Options to create and convert PDF documents

PDF is a format for documents that has achieved a great popularity the last years, and has became a standard. However, the main applications don’t produce them automatically, they use their own formats. To help us with this problem, there are other programs like Pdf995, PrimoPDF, doPDF and Easy PDF, that we’ll analyze on this article.

Being considered a digital page, as it is printed exactly the same as how we see it on the screen, just like if it was a photo of the paper, sometimes we find ourselves with the need to convert a text document or other type to PDF, whether it is for business, for convenience, or because we need it to reach our addressee the way we did it, without the possibility to being edited.

One of the easiest applications to do this is Pdf995. This little program installs on our computer as it if it was another printer. To convert a document, the only action you need to perform is opening it from the source application, print and when it asks to select the printer, choose Pdf995, which will generate automatically the document.

Another similar tool is PrimoPDF. Even though the process of creating the document is the same as the one of the previous program, once we ask for the creation, we’ll get a dialog box that will allow us to add properties to the document, security passwords, as well as options to optimize the screen or printer.

doPDF, another program for PDF convertion, offers 2 ways to do it. On the one hand, through the print dialog box, just like the other programs. The other option is doing it directly though doPDF entering the file to convert on a dialog box, giving us a series of options to optimize the visualization of the generated document.

Finally, on this brief revision we’ll name EasyPDF. Unlike the other programs we’ve been seeing, EasyPDF is more than a simple file converter. It’s able to create a PDF document from scratch, adding text to it (whether it be from other files, through the clipboard or manually) and images. Furthermore, with EasyPDF we can bookmark, create hyperlinks and edit the document’s format. As it can be seen, its use goes beyond a simple converter, being a real PDF documents creator.

To conclude, the options are varied and the use of them depends on our needs. If we just want to create a PDF document without complications, Pdf995 would be most suitable. PrimoPDF or doPDF are on the same line, although they provide us with more advanced options. A program like EasyPDF, however, gives us even more possibilities, allowing us to create a more complex PDF.

Downlaod and convert Internet videos with YouTube Catcher

Did it happen to you that wanted to download a video form the Internet and you couldn´t? Nowadays, we have software that enables us to do it. One of them is YouTube Catcher (also known as aTube Catcher) that will help you to download videos from web sites like YouTube, PornoTube, Metacafe, MySpace, etc.

This application is also useful for those who work with multimedia applications or simple enjoy their favorite videos wherever, whenever. Despite having free license, it is necessary to download it in the PC you are going to use. On the other hand, we have remote applications that allow downloading without installing it and does not required any other additional software.

You can download and export the multimedia content to your computer or your mobile device, IPOD, PSP, Cell Phone, DVD, VCD, MP3 (you can extract only audio tracks from your favorite videos), the program also dishes up a bevy of useful options, such as the ability to define the quality and resolution of the video, audio channels (stereo or mono), codec’s used, 4:3 or 16:9 aspect and more. One disadvantage is that YouTube Catcher could offer the possibility of trimming parts of the video, in other words, select only the part we need to convert.

To sump up, this is one of the most used software to download videos from the internet, and those how has used it claimed that is really simple to use. On the other hand, YouTube Catcher developers needed to modify some set up options. For instance, since this software supports different output video formats (FLV, AVI, MPG, WMV, MP4, PSP, 3GP y 3G2) it encode by default some codec’s that are not supported by some users devices. Although this can be solved from the advanced set up options, should have been considered from the very beginning to avoid future problems.

All things considered, we can say that YouTube Catcher (or aTube Catcher) is a good alternative when downloading videos from the Internet without loosing quality and that offer very quick conversion.

Total Video Converter, MediaCoder and Quick Media Converter The best video converters supporting all popular video formats.

Either with a PC or a mobile, converters popularity grows by the day by allowing users to convert and plays video on mobiles quickly and easily. However, variety can sometimes be the issue, having trouble picking one out of thousands of converters. On the other hand, not all mobile support most popular video formats, that´s why we need a converter to convert video to some of the most popular video formats such as MP4, 3GP, MPEG, WMV, AVI, FLV, DV, Etc.

In this round-up, we will review three of the most popular and efficient video converters: Total Video Converter, MediaCoder and Quick Media Converter. Either we convert one or multiple files, these applications allow you to convert video files with a wide range of settings.

Quick Media Converter is a powerful and quick –as the name indicates- converter that features a nice, clean interface for novice and experienced users alike -an aspect which is certainly not found in Total Vide Converter and Media Coder, mostly the latter.

Another aspect of Quick Media Converter worth mentioning is the “easy mode” (for first timers) and “expert mode” (for experienced users) profiles.

It´s not easy to counter the simplicity and features of Quick Media Converter, but Total Video Converter will not go down without a fight.

