• My experience with various HD video converters places Movavi Video Converter on top as the best, all-around converter tool with rich editing features and a low experience requirements.
• Fotor comes in at second as an impressive web-based option with AI enhancement integration.
• Choosing the right HD video converter depends on the user's preferences and experience, as well as the extent and complexity of the projects they need to tackle.
• I tried all the converters on the list, and ranked them based on their ease of use, format output range, output quality, speed, and cost, among other variables.
• For more advanced programs and tools, it helps to explore menu options first to familiarize with all available settings and features.

I don't know if you noticed, but some time in the last few years, video content replaced photos as the most prolific content format across the internet – and studies prove it. According to Sandvine's 2023 Global Internet Phenomena Report, 65% of all internet traffic is video usage. Today, those numbers have inflated significantly especially with the rising popularity of platforms like TikTok.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't jump on the video content bandwagon myself, although managing and editing videos can be trickier than other media. The biggest roadblock I've often had to face when editing my videos is format. Not all formats are supported across all platforms and devices. And then of course, in the process of converting my videos, there's the risk of losing quality.

So, over time, I've had to experiment with different programs. I've tested a mix of both desktop video conversion software and browser-based tools to convert two sample videos (a low-res 480p clip and a high-res 1080p clip both about 5 minutes long) to see how each program performs. Here, I'm going to share with you the 12 HD video converters that I like the best and how they did during my testing.

Best Overall: Movavi Video Converter

Its intuitive user interface, essential tools, and impressive HD video output make Movavi a great choice for both beginners and advanced users across varying levels of conversion project complexity.

Best web-based tool: Fotor

Fotor's AI-integration allows users to produce high quality, crisp, and smooth video conversion without, all from the convenience and ease of their trusted browser.

Best for one-time projects: TensorPix

Users who only need to convert videos every now and then will find TensorPix's free service to provide just the right features for basic conversion tasks.

Best for professionals: Topaz Video

This hardware-intensive conversion tool makes commercial-grade video output even from low-res or standard definition input, but necessitates a bit of a learning curve.

There are several free HD video converters out there you can try, along with more premium paid versions that offer more features. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can try an HD video converter online via a website or download software and freeware from trusted developers. With the right solution, you can convert your favorite videos to play them on any device without issue.

Below, you’ll find a review of various tools that you can use to convert video to an HD quality.

If you would rather use an HD online video converter without downloading any software to your computer, there are many options available. Online HD video converters allow you to upload your files to the converter's website, where servers perform the conversion and will enable you to download the file from the website to your device. An online HD-quality video converter is often ideal if you want a solution that's compatible with every device.

While online video converters can be excellent for performing HD file conversions, it may be better to have software that you can freely access on your device. With a downloadable free HD video converter, you don't have to worry about having a strong internet connection – simply convert your video files offline without any compromise in the security of your data. The only risk that can come with using software is potential malware. Still, you can easily avoid these issues with the right developer.

The following is a list of trusted and reliable free HD video converter software to help you find a safe and effective platform to convert to HD video.

OS: Windows, Mac

Best for: fast HD conversion and editing

Why I picked it: simple user interface and HD conversion preset makes the conversion process easy even for the uninitiated. AI Upscaling helps to improve quality even for standard definition videos.

Movavi Video Converter is hands-down one of the easiest HD video converters I've tried. Using this tool doesn't require any expertise, and it's easy to pick up and use for anyone. If you would like to use this high-quality video converter, the steps below will explain how to convert video to an HD quality. You may find our tool to be the best HD video converter to meet your file conversion needs, whether using it for PC or Mac devices.

Movavi's latest update has made it possible to keep your files up to 67% smaller without sacrificing quality. For standard definition (SD) videos with lower quality, newer versions of Movavi have an AI upscaling feature that uses AI algorithms to define your video's details to make it HD or even 4K.

How to use Movavi’s HD video converter app

1. Download the program, install it, and launch.
2. Click Add Media and select the Add video option to import your files.
3. Open the Video tab and select the appropriate preset from the HD/Full HD or 4K Ultra HD group.
4. Hit Convert.

You can also read a detailed guide by clicking the link below.

Go to step-by-step instructions

OS: Online, Windows, Mac

Best for: fast AI video enhancement and HD/4K upscaling

Why I picked it: web-based HD video converter with a low technical barrier and AI integration.

For times when I don't need such intensive editing features, I've found that Fotor provides just the right tools. This web-based HD video converter offers a free tier that lets users upload short videos and upscale to HD and even 4K through their automatic AI enhancement feature.

