SmartConverter
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Smart Converter provides free media format conversion for OS X
Smart Converter (free) provides a way to drag, drop and convert a wide range of media from one format to another. You drop a file, choose an output format and click to convert to popular device formats from iOS and Apple TV to Sony, Samsung, Android and more. The price is, of course, right for anyone who doesn't want to mess with adjusting presets or export settings as you would with QuickTime and Handbrake. The simple workflow is quite appealing and the app got the job done for all the formats I tested it with (flv, m4v, avi, mkv). I did not experience any crashes or have any problems similar to some of the cranky reviews left at iTunes. I tested on a recent-generation Mac mini with tons of memory and the latest OS update, which may have had something to do with it. Importantly, the quality of the output matched the quality of input and I was satisfied by all the processed files. The app is pretty bare bones, with an uncustomizable interface and a few assumptions (like the one that decided on my behalf that I'd want to add the converted file to iTunes) that didn't exactly win my heart. Nor did the integrated ads that showed up with each conversion really appeal to me. And yet, Smart Converter provided a pretty good little workhorse for doing a job without much fuss and bother -- one you should consider downloading. In the end, Smart Converter proved to be a handy tool. Yes, it has room to grow and I'd have rather paid a little for the app with a few better preferences and nicer design, but even exactly as is, it was a nice find.
