You have a camcorder full of AVCHD clips, or a folder of .ts recordings, and your player, phone or editor won't open them. Re-encoding them one at a time by hand is slow. Xilisoft HD Video Converter is a Windows converter built around high-definition formats. It also handles ordinary video and audio, so one tool can cover both jobs.
Quick facts
- Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP (SP2 or later). A separate Mac version exists.
- List price: $39.95, shown by the vendor as currently discounted to $29.95.
- Trial: a free download is offered, and the vendor advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Languages: German, Chinese, English, Japanese, French and Spanish.
Key features
Convert AVCHD, TS, MKV and H.264/H.265 files
It reads AVCHD (mts, m2ts), H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, MKV, MPEG-2 TS, DivX, HD WMV, MPEG-4 and QuickTime. You can go from HD to standard definition, or upscale an SD video to an HD format. It also takes common formats like AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, FLV, RM and MOV, plus audio such as MP3, WMA, AAC and WAV.
Faster encoding with multi-core CPUs and GPUs
The program detects multi-core CPUs and spreads the work across them. It also supports NVIDIA CUDA and ATI Stream encoding, which the vendor says can raise HD encoding speed up to 5X.
Hit a target file size, clip segments, or split files
Type the file size you need into the Bitrate Calculator and the converter works out the settings. You can convert just one segment by setting a start time and duration. You can also split a file by size or by time.
Several output formats from one source
Add multiple profiles to a single source file and get every format in one run. You can customize video, audio and picture parameters and save your own profile for next time.
Send converted files straight to your devices
After conversion, files can transfer directly to iPad, iPhone, iPod, PSP and iTunes. Output profiles are grouped by device, and the HD formats sit together in their own group. Apple's iTunes must be installed for the Apple transfers.
Batch jobs, background running and snapshots
It supports multithreading and batch conversion, so you can queue many files. It can run in the background, and it can exit, hibernate or stand by when the queue finishes. The built-in player is resizable, has 4:3 and 16:9 zoom modes, and can save snapshots as pictures. You can also capture pictures from a video at set intervals as JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG.
Who it's for
It suits you if you shoot or collect AVCHD, TS or MKV footage and need it in a more widely playable format. It also suits you if you want one converter for video, audio and picture extraction. The profile lists cover iPad, iPhone, PSP, Xbox, Android and Windows phones, so it works well if you prepare files for several devices. You also get a Bitrate Calculator and custom profiles for fine-tuning.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Wide HD input and output coverage, including HEVC and AVCHD.
- Multi-core and GPU acceleration.
- Target-size conversion, clipping, splitting and multi-profile output.
- Light requirements: 1GHz processor, 256MB RAM (512MB recommended) and 100MB of disk space.
Cons
- Windows only in this edition; Mac users need the separate Mac version.
- The default AVI output uses the DivX codec, so you may need to install DivX to play those files in Windows Media Player.
- Transfers to Apple devices require iTunes.
- The 5X speed-up depends on having a compatible NVIDIA or ATI graphics card.
FAQs
Does it convert HD video to standard definition?
Yes. You can convert HD to SD, or go the other way and upgrade an SD video to an HD format.
Can it convert only part of a video?
Yes. Set the start time and length in the advanced profile settings. For a three-minute clip from the start, use 00:00:00 and 00:03:00.
Which format is best for backing up video to my PC?
The vendor recommends AVI for small size with good quality. It says H.264 gives the best quality but a larger file and slower conversion.
Can I extract audio or pictures?
Yes. It converts video to audio, and it captures pictures from video as JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG.
System requirements
- OS: Windows 11 / 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP (SP2 or later)
- Processor: 1GHz Intel/AMD or above
- RAM: 256MB (512MB or above recommended)
- Disk space: 100MB for installation
- Graphics: Super VGA (800×600), 16-bit or higher