Total Video Converter delivers an interface not as easy-to-use as Quick Media Converter, but still accessible to most users by features “Simple” and “Advanced” modes. Though Total Video Converter is very efficient and features a wide range of encoding settings, conversions might not be as fast as we would expect.

Despite this shortcoming, Total Video Converter is still one of the most popular converters, including features such as: preview; convert specific part of a video; modify aspect ratio and more. The software is designed to convert video for your mobile video player as 3gp, mp4, PSP, PS3, iPod, iPhone etc and also VCD or DVD player, XBOX360.

Last but not least, we have Mediacore, an universal batch media transcoder, which nicely integrates most popular audio/video codecs and tools into an all-in-one solution. Although MediaCoder an overloaded interface (some options are unnecessary for the average user) it features blazing-fast conversions due to its multi-threading design, optimized for multi-core processors (average CPU utilization on quad-core processors over 90%), making it the ideal software for converting long videos or even entire movies. Moreover, MediaCoder features a subtitle editor for you to add subtitle to any video or movie.

Each of these converters have their pros and cons, but still, each of them manage to pull at least one exclusive features.

Quick Media Converter includes a tool to capture audio and video. Total Video Converter is recommended for ripping DVD movies and MediaCoder allows you to enter the URL address of a video and convert it to another format on the fly.

In short, each of them offers different tools and settings to suit any kind of user. Nevertheless, we would get Quick Media Converter due to its conversion speed and user-friendly interface, Total Video Converter for its wide range of video formats and MediaCoder for its high-quality conversions.

iPod VideoConstructor

The great variety of formats has brought a problem to most users. We also have devices that work with a specific format, reason why we need to have additional software like iPod VideoConstructor.

To take full advantage of the iPod and its benefits, we need to have an incredible amount of software according to the functions this device has. iPod VideoConstructor is one of them, since it allows us to carry out different actions with video files, offering the possibility of converting format to play them in an iPod, rip any DVD to the computer and capture videos from a camera or a TV tuner.

An interesting option of iPod VideoConstructor is that has support to convert everything or just part of any video, offering the possibility of getting rid of those part we do not want. Another advantage that is worth mention is the “Preview” option that allow us to watch the video before converting it, to verify how it will be according to the modifications we have made regarding the audio and video quality. It is also important to mention that iPod VideoConstructor has support for most of the popular video formats like AVI, DIVX, XVID, MP4, MPG, and many more.

iPod VideoConstructor has a non original interface although it is very simple and practical, features “Rewind” and “Forward” buttons that makes their use easy, and a direct access to the different elements of the program in a handy drop-down menu. We can also access all these options easily from the left part of the screen, where we found a pleasant module with detailed options. The searcher stands out by its simplicity, through it, we can look for files through out our computer in the search for files we want to convert without the need of closing the software and look it on Windows.

The length of the conversion process might vary from computer to computer, but iPod VideoConstructor consumes very few resources and processes data fast, something that is positive in comparison to other converters. In spite of this, we cannot let mention the annoying that can be the advertisements published on its interface.

As we could see, iPod VideoConstructor is a really interesting software that stands out by its capacity to carry out these three important actions regarding video: converting formats, ripping, and capturing videos. All things considered, we can say that this application is an interesting option when looking for a software that allows converting and ripping your videos.

Convert audio and video with MediaCoder

Nowadays, it is pretty common that when we want to play audio or video files these are set up in non-recognized formats by PC players or different mobile devices. MediaCoder is a universal batch media transcoder, which nicely integrates most popular audio/video codecs and tools into an all-in-one solution. This way we can convert and compress different files to conventional formats.

MediaCoder supports MP3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, DivX, Xvid, WMA, QuickTime, RealAudio, and many more that can be converted to any type of format compatible with other electronic devices such as mobile phones, PDA, PSP, DVD or VCD player among them.

MediaCoder features a user-friendly interface divided in different working areas. On the top we found the tools bar with the necessary options to set up our files. For this specific set up, we have some options located at the bottom with the necessary controls adjustments for the file parameters we want to change. In the central part of the screen we can locate the files we extract from the computer or any portable disc for its later conversion. To the left we found a detailed list with some properties as, size, format and file duration.

With MediaCoder you will be able to choose between different parameters according to your set up preferences. Here we offer some advice about them. The steps we must follow in a video file are: Choose “video”, we recommended you to select XviD format, set up an average quality (700/800 Kbps), and as mode, “Quality-based”. For MP3 chose “Audio”, you can also choose the coder: MP3HD. To finish, click on “Add” located on the tools bar at the top and chose the files you want to convert or compress, click on “Start”, if you want to clear the file list click on “Clear”.

Explore the different options and functionalities of MediaCoder. This application is very easy to use. Explore MediaCoder and you will improve your files taking advantage of them in the proper format for your device.

