UHD Converter Complete Guide

UHD Converter Complete Guide

Quick start guide - basic conversion

If you're not an advanced user and/or simply want to convert a video (or more) to DVD without any editing, then simply:

I - Insert your files into software (drag and drop or use the cross button to browse your files).

II - Choose the necessary output format by clicking on “conversion settings” button. Or leave the default compatible with the majority of devices format.

III - Press “start conversion” button. You are done!

Complete guide

I. Overview

VSO UHD Converter is a software converting 4K/8K files, as well as any other video files, into other formats. Powerful conversion engine ensures fast conversions and analyses your computer’s capacities to predict conversion speed on each particular computer. Several conversion profiles are available to ensure compatibility of the output file with any device.

II. Basic usage

Encoders test

The first time you open the program it will make some tests to check available encoders on your computer. The testing process takes 2 to 5 minutes to complete on a decently recent computer. When tests are finished you can use the program. The test is done once and doesn’t need to be done at the next opening of the program. Some encoders will be marked as "unavailable" or “absent”, it means that they are not available on your computer. UHD Converter supports 32 encoders and the same computer can’t have them all. The quickest and slowest encoders are marked by an animation: rabbit for quick encoders and human for slow encoders. To learn more about encoders window see chapter IV.

Control panel

License information: reports your license status, email and computer ID
License activation: allows to activate the program or to purchase a new license
Updating
Custom translation
Encoder test: shows available and available encodes on your computer and their conversion speed
Community
Settings: opens the settings panel allowing to set application’s configuration (see chapter III)
Help

Add button: allows to browse the files on your computer to choose the necessary one. Files can also be added by drag and drop. Remove button: clears all finished conversions CPU/memory field: shows the current CPU and memory pressure percentage. The maximum limit of pressure can be set by moving the hand icon.

Conversion profiles

There are 5 static conversion profiles implemented:

Compatible: output file will be compatible with almost any device (mp4 file with H.264 video, AC3 audio, 1920x1080 resolution)
For the web: format for videos that will be put on internet (webm file with VP9 video, Opus audio, no resolution limit)
Recent players: modern codecs, good quality/size ratio, but won't be supported by old devices (mkv file with HEVC video, AAC audio, no resolution limit)
Audio only: produces a MP3 audio.
Hype: high quality web format (mkv file with AV1 video and Opus audio)

Video presets

When you choose the profile, you can also choose your preferences for the output file: you can choose between good quality or small size for the output file, or try to combine both.

Size: choose which maximum size you want for the output file and the program will try to reach this size. This parameter is expressed in megabytes.
Quality: set the visual/audio quality you want for the output file, expressed in percentage, 0 being the lowest, 100 being lossless. With that setting, output size can't be predicted and may explode if lossless quality is requested
Both: decide what size and quality are desirable for the output file, and the program will do its best to match both.
Automatic: the software decides reasonable settings for quality and size. With that setting, output size can't be reliably predicted but speed/quality/size will all be reasonable.

III. Settings

Four settings levels are available from basic to expert level.
Click on “reset to defaults” to retrieve the default settings if you need.

Appearance Language: choose the language for application Custom translation: enter your VSO Translator ID to load your custom translation of the program

Visual scale: increase or decrease the size of the program’s window

Visual theme: choose the theme you prefer between light and dark themes

Automatic update

Update rules: choose how often you want the program to search for updates, from “each start” to “never”
Allow beta version: check this option if you want to receive notifications about beta versions’ releases (such versions can be instable)

Conversion

Output mode: choose where you want to save your converted videos – in the same folder as the source video or in an output folder

Output overwrite: choose what you want the program to do if the file with the same name already exists in the output folder. You can rename the new file, replace the old file by the new one or the program can ask you what to do each time it happens.

Keep source date/time: Check this option if you want your converted file to have the same date and time of creation as your source file. Otherwise, it will be dated the day of the conversion.

Working folder: the folder to store temporary data and files created while the program is working.
By default it is %programdata%/VSO/uhdconverter/work

Engine folder: the folder to store the engine of the program.
By default it is %programdata%/VSO/uhdconverter/engine

Output folder: the folder to store converted videos, if you didn’t choose to save them in the source folder.
Be default this folder is in user/documents/videos.

Maximum simultaneous conversion: set the maximum number of conversions that can run at the same time.

Maximum simultaneous analysis: set the maximum number of source file analysis that can run at the same time.

