We’ve previously reviewed Miro Video Converter, but the people down at the Miro mines have recently released a big update, and we thought it was worth another look at this tiny powerhouse of a video conversion app. Not only did they give it a brand new image, but they’ve added a slew of new features to match and that serve to make this app more than just a pretty face.
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The More Things Change
Miro Video Converter still does pretty much the same job as it did before. It still converts videos into lots of different formats for lots of different devices. The interface is still streamlined and simple. But if you dig deeper, there are some pretty great changes.
The first change is fairly obvious, though. The already sleek interface has gotten a facelift. Gone is the raspberry and red color scheme, in favor of graphite and gray. The previous version of Miro Video Converter relied on a single dropdown for device and format selection, and while that did lend itself to a clean look, the list of formats was itself a bit cluttered.
Gone is the raspberry pink. Sleek graphite is the order of the day.
You have to look a bit closer to see the next and more substantial change, the addition of several new output formats, and I had to open up the previous version of Miro Video Converter side by side with the latest release to match them all up. While you’ll still find all the formats from version 2.6 in the new version 3, you’re going to find brand new video formats compatible with the new retina display Apple devices, more Android devices that you can shake a stick at, and the addition of the Kindle Fire, among others.
As soon as you start working with your videos, you’re likely to notice you can convert several videos at once. Batch processing is another new feature with this release. Whereas in previous versions you could only convert a single video at a time, now you can queue up as many as you like. As they complete, you’ll see a green check appear next to the video. A progress bar will let you know how much longer the other videos are going to be.
As Simple as It Looks
Even if you’ve never used Miro Video Converter, you’ll have an easy time processing your videos into whatever format you need. The interface is intuitive and the learning curve is fairly small. Just select your original file. If you want to convert several videos at once, that’s cool, too, but they’ll all be exported with the same options, so keep that in mind.
I’ve created a queue of videos. Because I already chose a format, I’ve got a big green button, ready to convert.
Next, choose your conversion options. You’ll first have to decide what sort of device your video is intended for, whether it’s an Apple, Android, or something else. Next you’ll pick the specific device; it can be an iPod Touch or an HTC Sensation, whatever you’re going to be watching your video on. There are also some video formats you can use instead if you’re less concerned about the device and more concerned about the specifics of your output file.
Some settings, accessed by clicking the gear icon, will let you choose whether you create thumbnails and how your video is resized, if at all. If you select a custom size, you can also toggle whether you have a custom aspect ratio. There’s a clickable link to the output folder in the settings, too.
There aren’t too many settings, just enough that I don’t get overwhelmed.
When you’ve got everything just how you like it, click the big green button to start the conversion process. If you’ve done something horribly wrong, click the red button to halt the whole shebang. Clicking the graphite Clear and Start Over button will get you back to square one. Your completed videos will output to a special Miro Video Converter folder in Movies, but clicking on the link in your completed queue will get you there, too.
Final Thoughts
Miro Video Converter was already a gem of a video conversion app, especially for users like me who don’t need a lot of fiddly options. I’m not working in video production and I don’t need any professional or even semi-pro level tools. I just need a way to get my cat videos off of my camera and into iMovie, which wasn’t always easy. The simplicity of Miro Video Converter was exactly what I needed to get my incompatible videos into iMovie.
This update adds a host of compatibility to an app that was already doing a really great job. Now it just knocks it out of the park. Along with the sexy interface update, this new Miro Video Converter is a real winner.
It’s worth noting that the older version 2.6 is still up at the Mac App Store. If you want the new version 3 with all the added compatibility, you’ll have to look to the official website for the direct download. Not to worry, though; Miro Video Converter is free, though the developers do ask for a donation. So you won’t be purchasing the same software twice just because it hasn’t popped up on the Mac App Store yet. Miro Video Converter is such a solid app, so easy to use, and so nice to look at, I really wouldn’t want to wait anyway.