Format Converter

🎮 Quick Media Conversion Utility for Windows

Overview

Format Converter is a lightweight Windows utility that seamlessly adds context menu options for converting media files between various formats. With just a right-click, you can quickly transform your audio, video, and image files.

🌟 Features

• Easy Conversion: Convert files directly from the context menu
• Supported Formats:
  • Video: MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, WEBM, FLV, TS, 3GP
  • Audio: MP3, WAV, OGG, OPUS, AAC, FLAC, WMA, M4A, AC3
  • Image: JPG/JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, TIFF, ICO, HEIC
• Additional Tools:
  • Mute audio/video files
  • Resize images (50% and 75%)
  • Compress audio/video files to specific sizes (10MB, 20MB, 50MB, 100MB, 500MB)
• One-Click Installation: Automatically sets up right-click context menus
• Administrator Privileges: Ensures smooth system integration
• User-Friendly: Detailed progress indicator during conversion

🧭 Requirements

• Windows Operating System
• FFmpeg installed and accessible in system PATH
• .NET Framework

💽 Getting FFmpeg

Format Converter needs a helper program called FFmpeg to convert your files. Here's how to install it:

Easiest Method: Install with Winget (Windows Package Manager)

1. Install FFmpeg using Winget:

   • Press the Windows key, type "Command Prompt" or "PowerShell" and click on it to open
   • Copy and paste this line, then press Enter:

   winget install ffmpeg
   

   • Wait for it to finish downloading and installing

2. You're Done! Format Converter will now be able to find FFmpeg automatically.

Manual Installation Method

If you prefer to install FFmpeg manually:

1. Download the FFmpeg Program:

   • Go to gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds
   • Click on "ffmpeg-release-essentials.zip" to download

2. Extract the Files:

   • Find the downloaded ZIP file in your Downloads folder
   • Right-click on it and select "Extract All..."
   • Choose a location that's easy to remember, like "C:\ffmpeg"
   • Click "Extract"

3. Tell Windows Where to Find FFmpeg:

   • Right-click on the Start button and select "System"
   • Click on "Advanced system settings" on the right
   • At the bottom of the new window, click "Environment Variables"
   • In the "System variables" box, find and click on "Path", then click "Edit"
   • Click "New" and type in the path to the bin folder (e.g., "C:\ffmpeg\bin")
   • Click "OK" on all open windows

4. Check if It Worked:

   • Press the Windows key, type "cmd" and click on Command Prompt
   • Type ffmpeg -version and press Enter
   • If you see information about FFmpeg (not an error), it's working!

💾 Installation

1. Download the executable
2. Run the application once to register context menus
3. Right-click any supported file to use "Convert To" option

🚀 Usage

Context Menu Conversion

1. Right-click on a supported media file
2. Select "Convert To"
3. Choose the desired output format or tool
4. The converted file will be automatically saved and selected in File Explorer

Command Line Usage

FormatConverter.exe [input_file] [output_format]

Batch Conversion

FormatConverter.exe [input_file1] [input_file2] [...] [output_format]

Special Operations

FormatConverter.exe [input_file] mute
FormatConverter.exe [input_file] resize50
FormatConverter.exe [input_file] resize75
FormatConverter.exe [input_file] compress 10
FormatConverter.exe [input_file] compress 20
FormatConverter.exe [input_file] compress 50
FormatConverter.exe [input_file] compress 100
FormatConverter.exe [input_file] compress 500

Uninstallation

Run the application with -unregister flag to remove context menus:

FormatConverter.exe -unregister

🔄 Conversion Capabilities

Input Type	Possible Conversions
Video Files
MP4	MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, WEBM, FLV, TS, 3GP, MP3, M4A
MKV	MP4, AVI, MOV, WMV, WEBM, FLV, TS, 3GP, MP3, M4A
AVI	MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, WEBM, FLV, TS, 3GP, MP3, M4A
MOV	MP4, MKV, AVI, WMV, WEBM, FLV, TS, 3GP, MP3, M4A
WMV	MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WEBM, FLV, TS, 3GP, MP3, M4A
WEBM	MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, FLV, TS, 3GP, MP3, M4A
FLV	MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, WEBM, TS, 3GP, MP3, M4A
TS	MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, WEBM, FLV, 3GP, MP3, M4A
3GP	MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, WEBM, FLV, TS, MP3, M4A
Audio Files
MP3	WAV, OGG, OPUS, AAC, FLAC, WMA, M4A, AC3
WAV	MP3, OGG, OPUS, AAC, FLAC, WMA, M4A, AC3
OGG	MP3, WAV, OPUS, AAC, FLAC, WMA, M4A, AC3
OPUS	MP3, WAV, OGG, AAC, FLAC, WMA, M4A, AC3
AAC	MP3, WAV, OGG, OPUS, FLAC, WMA, M4A, AC3
FLAC	MP3, WAV, OGG, OPUS, AAC, WMA, M4A, AC3
WMA	MP3, WAV, OGG, OPUS, AAC, FLAC, M4A, AC3
M4A	MP3, WAV, OGG, OPUS, AAC, FLAC, WMA, AC3
AC3	MP3, WAV, OGG, OPUS, AAC, FLAC, WMA, M4A
Image Files
JPG/JPEG	PNG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, TIFF, ICO, HEIC
PNG	JPG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, TIFF, ICO, HEIC
BMP	JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, TIFF, ICO, HEIC
GIF	JPG, PNG, BMP, WEBP, TIFF, ICO, HEIC
WEBP	JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, ICO, HEIC
TIFF	JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, ICO, HEIC
ICO	JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, TIFF, HEIC
HEIC	JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, TIFF, ICO

⚠️ Notes

• Requires administrator privileges for installation
• Utilizes FFmpeg for robust media conversion
• Audio-to-video conversions create a black background
• Images can be resized to 50% or 75% of original dimensions
• Audio and video files can be muted (creates a new file with no sound)
• New Feature: Audio and video files can be compressed to specific file sizes (10MB, 20MB, 50MB, 100MB, 500MB)
• Converted files are saved in the same directory as the original with the new extension
• Batch conversion supports multiple input files with a single output format

❓ Troubleshooting

• "FFmpeg is not recognized" error: Make sure FFmpeg is correctly installed and added to your system PATH
• Conversion fails: Check if FFmpeg supports the specific conversion between your chosen formats
• Missing context menu: Try running the application again with administrator privileges
• Slow conversion: Some formats (like WEBM) may take longer to process due to compression requirements