RipBot264 is a completely free program that will allow you to edit, encode and convert your audio and video files to a lot of different formats.
Installation & Requirements
No installation is required for the application. Simply download and extract the required files to a folder of your choice and then run the program’s executable file. You will need to download and install Java, ffdshow, AviSynth and Haali Media Splitter. The program should run on versions of Windows from XP and higher. Windows XP users will also have to install Windows Media Player.
Interface
The first thing that is immediately apparent when you start the program for the first time is its minimalistic interface. It is very elegantly designed and it will feel clean and clear even if you are working with multiple files at once. Adding files into the application is very easy. Simply click on the Add button to insert a single file or choose the Batch option to insert multiple files at once. Dragging and dropping files into the application is not supported.
Once you add files into the program you will be taken to the “New Job” window. There you can configure the output file as much as you want. You can choose from one of the many pre-existing profiles or set the options manually. IN the bottom of the window you will be able to choose an output file as well as the output format. Moreover, you can choose a cover for your output file as well as subtitles. Simply rename the subtitles to match the video’s name and put them in the same folder. Then click on the “Selectable Subtitles” button and you will be able to insert them to the output video.
Before you start the conversion process there are some options in the bottom of the window that you might want to enable. The first option is to shut your computer down when the conversion is finished. This is extremely useful when you want to convert large files or when you queue multiple files at once and you do not want to stay on your computer. In addition to that, you can choose the program to be of low or normal priority so that it does not eat up your resources when you are working on your computer. When you are ready to start the conversion, simply click on the Start button.
Although this is the main feature of the program, it is certainly not the only one. You can add a lot of plugins to the application as it is constantly updated with them. You can add anything from more conversion modes to more supported files. Finally, you use the application’s distributed encoding feature by going to the program’s folder and starting the executable file. A link to a YouTube video tutorial is also included in the files.
Pros
-No installation required
-User-friendly interface
-Extremely powerful encoding utilities
-Multiple conversion options that can be enhanced through the use of plugins
Cons
-A lot of extra software required
Conclusion
RipBot264 is one of the best conversion utilities that you could possibly hope to find. It is extremely powerful yet very easy to use for anyone. Inexperienced users will appreciate the simplicity of the options while advanced users will marvel at the depth of the program.
