QUICK START
  • Select the files that you want to convert. You can either drag them onto the window, click the Select Files button, or choose File > Open (Command + O)
  • Select your desired output format using the row of icons along the bottom of the window (Apple TV, iPad, etc.). The Other option lets you chose from many other formats
  • Click Convert. Jaksta Converter will begin converting the top file in your queue and work its way through the batch.
  • The clever spinning icons on the right tell you exactly what’s happening.
WHAT THE ICONS MEAN

Hint: Some of these icons only appear when you mouse over another icon. Try it, you’ll see.

Pending Conversion. Locked and loaded, raring to go.
Remove File. Not happy, seen it already, get rid of it.
Converting. It’s all happening, hold your breath.
Stop Converting. It’s all happening, but you want it to stop.
Sending. We’ve done our bit, now we’re sending it to iTunes.
Success. Yay, the magic has happened!.
Show File. Let’s you view the converted file in Finder.
Error. Uh-oh, something bad’s happened. We hope you never see this. Click to report the error.
VIEW MEDIA INFO

Move your cursor over the thumbnail and the Information icon appears (and, in this case, partially obscures Chase the dog).

Click the icon to reveal (with a nice fadey effect) the media file properties. Click again to go back.

SET DESTINATION

Click Set Destination to choose where you’d like Jaksta Converter to save your converted media files.

MANAGING FILES IN YOUR QUEUE

Once you added files to the queue you can re-arrange the conversion order of files before you start converting.

  • Click on a file in the queue to select it.
  • To move the file up or down in the queue, either:
    • On your keyboard, hold down Option and use the Up and Down arrow keys to move the file; or,
    • Right click the file and select Move Up or Move Down.
ADVANCED PREFERENCES

Dolby Digital (AC3) Passthrough

Not all devices can play AC3 (Dolby Digital) encoded audio. However, if yours can, then selecting this option will provide much better sound in your converted files, and reduce your conversion times.

WHY IT’S SO SMART

Movie files contain video and audio information (called streams).

When you drop a media file on it and choose a conversion type, Jaksta Converter immediately analyses your file and works out exactly what part of it needs to be converted to achieve the desired output.

In many cases neither the video nor the audio need converting. In some cases just one or the other need converting, and in a few cases both will need converting.

Doing this analysis ensures Jaksta Converter only converts stuff that needs converting, and leaves the rest alone. This has a two-fold advantage over many other converters; its usually very fast and maintains the highest possible quality of video and audio.

Here is a list of the four conversion speeds that you might see and what they mean:

  • Fastest – Neither the video nor the audio need converting. This will be super fast and retains full video and audio quality.
  • Fast – Only the audio needs converting. This will still be pretty fast and the video will retain full quality.
  • Slow – Only the video needs converting. Not so fast but the audio will retain full quality.
  • Slowest – Both video and audio need converting. This can take some time, especially for a full length movie.

Whenever a movie file’s video or audio has to be converted there will always be some very slight loss of quality, but in most cases the change is hardly perceptible.