Video conversion tools
Top spot goes to HandBrake. This is the most complete of the programs while still maintaining ease of use. Of particular note is the huge range of output presets, which mean you should rarely need to delve into the mysterious world of video encoding settings. Instead, just pick your intended use and let the preset take care of the details. The HandBrake GUI contains more options that the others, with the possible exception of
Shutter Encoder, but it does so in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the user. The tabbed interface is a great help here, showing the details in small chunks.
An honourable second place goes to Avidemux. While the program does look rather dated, the interface works well. The lack of a decent set of output presets, the worst of the bunch, is this program’s only real black mark. Offsetting that deficiency is the ease of use of the program, plus the video-editing capabilities that give more control for selective transcoding than any of the others.
VLC is normally used for playing videos from a wide variety of sources, something it does very well. It’s not much of a step from playing those videos to writing them back to disk via a standard encoder. While not the best of the programs here, you may well have it installed already so it’s worth considering for the occasional transcoding job when you can avoid the hassle of finding your way around yet another program
Shutter Encoder stands out because it’s different, and the differences make it less easy to get to grips with. It may be worth considering as some of those differences may make it suitable to the workflow in which you want to use it. Although, for general video conversion, if probably isn’t worth the effort of learning. It’s definitely not short on features. It’s just a shame that they’re less friendly to use.
Something had to come last, and Curlew is not a bad program, but it was let down by its lack of features. Having said that, if you don’t need the features that the others offer, this is a simple and elegant program that does the job with a minimum of fuss – and a minimum of options.
Of course, you’re not limited to one of these programs. You could use Handbrake for general conversion, Avidemux when you want to edit the video and VLC or Curlew when you just want a quick, no-fuss conversion.