Flash to Video-- Flash to Video Converter, SWF to Video Converter

Review of SWF to Video Converter

"The program Sothink SWF to Video Converter is the best program that I know to convert videos with extension swf to other extensions or formats..." This is a review of Sothink SWF to Video Converter by Donetzka. SWF to Video Converter can perfectly convert Macromedia SWF files to AVI, MPEG, iPod movie (MP4), 3GP movie (3GPP/3GPP2), PSP movie (MP4), animated GIF, or Image Series (BMP, PNG, GIF, and JPEG), and always maintain excellent picture quality. It also provides advanced editing and watermark function.

 

 

Sothink SWF to Video Converter

Sothink, producer of many Flash and Java tools, have now created the SWF to Video Converter utility, which allows you to convert Flash .swf files to multiple video formats.

Flash movies and games are becoming more common with the creation of easier tools to manipulate them, but SWF files are only playable on computers or devices with a Flash player and ActiveX controls. Which means that if you want to play the files on your VCD/DVD player, iPod, or a different portable device, you're out of luck.Unless, of course, you have this utility?

The SFW to Video Converter is downloadable at Sothink's website (http://www.sothink.com) with a 30-day trial period. All features are useable in the trial version, though the company logo will be embedded on any video you output. You can buy the full version online and immediately unlock the program after entering your registration key. Installation is quick, and the program is very intuitive and easy to use. It supports Flash versions 6, 7, MX and version 8 formats. Conversion encompasses audio, video, and action scripts, allowing you to convert not only non-interactive media but also flash games into video format.

SWF to Video Converter can output the Flash files to AVI, MP4 (iPod movie format), GIF, animated GIF, BMP, JPEG, and PNG files. Conversion is very quick, and the output quality is high, with controls for sound and video quality, including video codec selection. You can crop the video to your liking, resize the final output video, and add your own watermarks with alpha channel, sizing, and positioning control. Conversion is smooth, with no sound or frame skipping in the final product, and synchronization between sound and video is kept intact.

There are two conversion modes to choose from, interactive and frame-by-frame. With interactive selected, users can choose any portions of the Flash file to convert. You can start and stop whenever you want, allowing you to pick and choose which portions of a video are finally shown. Frame-by-Frame conversion will automatically convert every single frame of an FLV file into video, though this means it isn't interactive, so flash games aren't viable in this mode. Also, sound will not record in this mode, though you can import your own sound into the movie in both this and interactive mode. Channels, sample rate, and bit rate of sounds can all be configured easily, though you cannot save the sound from the Flash file separately.

The only downside to the program is the lack of support for .flv files, the format used to show video via the Adobe Flash Player. Popular sites such as YouTube, Google Video, and MySpace all use the .flv extension and having the ability to convert the massive amount of content they contain would have made this program more worthwhile. The pricing for the program may drive the more casual users away, though discounts are available for companies wishing to purchase multiple copies.

What Sothink's product does, however, it does well. With a file size of only 5 megabytes, it's fast to download, easy to install, and it functions simply and elegantly, using a wizard interface. Users should be able to figure out the program and start converting in only a handful of minutes, without needing to touch the help file which contains a quick and easy to understand tutorial.

Sothink SWF to Video Converter is available on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003, for MSRP $79.95.

http://www.sothinkmedia.com/