Ace Video Workshop

Though it doesn't support as many formats as comparable utilities, Ace Video Workshop handles simple video conversions well enough, albeit with a few snags. This application's primary job is to convert AVIs to DVD, SVCD, and VCD MPEGs, though it also can turn MPEGs back into AVIs. In general, the interface is convenient enough, although we have a few quibbles. For example, when the program is converting AVIs to MPEGs, the preview window displays the resulting file instead of the source file. You also can't perform batch conversions, and the trial version allows you to encode a mere 50 percent of any given file. We did find a few nice features, including one that lets you merge several videos, even those of different formats. You can extract audio and individual frames, and you can apply simple effects, such as rotating and adding a border. If you're just trying to get your computer video files on a DVD you can watch at home, Ace Video Workshop will do, if you can live with the issues described above.