VLC. Most people have it as a simple media player, but it has many hidden features. Among these functions is converting any video to different formats. It is true that the list of formats is not as extensive as other tools, but it allows you to convert to MP4, which is what is interesting.
The process is really simple:
- We must open the VLC Media software.
- We will now click on the “Media” option.
- We go down until we find the option to “Convert…” although we can also do it with the shortcut Cntl + R.
- We now have several options. We can convert a file that we have on the computer. In addition, it allows you to convert from an optical disk, from an Internet file and from a video capture device. We have added a file that we already had on the computer.
- Once the video has been added we must click on “Convert / Save”.
- Now we will look for the “Profile” option, within “Preferences”. Here we are shown all the file formats to which we can convert the video. We have chosen the MP4 option, but there are many others.
- We now choose the folder where we want it to be saved by clicking on “Export”.
- After this we must click on “Start”.
- Now the conversion process starts. The blue bar will indicate how the process is going. Once it finishes and disappears, the converted video is now where we told you.
As you can see, this process is relatively simple and allows you to convert the video to different formats. It also allows you to extract the audio and use it for other things, depending on the needs of each user. If you don’t have it, you can download it free of charge from the official website.
Alternatives to change the format in videos
There are different more specific programs to carry out this task and that are more complete. In the end VLC is more designed to play video, although it adds this little-known function. Some interesting options are:
- Handbrake: Quite complete open source software that allows you to perform a wide variety of format conversions. It offers the ability to modify many parameters and add filters or subtitles. It is not the most efficient software, although it is completely free and does not have advertising. You can download it from here.
- Any Video Converter Free: As you can imagine, this program has a free version and a paid version. This is already starting to be a problem, since the free version has certain limitations, such as somewhat slow conversion and some formats it does not let you use. The interface is not the best and can sometimes cause problems. You have the option to download it from its own website.
- WinX Video Converter: Free solution that offers support for a huge number of formats. In addition, it allows the compression of videos in 4K and HD formats without loss of quality with a few simple adjustments. It offers the editing option, although the settings are quite basic and limited. From here you can download this program.