Convert iPod videos with iSquint

IPod has become the most used portable player. It is not accidental that many programs that integrate their potential with personal computers have been designed lately. In this opportunity we will talk about one of the simplest and practical video converters: iSquint

The use of IPod , the popular Apple portable player, requires a series of additional applications that help us, among other things, to load different contents to our reproducer. A good example of this is iSquint, a useful application that help us when converting the formats of our favorite videos, so that they can be compatible with IPod . A video file that hasn´t being converted with this tool won´t manage to be visualized on IPod .

iSquint will allow us to convert the most popular video formats from PC to MPEG-4 and H.264, so that not only we can enjoy it in our IPod , but also in other player model as PSP. This software features a user-friendly interface and adds new functions like dragged & drop. This function simplifies the loading process of several videos simultaneously and avoids the trouble when searching files in folders and subfolders.

One of the main features of iSquint is the possibility of fitting the video parameters according to the space we have available in our IPod . This way we can resign image and sound quality to reduce the video size according to our preferences. Another function that is worth mention is the one that allow us to optimize the video quality destined to be reproduce in the screen of any home TV.

Continuing with the description of the software, it is important to mention that for advanced users iSquint offer certain options that can be modified manually. For example, those who know about video conversion can set up the number of pictures per seconds, the bitrates, and many other.

An important aspect that iSquint does not offers is the video conversion speed. The process can be slow and does not offer any button in case we want to stop it if we have mistaken.

To sump up, we can say that iSquint is a converter that stands out between other programs thanks to the simplification of the processes it offers. This way, is an excellent option for those IPod and computer users that want to convert any video format.

How to convert videos into iPhone-compatible format

It seems like a cliché among iPhone users to run into video playback issues. The issue lies on the device specific video format. Therefore, we must first convert them in order to play them on our iPhone properly.

Even though Apple´s iPhone offers numerous features, we found a few issues when importing and playing specific multimedia files. This is due to the short amount of formats the device supports, which inevitably forces us to have a tool like iPhone Converter to work with file formats unsupported by iPhone.

Next, we will show you how to convert video files quickly and easily with iPhone Converter.

Upon running the application, click on Add –located on the top bar- and a browser will be displayed for us to select the files. It´s worth mentioning that iPhone Converter can convert more than one video at a time.

Select the file(s) added on the main box and beneath it you can customize conversion options.

We´ll start by selecting the output format (MPEG-4 o H.264) on the Conversion Settings tab. Once we´ve done that, we can customize video options in the Video Settings tab. Just to name a few, we can adjust the definition (we can choose among several default sizes, though we can also customize width and height in X and Y boxes). We can also modify Frame per Second (16, 24 and 30fps) in the Framerate box, and image quality allowing users to choose different bitrates –for iPhone devices it is recommended to choose 768 kbps.

As for audio options, inside Audio Settings we can customize audio channels (mono or stereo), bitrate quality (64 kbps recommended for iPhone) and sample rate to choose different frequencies (24000, 44100 or 48000 KHz. The higher the frequency, the better the quality).

The next step is to the folder where converted videos will be saved. Click Browse next to Path Information and select the folder where you want to save the videos.

Before starting the conversion process, we can preview the videos by clicking Preview, or just start converting them. Upon hitting the convert button, we will be asked to register, ignore the message and click Later to continue.

In a matter of second iPhone Converter will convert the select videos into iPhone compatible format.

As you can see, the whole process takes just a few seconds. Simply, select the video you want to convert, set the conversion parameters (format and quality) and set the destination folder. iPhone Converter will do the rest.

With so many audio formats floating around the internet, we need audio application to convert them. To do so, you´ll need tools such as Free Mp3 Wma Converter a conversion tool that supports a wide range of audio formats.

Free Mp3 Wma Converter

If you want to be able to convert all of your music tracks, ringtones, recordings made with friends, interviews, and all sorts of other audio between different formats, we have the perfect tool for you. With FFree Mp3 Wma Converter one of the most popular audio converters on the market, you’ll be able to convert all your audio files from one format to another and take advantage of the different benefits of each one.

As its name indicates, Free Mp3 Wma Converter is a free application. It is also easy to use and lets you quickly and efficiently convert all your recorded audio into any of the four “big” formats that are so popular today: MP3, WMA, Ogg and WAV. You can move from one format to another or, if you prefer, keep the same format but change the quality (converting from MP3 to MP3, for example).

In the latest release of Free Mp3 Wma Converter, you’ll find that it’s now possible to convert your files to the AAC, .ape, FLAC, AC3, and MP4 formats, meaning that you can convert your entire iTunes music library (stored in the MP4 format) to any other format.

