DivX is a video codec that’s become well known for producing compact movie files that still deliver high image and audio quality. As a result it’s been widely adopted as a video standard, and there are now thousands of devices that are able to play DivX content: DVD and Blu-ray players, the PlayStation 3, portable movie players, mobile phones and more. Converting your videos to DivX gives you a freedom you won’t find with any other format, then, and making this happen is far easier than you might expect.

DivX Pro is, essentially, the free DivX Plus suite with an enhanced conversion tool. So you’ll still have the web player, desktop player, video management tool, DivX to Go, and so on, but the DivX Converter is where the real action takes place.

And it all starts when you select the videos you’d like to convert to DivX. Most common formats are supported, though Flash video (FLV) is a notable exception, and MPEG-2 import requires an additional plug-in (it’s provided with the program, but only on a 15-day trial). So choose compatible formats, drag and drop them onto the Converter, and they’ll each be analysed. This can take a while – anything up to a minute per movie on our test PC – but when the process is complete you’ll have a list of imported files, each with a thumbnail (useful reassurance that you’re working with the right clip).

Next, you choose a profile representing the type of file you’d like to create: Mobile (up to 320×240 resolution), Home Theater (up to 720×576), HD 720p (1280×720), HD 1080p (1920×1080) or PLUS HD (MKV, H.264, AAC/AC3, up to 1920×1080 – this is available for free with DivX Plus).

If you need to take more control, then you can apply further settings to each video individually. There are options to change the video resolution, video and audio bitrate, for instance. Or you can choose to limit your output file to a specified size.

If you’re opting to combine all your videos into one file then you’ll probably want to rearrange the clips into the most appropriate order. But otherwise, there’s nothing else to do – just click Start and watch as the Converter creates your files.

Performance proved above average in our tests. We took a 1080p MOV movie trailer, for instance, and the program converted it to a PLUS HD file in just under 7 minutes; converting to 720 x 390 Home Theater clip took only 3:17. TMPGenc 4.0 XPress took around 20% longer to convert the same regular AVI file, and SUPER (using FFmpeg) was slower still.

The encoding process may still take a while if you’re converting a long movie, of course, but it’s worth the wait as the final results really are excellent. The picture is crisp and clear, and looked great even when we were upscaling from DVD. And the new ability to add a smooth fast forward and rewind track makes it easier than ever to navigate a clip to the point you need.