The Web's Best Free Downloads - (41) VirtualDub

VirtualDub is a legend among open-source apps. Written according to old-school principles, it aims to be the fastest tool for capturing, processing and re-encoding video files from one format to another. Performance-critical sections are hand-coded in assembly language - a practice almost unheard of in these modem times, but it certainly pays off, with VirtualDub regarded as one of the fastest encoding applications there is. It isn't especially easy to use, but technically it's near-flawless.

The Web's Best Free Downloads - (40) VLC Media Player

If you have strange media file that no other video player will touch, throw it at VLC and the chances are it will play. The interface is nothing to write home about, but it will deal with anything, even ISO images containing video Cd or DVD content. In fact, the only thing it won't touch is RealPlayer files. Its name stands for Video LAN Client, stemming from the fact that it can act as both client and server for media-streaming apps using a range of streaming protocols.

The Web's Best Free Downloads - (39) HandBrake

HandBrake is an open-source DVD-to-MPEG4 converter for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It allows you to watch your movies on a portable video player or store them on a hard disk for on-demand playback using Windows Media Center or a network video-streaming device. HandBrake can work directly from a DVD or a VIDEO_TS folder, and can output to MP4, AVI or OGM formats, using either MPEG4 or H.264. For audio, you can select AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 passthrough.