http://www.freewebs.com/smartvidgui/
SmartVid is quite old utility from Intel corp. But it's wonderful tool for bi-directional conversion between .mov and .avi video files. It only supports stream copying, so it's lossless conversion. I don't know any other utility like this. In many cases you are working with video editing software that only can open standart avi files then you need convert your mov files to standart avi files. SmartVid is the best choice to do this.
But there can be difficulties. SmartVid just copy streams. That means it's codec independet. Mov files are originally from Apple Macintosh platform and avi files from Microsoft Windows. So that used codec must be supported on both platform to be playable.
SmartVid exists in two versions, for DOS and for Windows.
This is a standart MS-DOS program. It's controlled through command line. Usage and detailed information are described in original readme.txt file.
I found a bug in W2k MS-DOS emulation. When I tried to convert some file in W2k, the SmartVid reported that there's no diskette in drive A. When I inserted a diskette and typed "Retry", it continued just if the processed file size was fit in diskette size although the destination was on drive C. I run debugger and found that by unknown reason it tries to get free disk space from wrong drive. I'm sure that's because of incorrect implementation of some DOS functions in W2k. Under Windows Millenium Edition everything works properly. But I wanted to use it under W2k, so I cracked this bug and named it "SmartV2k.exe". My cracked version everytime hard-checks free disk space on drive C. So if you are converting on another drive than C make sure that on C is enough space, otherwise conversion fails although on destination drive is enough space. Better use "SmartV2k.exe" only if original SmartVid doesn't work properly.
The bug come out if you try to convert file bigger than about 450MBytes. SmartVid exits with "ERROR: Insufficient disk space" although you have enough disk space. It's caused by old DOS file/disk sizes handling. The bug involve both of presented versions, original SmartVid.exe even my patched version SmartV2k.exe. I have been notified of it by Max Feil. Then he also sent me his patched version of SmartVid which doesn't do any disk space check (SmartVmx.exe).
SmartVid GUI Version 1.0 doesn't include SmartVmx.exe so if you want to convert files bigger than 450MBytes you can download it separately from Homepage - Downloads. After download just extract it to SmartVid GUI's folder then specify SmartVid's executable as "SmartVmx.exe". That's all but still is better to use original version if it is working. Both of patched version (SmartV2k.exe and SmartVmx.exe) can produce unexpected errors, for example if on destination disk isn't enough space.
It's completely same program only looks like standart windows application. Conversion options are being setting through window menu instead of command line arguments.
There isn't W2k bug.
I use SmartVid for converting movs from my digital camera. Mostly there are many these files and converting file after file by hand is really unconfortable and take much time. That's why I decided to program SmartVid GUI. It provides simple functions that allows you to convert as many file as you want. It generates standart DOS batch (.bat) file and runs it. It uses SmartVid for DOS which accepts command line arguments to set conversion parameters.
Of course, SmartVid GUI provides converting from avis to movs too, just open some avis and click convert!
There's one limit as results from that SmartVid is for old MS-DOS system. It can't use long file names neither path including long directory names. Directory names and file names must fit in 8.3 file name system.
Fortunately most of digital cameras use short file names with numbers that fit in old system. You just have to ensure path doesn't include directories with long names.
But if anyone wants to work with many files that have long names just mail me and I add long file names support.
Most of settings are equally described directly in SmartVid GUI settings dialog window. I'm just going to describe a few advanced functions.
First edit line must contain file name of SmartVid exeutable which you want to use for batch conversion. You don't have to specify full path if the executable isn't in SmartVid GUI program directory. When use "smartvid.exe" and when "SmartV2k.exe" is described in topic Bug in Windows 2000. Don't use SmartVid for Windows executable here.
Then there you can set four SmartVid arguments. These arguments are fully described in SmartVid original readme.txt file.
If the check box isn't checked all converted files will be placed to the same directory as corresponding source file.
If checked all files will be placed in specified directory.
Send me any questions or remarks.