Audio and/or Video converter
Would like a portable audio and/or video converter. would like the video more than the audio. Both would like to convert any format to another without restrictions. anyone know were to get a free version of these?
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This highlights everything that is wrong with modern computers, and some modern users.

NO file can be converted by changing its name. FACT.

If you have found this makes a file play, it was probably renamed or incorrectly named by someone else, or the software you use has realised that it can't play the file as-is so it tried a few other codecs to interpret the audio/video content.

Either way, changing a file extension is NEVER a good idea. For one thing, you won't get the benefits of the "new file type" (smaller file, compatibility, whatever), and more importantly you are simply breaking a fundamental concept of file formats and how they are identified by users and systems.

Please go and read at least one sentence about codecs, transcoding, file types etc. before recommending something that, if taken at face value, could lead to someone renaming a folder of various files to .avi then not knowing what they used to be called, potentially ruining their media collection.

OK, that was a bit shouty, but I think it was needed...

For one, its always a good idea when trying anything risky like that to work on a COPY of the files/folders involved, rather than the original. Easy enuff to do, in most cases.

Secondly, I hafta "second the motion" of the poster you're responding to. I've simply changed file formats within a given genre of files (document files, audio files, etc..) on a few occasions and found that it worked for me as well. Neither the poster nor myself are saying that it will work "every" time, or even "most" times, but it's worth a try. When it DOES work, it's the simplest/fastest possible solution.

Oh, and by the way, if you find the file unusable after you change the extension, then you simply CHANGE IT BACK to what it was before - no harm, no foul...

The thing should come with an instruction manual, as the computer I was using at the library almost crashed when I tried to do a simple video catpure for instructional purposes(trying to show a complete newbie how to use InfraRecorder to burn an ISO). It was very frustrating. I remember that on Linux, there were a few plugins/add-ons for the GIMP that made it possible to convert a bunch of screen shots into a video file. Now if only it could to take full size snapshots continuously and convert those to a video, then you'd have a great solution to the problem. If anyone knows how to do this, please post it here. I also remember a tool I used to use on Linux that didn't require a lot power to do screen captures and you could even edit those videos to a limited extent. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name, but I used it on Ubuntu a while ago. Won't do audio though.