What´s more, during the installation process, Free Mp3 Wma Converter offers you the possibility of downloading two additional programs: Free CD Ripper, which can extract the tracks from an audio CD straight to MP3 or another format, and Easy Audio Cutter, and audio editor. Right after the installation finished, a window automatically appears allowing you to select the language you wish to set.

Free Mp3 Wma Converter features an easy to use interface to simplify all conversion operations. On the upper side of the window we must add the audio files we wish to convert and under this box we have the output configuration settings to set the format and folder where files will be saved.

The process for using the program is simple and effective: simply choose the audio file that you want to convert and select the output folder and format. You’ll find advanced settings available for each type of audio file. In the case of MP3 files, for example, you can change aspects such as the frequency and the audio channels, apply filters, and much more.

In short, we can state that Free Mp3 Wma Converter is more than a fine alternative for converting audio files. Thanks to its practical and comfortable interface, we can convert the most popular audio formats in a matter of seconds.

Download Free Mp3 Wma Converter

Sick and tired of the same old desktop style? Bored of the same old desktop wallpapers? Screensavers make no difference whatsoever? If the answer is “yes”, then it´s time for you to try Vista Transformation Pack: the most complete Windows Vista theme for Windows XP

Vista Transformation Pack

Vista Transformation Pack is the new program for updating and configuring the visual appearance of your PC, so you can have it just the way you like it. It’s an application that lets you transform the interface of your copy of Windows XP so that it has the look of Microsoft’s more recent operating system, the Windows Vista. With Vista Transformation Pack you’ll get to change not only the visual themes, but also the startup screen, mouse cursors, screensavers, sidebars, clock, and much, much more…

Among the different changes featured in this new version of Vista Transformation Pack we can enumerate: CPU information now displayed in the Welcome Centre, background installation, a new option to install with the recommended settings for your particular PC, an added Flip 3D clone -which clones the famous Flip3D task switcher for Vista- and a new transparent glass effect for windows – without a doubt one of the most attention-grabbing features of Windows Vista. All of them will give your computer a new face.

This original application also installs several free tools, such as Glass2k and LClock. The first of these two allows you to set a transparency effect on the windows, whilst the second modifies the appearance of the clock located in the system tray.
Vista Transformation Pack features an installation process that no user will have problems with: various windows will open asking you which of the changes you wish to make, what screen resolution you prefer, and what application mode you want to use. Last of all, it’s worth taking a look at the window in which you specify the components to tweak: you can simply follow the instructions when doing this but don’t forget that this program overwrites a lot of files belonging to the operating system.

Although Vista Transformation Pack is a very stable program, it can represent a real problem to Windows. For example, some operations and features of your computer could start to take longer than usual. Also, it is a program which takes up pretty much space, which is why it is advisable that it be installed only in PCs that have a good data processing capacity.

In short, this Vista Transformation Pack new version represents a pretty interesting option for those users who want to experience their operational system’s appearance in a completely different way, and without having the need to install Windows Vista.

Download Vista Transformation Pack

The possibilities offered by mobile phones in terms of playing videos tend to be limited to the 3GP format. This will be the right time to resort to a tool which can convert all the video files stored on our computer to our mobile 3PG format. An example of such a tool is 3GP Converter.

As we all know, nowadays mobile phones allow us to record and play video files, and then store them in their memories. These files can be saved in PC compatible formats as well. Similarly, it is possible to copy video files from the computer to the mobile, but the rather the latter will be able to play them or not, will depend on the formats it supports. To solve this problem you can use 3GP Converter, a tool for the conversion of video files to a format used by mobile phones (3GP).

To begin the conversion click the “Open” option and browse to the relevant file in the window that opens. The name of the file should appear automatically in the box below the “Input file” field.

The next step consists in selecting the properties of the new video, and here you’ll be able to make some adjustments to the default settings. Among these options you’ll find the one called “Bitrate”, which refers to the bit transfer rate. In the box placed to the left you’ll be able to choose the codec type you want to use during the process (MPEG4 or H.263). “Framerate” shows the frames assigned to the new file. Last but not least, the box “New Resolution” suggests the new video file’s width and height proportions, features that you can change if desired.

Once you’ve selected these options, and so as to finish your job, click on “Convert” and the program will start the conversion. When it’s finished, it’ll let you know whether or not it was able to successfully convert the file. The delay time will be influenced by two factors: the first one is the source file’s size, the second, our computer’s capacity to process the information. Probably a dual-core processor will be quicker than a single-core one. If the result is not the expected one, you’ll have to try other parameter settings.

As you’ve seen, it takes just a few simple steps to convert a video file to the 3GP format. Therefore, even though there are many programs that could carry out this same task, 3GP Converter,is highly recommendable due to its functionalism and practicality, specially for inexperienced users.

Download 3GP Converter