This is an overview of how to use Prism to convert your files from one format to another.

Adding and Removing Files

To convert your video files into the desired format, begin by adding files into the filelist window. Either click the "Add" button, or select File -> Add from the menu. In the browse window that opens select the video files yuor wish to convert.

Once your files have been added, if you wish to remove any of them, select the files and either click the "Remove" button, or select File -> Remove from the menu. To select multiple files at once, press the Ctrl key and left-click on the files you want to select. To highlight all the files, either select File -> Select All from the menu, or press Ctrl + A.

Playing Files

To play a file, left-click on the desired file and either click the "Play" button, or select File -> Play from the menu. If you press the Play button when selecting multiple files, the first selected file will be played.

Selecting an Output Folder

Near the bottom of the main window, there is a field labelled "Output Folder", where you can enter the file directory into which you wish to store the converted files. You can either type in the desired folder, or you can click the browse button on the right of the field. Doing so will bring up a window where you can browse for the destination directory on your hard drive. The last several directories you have chosen in the past are stored in a drop-down list, and can be accessed by clicking the arrow on the right side of the text field.

Selecting an Output Format and Configuring Encoder Options

The field labelled "Output Format" is where you can select the desired output file format for your files. Prism currently supports conversion to avi and asf format.

Once you have selected a format to convert to, you can click the "Encoder Options" button to configure the settings for the format (see Encoder Options for more information on configuring options for any file format).

You may also choose to edit the output by selecting "Edit Output" button to change the video format (see Edit Output for more information).

Converting Files

Once you have set the output folder and format, you can then select the files from the list you want to convert, and either click the "Convert" button, or select File -> Convert from the menu. If you hit the convert button without any files selected, all files in the list will be converted by default.

Viewing Extra File Information

For those who are interested in the attributes or internal information of the video, Prism displays the information in the 'Other Information' column for the file.

Viewing Extended Conversion Information

If you attempt to convert a file and something goes wrong with the conversion process, a short message will be displayed in the 'Other Information' column in the Prism main window. This message gives a brief summary of the specifics of the problem. If you wish to see a more detailed version of that message, right-click the file you attempted to convert and select 'View Other Extended Information'. You will see a pop-up window appearing that contains the more detailed message.