Proffesional Conversion Software

[bigal260]

I hope that someone can help, my company are insisting that shareware and freeware are not to be used on their machines, so is there any professional conversion software, that will convert any format to any format. Non-freeware or shareware. I know it sounds stupid, and I dont agree as some of the best apps are written as free or shareware, but I have to go along with them

Cheers all.

[mats.hogberg]

No professional software would ever claim to perform video conversion from "any format to any format".
Professional software at best do some formats format to some formats. Most do one (or a few) format(s) to one other format. I use the wrench metaphore:
Professional mechanics use fixed socket wrenches - one specialized tool for one specialized task. Amateurs use monkey wrenches. In our world, many monkey wrenches are free, and as such can't be held responsible when not working as supposed to.

/Mats

[dphirschler]

Are you calling me a monkey? :-p


Darryl

[mats.hogberg]

You mean - You're not working as you're supposed to?!?
'nuf of this OT right here !

/Mats

[jlietz]

...so is there any professional conversion software, that will convert any format to any format...

Canopus (or now Grass Valley) Procoder would probably be suitable.

[Soopafresh]

I guess Canopus Procoder gets pretty close. And the policy decision of your IT management indicates they are wildly out of touch.

[Soopafresh]

jlietz - looks like I owe you a beer

[BJ_M]

yes - grass valley procoder for PC , or Autodesk Cleaner for apple

[Richard_G]

Sorenson Squeeze will convert from just about any format to any other. It's not cheap either!

[bigal260]

Many thanks guys, Canopus was the closest I had found and it looks like the favourite. And you are quite right Soopafresh, unfortunately the IT Policy is quite crap, although one I must abide by!!

Cheers.

[lordsmurf]

Lobby for them to change it. Lots of software is free and ONLY FREE so such a policy is, quite frankly, ******* retarded. This includes both workstation and server software.

[ntscuser]

They have good reasons for the policy. Shareware and Freeware is most likely to be distributed by the same channels which also harbour spyware and viruses.

Also as one company boss told me, he only uses MS software - not because he thinks it's good - but because if anything goes wrong he can sue their arses off and know they have enough money in the bank to pay him

[BJ_M]

that 'one company boss' doesnt live in the real world ..... you might as well rebuild the pyramid with toothpicks and marbles than to think you would win against MS if something goes wrong with any of their software.....


also there is a good amount of spyware in commercial software anyway ...

[lordsmurf]

Shareware and Freeware is most likely to be distributed by the same channels which also harbour spyware and viruses.

That's a bunch of hogwash.

Most of the Internet is built on freeware, such as Linux, PHP, mySQL, and an endless list of utilities and applications. So your company has to be basically be fully offline to avoid freeware. Either that, or you've bogged yourself down in archaic proprietary crap, which is far more dangerous than freeware.

Fighting freeware is as smart as Custer's last stand.

Most commercial software comes with added spyware and system-bogging crap that is closer to a virus than it is to helpful applcations.

[AlanHK]

They have good reasons for the policy. Shareware and Freeware is most likely to be distributed by the same channels which also harbour spyware and viruses.

Rubbish. Real war*z sites don't even carry freeware. It's when you download a cracked version of a commercial software that you are taking a risk.

There are plenty of legit sites that specialise in freeware, as opposed to "free downloadz".

Try http://sourceforge.net/ for a start. They focus on Linux, but plenty of Windows apps have made their home there too.

The developers will often be ready to negotiate a service contract if that's what you want.