Sometimes, you may need to convert a file to another format. Maybe it is because the original file format is not supported by your application or a service, or because you would like to reduce its size.
Plenty of tools exist to do that using dedicated programs on all major operating systems. Many are easy to use, but it may still be necessary to download and install a program before it can be used.
File Converter is a free private online service that supports media conversions without all of that. Just launch the dedicated website of the service and start converting. There is no need to install software or extensions, and the developer says that everything happens right in the browser.
In other words, you do not need an active Internet connection to convert files. In theory at last. Here is why:
- To access the site, you do need to be online (there is no offline mode)
- Furthermore, the FFMpeg WASM file needs to be downloaded.
Good news is that your files are not transferred to a server on the Internet during the process.
As far as file support is concerned, it is pretty good. The service supports a wide range of image, video, and audio file formats. To name a few: job, png, webp, webm, mp4, or mp3.
Use of the service is super-simple. Drop files on the designated area on the webpage, or click on it to open a file browser. Once you have added at least one supported file, pick the desired output format from the convert to menu.
Last step is to click on the convert files button to get the process started. Since it happens locally, performance depends on the local machine.
What are the downsides?
There are not many, but if you have converted media in the past you may have noticed that I did not mention customizations.
The reason for that is simple: there are not any. You cannot change anything, including:
- Quality of images or audio files.
- Resolution of videos.
If you need that, you need to find a different tool for the job.
Also, the digital file needs to be on the local device already. This is true for the majority of converters, maybe even all though.
Closing Words
If you need to convert a batch of media files to a different format, without changing anything else about them, then File Converter may be a suitable tool for the job.
If you need more control, you could check out the native FFMPEG or other programs, such as Handbrake for video, fre:ac for audio, or XnConvert for images.
What about you? Do you use online or offline media converters? If so, which do you use and why? Feel free to leave a comment with your preferred tools below.
“Private Online service” is an oxymoron.
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#1 Nothing online is private.
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#2 Anything you put online is there forever and out of your control.
I have used VidCoder before. Pretty good, free, and does not require an internet connection.
I use mainly ‘Online Convert’ [https://www.online-convert.com/].
Focusing on PDF, ‘Online PDF Converter’ [https://www.pdf2go.com/]
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I’ll have a look of course at this ‘File Converter’, which by the way could have a real, specific name rather than a description : “Convert images and videos free, online and privacy-friendly” is not a name, it’s a description, and using this default name to reference a bookmark is bothering.
Generally speaking I linger to understand why so many sites have their name preceded by their function rather than the opposite : IMO the logic is “NAME, function” and not “FUNCTION, name”. Doing it the right way allows to easily keep a site’s different pages bookmarked alphabetically on the NAME …
I use VLC and Handbrake for AV conversion, Calibre for document conversion and Paint for image converstion because I’ve got them on my machine already, and they all have decent track records.