I especially like the platform's ability to improve quality on low-light videos, as well as the few extra tools they provide for sharpness, brightness, and color correction. It's pretty feature-packed despite being web-based. For more advanced media management tasks, they also have a desktop app.

Users looking to do more with Fotor can opt for their Fotor Pro and Fotor Pro+ memberships. These paid tiers unlock even more features, including a larger cloud storage allocation (compared to the 512MB cloud for free members), bigger file upload limits, removal of ads for a cleaner U/I, and watermark-free output.

In November of 2024, Fotor released its latest version which features background removal, new editing tools, and improved AI support.

How to convert videos with Fotor:

1. Go to Fotor's video editor, log in to your account.
2. Upload your video by clicking Upload.
3. Edit or adjust by cropping, trimming, resizing, adding text, filters, or music.
4. Click Export and choose your desired resolution.

OS: Online

Best for: fast AI-powered upscaling and casual HD/4K conversion

Why I picked it: reliable web-based tool for occasional and moderate HD video conversion purposes.

Users who are less invested in advanced video editing and need a simple tool for occasional conversion might find TensorPix to tick all the right boxes. What I like about this purely web-based tool is its clean user interface and drag-and-drop interactions that minimize the learning curve for non-professional users.

I also think that it works as an ideal tool for casual use because it doesn't lock advanced features behind strict paywalls. Instead, users can ‘buy’ conversions with credits that you can earn by logging in, reporting bugs, and sharing the platform to your socials. They also have a referral system that earns you credits for every successful referral.

Their latest update came with major advancements to their AI models, offering deep color and texture enhancement, super resolution, enhanced denoising, and AI-based style transfer.

How to convert videos with TensorPix:

1. Visit the TensorPix website.
2. Click Upload Video.
3. Select your output preferences (resolution, frame rate, and file format).
4. You can also select enhancement presets (People, AI Video, Old Video, Animation, Gameplay, or General).
5. Click Convert and download the file once completed.

OS: Windows, Mac

Best for: fast and professional-grade AI upscaling and video restoration

Why I picked it: high-powered HD video converter and upscaler ideal for professional and commercial use.

For intensive and even professional video upscaling and restoration, I find Topaz Labs’ Topaz Video tool to be a suitable choice. This program produces what they claim to be ‘studio-level’ detail and clarity, offering to enhance and upscale videos from SD to HD or 4K. I tried it once for restoring old VHS transfers and the resulting video came out with impressive quality, similar to videos taken with modern-day equipment.

The AI-powered program touts powerful video conversion and editing features including denoise, stabilize, and interpolate. From my experience, the interpolate feature is especially effective in upscaling as it creates new frames in between existing ones for a smoother playback and higher frame rate.

Topaz Video got its latest update in July of 2024 which doubled down on AI features for clearer, sharper, and more natural looking enhancement.

How to convert videos with Topaz Video:

1. Once installed, open the application on your computer.
2. Import your video by dragging and dropping or clicking Browse in the main window.
3. Choose a Model or your desired conversion/enhancement type.
4. Select your output settings (resolution, frame rate, format).

Preview your video, and if you're happy, click Export/Convert.

OS: Windows

Best for: simple format choice

Why I picked it: quick, easy, and compact software with light video editing tools for casual video-based projects.

This Windows-based video conversion software is part of the AVS4YOU suite. I've used this tool in the past on my old Windows laptop, especially since it can't run more complex programs. Despite being light and compact, I've found that AVS Video Converter does a pretty solid job at improving video quality for most standard definition video resources.

Aside from HD video conversion, AVS Video Converter also offers some light editing tools like merge, trim, extract audio, and add effects so you won't have to switch between programs for simple editing tasks. The batch processing feature is also useful and reduced my conversion time for when I tackled multiple small projects.

Their paid version provides slightly more tools for the relatively low cost of just $49 USD annually. This removes the AVS watermark, provides full access to more advanced editing tools, and priority treatment from customer support.

Their most recent update dated September 10, 2025 rolled out minor bug fixes and stability improvements, slight updates to the program's U/I, and updates for format and codec support.

How to convert videos with AVS Video Converter:

1. Install and open the program.
2. Click Browse and select your video file.
3. Choose your output format.
4. Adjust conversion settings (resolution, codec, bitrate, and presets).
5. Select your output folder where your converted video will be saved.
6. Click Convert.

