If you're looking for an easy way to create Flash-based movies from regular video
clips, this is a nifty little application to serve that need. Sporting a lucid step-by¬step interface, you are guided through the entire process of converting your video clips to Flash movies.

The main interface contains tabs that signify each step in creating a Flash movie. You start out by selecting the target video file ranging from WMV, ASF, MPEG, MOV, QT or AVI files that are compatible with the application. You can also view information about the video and audio attributes of the currently loaded file here. Clicking on the next tab takes you to the Effects section, where you can incorporate one of 19 different video effects such as grayscale, sepia, motion blur, posterize, etc.

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This screen displays your original video stream alongside a screen that displays the results of the effect, making it easy to review. Here, you can also adjust image brightness and contrast. On the following screen, you can incorporate a graphical or text-based watermark (like a company logo or name) within your Flash video. This screen allows you to select positioning and attributes of the watermark.

This is followed by the Settings screen allowing you to configure the video quality and resolution, the audio quality, sampling rate, number of channels and finally the frame rates and aspect ratio. The last screen lets you publish your Flash video, Here, the software creates the SWF file, which can also be compressed. For easier incorporation to a web site, it can generate an HTML file that links to the Flash movie.

Both of these can be uploaded to an FTP server directly within the software itself. For easier navigation while playing back the Flash file, it embeds playback and volume controls within the video clip itself. The Bandwidth Profiler simulates the load of your Flash video file on different types of Internet connections during playback.
For: Simple; easy-to-use interface; video effects capability.
Against: Overly intrusive overly in the free version.