Maximum system pressure: set the maximum system pressure to allow starting of a conversion job.
If the pressure of your CPU exceeds this limit the conversion won’t start as long as the pressure has not subsided.

Default conversion profile: set the profile in which your videos will be converted by default if you don’t choose an other one.

Encoder preferences Sane conversion: check this option if you want your output files to have the sane values of size and quality.
This option limits what you can set as quality and size in presents so you don’t receive too huge or too low-quality files after conversion.

Encoder busy policy: choose what you want the program to do if your preferred encoder is busy.
You can wait until it becomes available or use an other encoder from the list of your preferred encoders.
You have also the lists of encoders for each codec: H264, H265, VP9, AV1, AC3, AAC, OPUS, MP3.
You can choose which encoders to use at first, which ones will be used if the first ones are not available, and which ones you don't want to use at all.

The left window contains the encoders that will be used during the conversion by order of preference, the right window contains the encoders that will not be used. Skull means that the encoder isn't available on your computer.
- Smiling face means that the encoder is available and quick.
- Unhappy face - encoder available but not very quick.
- Finally, sleeping face or snail mean that the encoder is slow.
You can click on the encoder to see its exact speed in its description.

PREFERENCES SETTINGS

To remove an encoder from the list of used for conversion encoders click on it and then click on the right arrow to move it into the right window. The same way you can put an encoder back from the right window to the left one by clicking on the left arrow. To change the priority order of an encoder in the left window click on it and then click on the up or down arrow to move it. The number on the right of each encoder represents the limit of encoders running at the same time. You can change it by clicking on the small arrows around it.

IV. Supported encoders

For video codecs:

H.264 / AVC codec:
libopenh264: software encoder from Cisco (LGPL)
libx264: software encoder from Videolan, considered as the reference encoder (GPL)
h264_nvenc: hardware encoder from NVidia, requires a compatible NVidia video card
h264_amf: hardware encoder from AMD, requires a compatible AMD video card
h264_qsv: hybrid encoder from Intel, requires a processor and Intel video card (often one integrated in the motherboard)
h264_mf: hybrid encoder embedded in Windows OS through Microsoft Media Foundation. Often use one of the available hardware encoders but with some specific Microsoft features

HEVC / H.265 codec:
libx265: software encoder from Videolan, considered as the reference encoder (GPL)
libkvazaar: software encoder from Ultra Video Group. Doesn't work on some AMD processor (3-clause BSD)
hevc_nvenc: hardware encoder from NVidia, requires a compatible NVidia video card
hevc_amf: hardware encoder from AMD, requires a compatible AMD video card
hevc_qsv: hybrid encoder from Intel, requires a processor and Intel video card (often one integrated in the motherboard)
hevc_mf: hybrid encoder embedded in Windows OS through Microsoft Media Foundation. Often use one of the available hardware encoders but with some specific Microsoft features

VP9 codec:
libvpx-vp9: software encoder from Google
vp9_qsv: hybrid encoder from Intel, requires a processor and Intel video card (often one integrated in the motherboard)

AV1 codec:
lbsvtav1: software encoder from Scalable Video Technology - originally developed in collaboration with Netflix
libaom-av1: software encoder from Alliance for Open Media - based on libvpx-vp9, considered as the reference encoder
librav1e: software encoder from Xiph foundation, developped in RUST programming langage which may panic under some AMD processors
av1_nvenc: hardware encoder from NVidia, requires high end very recent Nvidia video card
av1_amf: hardware encoder from AMD, requires high end very recent AMD video card
av1_qsv: hybrid encoder from Intel, requires high end very recent Intel video card

For audio codecs:

AAC codec:
libfdk_aac: software encoder from Fraunhofer institute. Considered as the best encoder but not redistributable. So it can't be provided in the FFMPEG we can distribute.
aac: software encoder from FFmpeg
aac_mf: software encoder embedded in Windows 10/11

Opus codec:
libopus: software reference encoder

AC3 codec:
ac3: software encoder from FFMPEG using a 32 bits floating point format for audio samples
ac3_fixed: software encoder from FFMPEG using a 16 bits fixed integer format for audio samples
ac3_mf: software encoder embedded in Windows 10/11

MP3 codec:
libmp3lame: MP3 encoder from LAME, the reference encoder
mp3_mf: software encoder embedded in Windows 10/11