HOW TO CONVERT VIDEOS

HOW TO CONVERT VIDEOS

This short guide will explain how to convert movie files from a cell phone into files which can be imported into Windows Movie Maker editing software.

What is converting and why do we need to do it?

Coverting is when you change the format of a movie file. This doesn’t change what is on the movie file, but it does change the quality, and also enables you to do different things with the file.

The movie files in your cell phone will end with the format .mp4

In order to import these files into Windows Movie Maker, they will need to end with .wmv

There are two ways of going about this.

Method One:

In order to convert a movie file you must have conversion software.

The conversion software you will use is called MPEG Streamclip. This software can be downloaded from the internet for free.

Windows (XP, Vista) users please go to the web address:

http://www.alfanet.it/squared5/MPEG_Streamclip_1.2.zip

  • As soon as you key that in, a message should prompt you to save a zip file.
  • Save the file. Unzip/extract the contents of the file. Double click on the file ‘MPEG_Streamclip.exe’ for the installation of the software to begin
  • You may be prompted to download QuickTime player basic – which is needed for the converter to work.
  • If you don’t already have QuickTime player 7 or above, visit
  • http://www.filehippo.com/download_quicktime_alternative/?2615
  • Click on the ‘Download This Version’ button, on the top-right corner of the page.

OR visit

http://www.filehippo.com/download/file/54c508bf4a498fcba2b2c94a17844056dff8d2773ebb5f8bb1f79743ca4c9da8/ for the download prompt to begin directly.

  • The above should get you version 1.81 which is the only QuickTime version compatible with MPEG Streamclip.
  • Once both QuickTime 1.81 OR QuickTime 7 or above AND MPEG Streamclip are installed, you can run MPEG Streamclip by accessing it from the programs menu.
  • Once you open MPEG Streamclip you must click and drag the movie files into it so that they can be converted.
  • Alternatively, you can click on File and then open from the top-left corner on the MPEG Streamclip window and just browse to the folder the files are in.
  • The files you want to convert should be in a folder on your computer already.
  • To select multiple files, hold the Ctrl (Control) key down and select the files you need to convert using the mouse cursor.
  • Click and drag a movie file into the space in the middle of the square > click on the ‘File’ tab at the top > choose ‘Export to other formats…’ > choose ‘Windows Media’ from the menu > select the folder you have created for your movie files and save the clip.
  • Sometimes an entire clip might not get converted, to make sure that it does you just have to check if the selected end point is the same as the end point. The end point is usually the entire duration of the entire clip.
  • You will now have .mp4 and .wmv movie files in the folder you have created on your computer.
  • Open Windows Movie Maker and import the .wmv files
  • You are now ready to start editing!

Method Two

Media files on a computer are translated to simple forms using codecs, codecs can also be used to aid software already on the computer to translate from formats they do not recognize to formats they are more familiar with

One such package available online is K-Lite codec package, which encompasses all common video and audio formats.

It can be downloaded for free by clicking on the link:

http://www.free-codecs.com/download_soft.php?d=5289&s=775

  • When you click on the above link you will be prompted to save or run the installation file, ‘klcodec500f.exe’. Save it and run it to install the package.
  • During installation choose the option that says ‘Lots of Stuff’.
  • After the installation is complete, simply import .mp4 files to Windows Movie Maker and begin editing. In the import files dialogue, you might have to select ‘All Files’ in the File Type field – found at the bottom of the import files window.

Working with .3gp files

Some newer phones will save the format of the files as .3gp

If this happens, individual files will have to be converted before importing into Movie Maker.

There are many free software versions which claim to convert these files however they may not work properly in Movie Maker.

One package that does work can be downloaded here:

http://www.miksoft.net/products/MMCsetup.exe

When you click on the above link you will be prompted to Run or Save the program MMCsetup.exe.

  • Select ‘Run’
  • After the installation is complete, simply click on the + button to add the .3gp file into the program.
  • Select your output folder as somewhere you will keep all of your movie files.
  • In the box that says ‘Conversion to’ – change the option from Auto to Windows Media Visual.
  • Click ‘Convert’

Once complete, open up to Windows Movie Maker and begin editing. In the import files dialogue, you might have to select ‘All Files’ in the File Type field – found at the bottom of the import files window.

Revision: How to transfer movie files from a cell phone onto a computer

1 – USB

Create a folder on your computer where you will put your films. Attach a USB cable to the cell phone. Open the cell phone icon on your computer. Select the movie files you could like to transfer. Click and drag the movie files into the folder you your computer desktop OR copy and paste them by right clicking on your mouse and selecting ‘copy’. Highlight your folder, right click again and select ‘paste’. The movie files will now be on your computer, ready to be converted.

2 – Bluetooth :  computer > phone

Create a folder on your computer where you will put your films. Click on the Bluetooth icon on your computer > select ‘browse device’ > select your cell phone from the list of devices which appears > accept the request which appears on your cell phone > open the folders and find the ‘videos’ folder > open the ‘videos’ folder > select the movie files you would like to transfer and click on ‘Get’ > select the folder you have created as the place you would like to save these files.

3 – Bluetooth:  phone > computer

Create a folder on your computer where you will put your films. Go to the Gallery in your cell phone > find the movie file you would like to send > press the ‘options’ button > press ‘send’ > select ‘via Bluetooth’ > select the computer from the list of devices > press ‘send’. The movie file will appear the computer desktop > accept the file. The file will download > open it > save it

You are now ready to drag these files into MPEG Streamclip to be converted.

Glossary

Format: Each file format has a different number of pixels. The higher the number of pixels. The better the quality. The way a computer understands what the contents of the file are, is the method in which the different fragments of the file are added up. This method is called encoding/decoding.Different methods used result in different formats.

Click and drag: selecting the required file, holding down the left click button while you move it into the space where you need to use the file and letting go of the left click button.

Icon: An icon, is a symbol on any computer-object which aids us to recognize what that object is. (Eg. That object could be a folder, or a medial file, or a word document.) There are generic icons. For example all simple folders are represented by the same icon, so are all MP3s. And there are specific icons, for example you can assign and icon to a file or folder you have created for quick recognition.

Right click: on a mouse there are usually two buttons, the left button is the left click which aids selection/deselection of files. The right click button gives us options – it asks us what we want to do with a particular file/folder.