OS: Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, Solaris, BSD

Best for: converting and playing videos

Why I picked it: familiar, widely used media player and video converter with extensive compatibility across various devices, operating systems, and file formats.

With over 4.2 billion downloads worldwide, VLC is one of the most widely used media players on the market today. Personally, I don't know many people who don't have VLC installed on their laptops, especially since it works well as a media player with a wide range of compatible formats.

Because it's on virtually every computer device, VLC is a readily available HD video conversion tool for those who don't want to have to install new software or tinker around with web-based programs. The VLC interface is also fairly easy to navigate, allowing you to convert video in as easy as three clicks.

It's worth stating, though, that VLC's upscaling feature isn't as intensive as many others. While the tool can take a 480p video and enhance it to 720p or 1080p, it simply changes the resolution and format but does not improve the quality beyond what's in the original file. Nevertheless, for very basic conversion needs, VLC is an accessible option.

As a prolific software, VLC receives updates regularly. The most recent VLC 3.0.21 release provided bug fixes, improvements to video output rendering, and expanded format and codec support.

How to convert videos with VLC Media Player:

1. Launch the app.
2. Click Media then Convert / Save.
3. Add your video and click Convert / Save at the bottom.
4. Set your conversion options including output format.
5. Choose your output file destination.
6. Click Start Conversion.

OS: Windows, Mac

Best for: fast HD/4K/8K video conversion with advanced professional editing tools

Why I picked it: highly advanced HD video conversion software with tons of editing features for a complete video editing suite.

We're all familiar with the Adobe brand and its collection of high-quality programs for various media projects. Their Adobe® Premiere® Pro software is their most advanced video editing tool with professional-grade capabilities for users who require extensive video editing features.

Keep in mind, Adobe® Premiere® Pro is not your basic, run-of-the-mill HD video converter. I gave the program a whirl a while back and found that it has a very steep learning curve. Certain features can be hidden deep within menus, and a lot of the adjustments need to be made manually. This can make the program confusing to navigate if you don't have prior video editing experience.

Nevertheless, it does a great job at basic upscaling with its Preserve Details 2.0 scaling option that helps to maintain a crisp image even after enhancing video to HD, 4k, or even 8K. Other tools within the program include color grading and correction with Lumetri Color Panel, noise reduction, and detail enhancement that all improve overall output (albeit with a little manual adjustment and experimentation.)

As a prominent software developer. Adobe is never behind when it comes to updates. Their Premiere® Pro software recently received an update in August of 2025 which introduced key new features including multi-clip transitions and snappier timeline playback.

How to convert videos with Adobe® Premiere® Pro:

1. Launch the program and import your video.
2. Open Export Settings by going to File > Export > Media.
3. Choose your format.
4. Select a preset (YouTube 1080p, Vimeo 4K, mobile device, high quality 1080p, etc.).
5. Optionally, you can also adjust a few others settings like resolution, bit rate, and frame rate.
6. Set your output name and destination.
7. Finally, click Export.

OS: Windows, Mac

Best for: fast AI-powered HD/4K/8K video conversion and all-in-one editing

Why I picked it: impressive AI-integration produces highly detailed video output up to 8K even when resource materials are low-res or SD.

Like other HD video converters and upscalers, Wondershare UniConverter has integrated AI into its program in order to pick up on details from blurry resource videos and produce high-definition output that's crisp and smooth.

Because UniConverter is a toolbox, it comes with a wide range of features lumped together in an all-in-one ‘Swiss Army knife’ for video of sorts. I like this about the program because it makes video editing much easier, letting me perform a range of tasks without having to hop between programs.

Another thing I like is that because of its AI integration, UniConverter can produce video up to 8K without inflating the file size too much. With UniConverter's compression tools, users can upscale HD video and keep it a manageable size without losing its visual quality.

Wondershare's latest updates to UniConverter introduced AI Face Enhancement, batch processing up to 20 videos at a time, and conversion and enhancement for videos up to 2 hours long.

How to convert videos with UniConverter:

1. Install and open the program.
2. Add your video by going to the Converter tab and then clicking Add Files.
3. Choose your output format.
4. Set your destination folder.
5. Click Convert.

OS: Windows, Mac, Linux

Best for: converting DVD videos

Why I picked it: No-nonsense tool that handles conversion and upscaling projects in bulk, with a straightforward, utilitarian interface that's easy to get at a glance.

