Finding a reliable video converter that’s easy to use and works with all the formats you may need isn’t easy. Plus, you usually have to deal with quality issues and slow conversions. That’s why I’m excited to try out Movavi Video Converter 20 Premium. The software promises to be fast, offers easy editing, and works with over 180 different formats. I’ll admit that I was impressed from the start due to the easy installation without any extra software included. If you’re like me, you’ve tried out other video converters that came with some questionable extras, and that includes some premium converters. So, Movavi passed that initial test with flying colors.
Getting Started
When you first open Movavi Video Converter 20 Premium, you’re greeted with a surprisingly clean, minimalist window. Instead of numerous menus and sub-menus, everything’s laid out with large icons, tabs, and the main conversion area. Seeing most of your options at a glance like this definitely makes Movavi easier to use and also sets it apart from other video converters.
Overview of Features
Before diving in to how everything works and testing the software, let’s take a look at some of the main features. As you can see from the tabs, Movavi Video Converter 20 Premium doesn’t just work with videos. This makes it a great multi-purpose converter, as you can convert music, images, and even different device formats. Each tab lists the main categories for the conversions. Simply click the category icon to view the various options. Another main feature of this video converter is speed. Movavi utilizes SuperSpeed technology to handle conversions quickly without any loss of quality. According to Movavi’s speed comparison chart, you get speeds up to 79 times faster. I’ll let you know how fast things were myself a little later on. It’s important to note that much of the conversion speed optimization is due to how the software makes the most of your system’s hardware. While it’s still supposed to be fast, Movavi further optimizes speed through the use of multi-core processors, AMD hardware acceleration, Intel HD Graphics, NVIDIA NVENC, and NVDEC. Naturally, you want a video converter that can handle most any format you throw at it. I won’t list all of the more than 180 formats here, but you can check Movavi’s full list of video, audio, and image formats to ensure the format you want is covered. Personally, I don’t see much of anything missing. If you’re converting from/to a specific device, the software automatically detects your device. Just connect and you’re ready. A few more notable features include:
Optimized video compression without errors or loss of qualityRetain full HD and Ultra HD quality when converting those formatsConvert without needing to dig through numerous settings to get things just rightCheck how the final result will look before going through a full conversion with the Convert Sample featureEdit multiple files at onceEditing features include trimming, rotating, adding captions, inserting watermarks, enhancing quality, stabilizing, and more
As you can see, Movavi has some impressive features. Of course, you’re here to see if those features actually work.
System Requirements
For the best possible results, you’ll want to meet Movavi Video Converter 20 Premium’s minimum system requirements. These include:
Up-to-date Windows 7/8/101 GHz processor (Intel and AMD are recommended)AMD Radeon R600, Intel HD Graphics 2000, NVIDIA GeForce series 8, or any higher versions of these graphic cards (if you’re having issues, you may need to update your drivers. I did notice a difference in speed after I updated my outdated Intel HD driver.)2 GB RAM120 MB disk space for the installation itself, but you’ll want at least 750 MB for conversion space1280 x 768 screen resolution
While I’m testing the Windows version, there is also a Mac version available.
Working with Movavi
It only took me a few minutes to explore the initial options. Personally, I’m loving how easy it is to navigate. The search feature, which is located beside the tabs below the editing window, shows you all available options for a keyword. For instance, I entered “lg” to search for available LG device conversions and got the following result list. My next step is testing a video conversion. I’m using a video that’s almost half a gigabyte to see just how fast the converter works. All you have to do is drag the video (or other file type) or a folder into the editing window. If you need help at any point, click the “?” icon, which I was prompted to do since it was my first conversion. For my first test, I’m converting an MP4 to AVI. Use the “Save to” at the bottom of the window to change where files are saved. If you want to make any changes before converting, simply click the drop-down arrows on any of the options for the video you’re editing. Before converting, I tried the “Convert Sample” feature to test the quality. It finished quickly. Press Convert to start. The conversion took around thirty seconds, which was surprisingly fast. I had a few other programs open during the process, and they didn’t even lag. However, for much larger videos, you may notice issues if you try to multitask, especially if a virus scan is running. The converted video looks and sounds just like the original. I also tested the same file and compressed it, using the original MP4 format. This also finished fast, with no lag, and the final result looked great. I had a few videos I wanted to just pull the audio from. The process took less than five seconds and the audio quality was a perfect copy from the video, maybe even a little sharper. I also tried converting multiple videos at once by adding a folder. The process took longer, of course. However, the speed stayed consistent with my original test. In a batch conversion of ten videos of approximately 500 MB each, I only had to wait about five minutes, which isn’t bad at all. My final test for the converter was video editing. Much like converting, the editor was a pleasure to use. Movavi isn’t quite as complex as some video editors, but that’s actually a benefit. However, you’ll find most everything you need for basic and even more advanced editing.
Conclusion
Overall, Movavi Video Converter 20 Premium lives up to its claims. My conversions weren’t quite as fast as the speed chart, but still faster than other converters I’ve used. The only cons I came across were the program is slow to open. In fact, it took longer to open the software than convert a single video. Also, unless you tick the box to hide it, you’re prompted to buy the entire video suite each time you close the software. But, ticking the box is an easy fix. Finally, I do highly recommend going through the simple tutorial the first time you use Movavi. Even though it’s incredibly intuitive, tutorials are always helpful. If you’d like to try out Movavi Video Converter 20 Premium for yourself, you can pick it up directly from Movavi. For Windows and Mac it will cost $39.95 for a one-year subscription. You can get lifetime access for $49.95. A free trial is available, too.