I can see HandBrake as a must-have for users who do a lot of video processing tasks, but not necessarily video editing. This program converts video into MP4, MKV, and WebM formats, provides compression without huge quality loss, and even features built-in device presets that lets you convert your source video to match specific playback devices (TV, mobile, etc.).

Other features that I like about HandBranke is that it supports up to 4K resolution, offers basic video enhancement and filters, and provides subtitles support which lets you conveniently add subs to your videos (which may come in handy for social media content creation.)

Their most recent update released in September of 2025 addressed basic bug fixes and general improvements for a faster, smoother user experience.

How to convert videos with HandBrake:

1. Install and launch the HandBrake software.
2. Click File and select your video, or upload a batch by clicking Folder.
3. Choose your preset.
4. Select your output format.
5. If you want to, you can adjust video settings at this point like resolution and frame rate.
6. Set your destination folder.
7. And click Start Encode.

OS: any, web-based

Best for: easy online conversion

Why I picked it: Ideal for conversion projects for videos stored in cloud services or uploaded to popular streaming websites.

Let's say you just really needed to change the format of a specific video for a one-time project. FreeConvert might be exactly the tool you're looking for. This ultra-simple web-based tool touts a clean and intuitive interface that takes the confusion out of the whole process. A big blue ‘Choose Files’ button greets visitors on the website's homepage.

Upon clicking the button, users can then choose the location of their video, which can be sourced from Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, or from a URL. Then it's a matter of choosing your desired output format and, optionally, tweaking other settings like resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and codec.

Free users can convert video up to 1GB in size, but upgrading to a premium account can unlock larger upload limits. FreeConvert's July 2025 update ironed out a few bugs for a smoother overall experience.

How to convert videos with FreeConvert:

1. Go to the FreeConvert website.
2. Upload your video by clicking Choose Files.
3. Select your output format and adjust optional settings.
4. Click Convert and download the file once complete.

OS: Windows

Best for: multifunctional work with videos

Why I picked it: strikes a balance between crisp video output and lightweight system performance that doesn't bog down on hardware.

WonderFox HD Video Converter Factor Pro is an all-in-one video converting and processing tool that tackles a boat load of conversion tasks for users who handle a lot of video files. The software supports a wide range of video formats, enhances up to 4K, and offers hardware acceleration which helps if you want to get your conversions completed faster.

It also offers some enhancement features like trimming, merging, and noise reduction, as well as audio and video syncing to make sure your file's sound and image line up. In their latest update, developers for WonderFox released output presets which lets you choose pre-determined settings for playback on different devices like iPhones, TVs, and others.

The software's latest July 2025 update improved 4K conversion support and hardware acceleration for smoother high-resolution output in less processing time.

How to convert videos with WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro:

1. Install and launch the program.
2. Add your video by clicking Add Files or by dragging and dropping them into the workspace.
3. Choose your output format and adjust optional settings.
4. Set your output folder.
5. Click Run.

OS: Online

Best for: fast AI-powered 4K upscaling and creative video enhancements

Why I picked it: a fun AI video editor and upscaler that provides interesting AI enhancements that are quick and easy to use.

I've had a load of fun toying around with GoEnhance's AI video converter especially for personal projects that called for a little more creativity. This web-based platform has a clean user interface and supports drag-and-drop interactions for a simplified user experience.

Their AI video upscaler supports 4K resolution and provides different styles and presets to achieve a variety of looks (like Film, Gaming, and more.) What really impressed me is their Motion-Aware deblur and intelligent denoising feature that allows smooth playback even when the source video has a lot of movement.

In their most recent update, GoEnhance improved their paid plan offers with priority processing, better limits, and increased storage time allotment.

How to convert videos with GoEnhance:

1. Visit the GoEnhance website.
2. Choose your media by clicking Upload Video.
3. Pick a style or model.
4. Click Generate or Convert.
5. Preview your output and wait for the process to complete.
6. Save and download your converted file.

After all of the paid and free video enhancer software options I've tried, I have to say that Movavi Video Converter comes out on top as a suitable choice across all experience levels. I find that it provides just the right tools and options to satisfy more advanced users without being too complicated as to intimidate beginners.

Then again, everyone has their own preferences. Ultimately, the best MOV to MP4 conversion service for you will depend on your experience level, output requirements, computer capabilities, and the specific tasks you're hoping to tackle.

So whether it's a one-time conversion project, a video restoration task, or an HD video enhancement requirement for commercial or professional use, you should be able to find the right tool with this handy list of the 12 best HD video converters.