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Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

fileshifter.io

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Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#21

Post by fvargas »

wanderfowl wrote: post #11
fvargas wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious, why would you want to self-host it?

For me, often, it's just a bandwidth issue. If a colleague has a 12 GB movie they'd like to transmute, a local app might be a possibility, but an hour long upload followed by a 20 minute long download won't be.

The creator mentions in another post that the service does indeed upload the data to a server for processing. But, in general, it being a web app doesn't mean it uploads your data any more than a locally run application might. A web app can just as well do the processing in the browser without it ever leaving your machine.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#22

Post by bo1024 »

khedoros1 wrote: post #17
bo1024 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you run Linux, you can use `ffmpeg` and `convert` to duplicate the functionality of this site locally. For example $ convert input-file.jpg output-file.pdf $ ffmpeg -i input-file.mov output-file.mp4

I've seen you mention those tools a couple times. I'm familiar with ffmpeg. Does convert also cover the MS Office file formats, as this tool purports to?

I missed the MS formats -- sorry! I don't know off the top of my head, but doubt it. libreoffice should though.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#23

Post by thomasswift »

Cool! I think you need a way to get back to the home screen so that someone can try another conversion. After I did the default png->pdf, there is nothing to click on to go back and try another conversion, besides editing the URL. (maybe a link 'try another' or just home) - but cool thanks for sharing! Edit: on Safari mac 10.13 if that helps

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#25

Post by systoll »

bo1024 wrote: post #13
Digital-Citizen wrote: post #2

Structurally, the service is hosted online as a website, this means one must upload a copy of their data to be converted. Naturally that raises questions because there's a lot we don't know about this site: who runs it, what are the terms of service (I saw none on the site), what are users granting the site owners to do with uploaded data? Answers to these are almost certainly guesses as this information is not readi…

- I appreciate these posts that promote software freedom. - The tools `convert` and `ffmpeg` should cover your criteria and the functionality of the site.

unoconv too, for the office formats.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#26

Post by systoll »

khedoros1 wrote: post #17
bo1024 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you run Linux, you can use `ffmpeg` and `convert` to duplicate the functionality of this site locally. For example $ convert input-file.jpg output-file.pdf $ ffmpeg -i input-file.mov output-file.mp4

I've seen you mention those tools a couple times. I'm familiar with ffmpeg. Does convert also cover the MS Office file formats, as this tool purports to?

No. For office formats there's unoconv

https://github.com/dagwieers/unoconv

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#27

Post by metaobject »

fvargas wrote: post #21
wanderfowl wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, often, it's just a bandwidth issue. If a colleague has a 12 GB movie they'd like to transmute, a local app might be a possibility, but an hour long upload followed by a 20 minute long download won't be.

The creator mentions in another post that the service does indeed upload the data to a server for processing. But, in general, it being a web app doesn't mean it uploads your data any more than a locally run application might. A web app can just as well do the processing in the browser without it ever leaving your machine.

Using a web app requires one to upload their file 100% of the time. Using a local app requires one, I'd expect, to upload their file 0% of the time.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#28

Post by mtusman »

thomasswift wrote: post #23

Cool! I think you need a way to get back to the home screen so that someone can try another conversion. After I did the default png->pdf, there is nothing to click on to go back and try another conversion, besides editing the URL. (maybe a link 'try another' or just home) - but cool thanks for sharing! Edit: on Safari mac 10.13 if that helps

Hey, glad you liked it! I'm working on a new update that does exactly that! So, thanks for your suggestion.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#29

Post by mtusman »

michaelvillar wrote: post #24

It's nice! Quick feedback for UX improvement: let the user upload a file first, detect the extension, then ask what file type to convert to.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll take it onboard and try my best to implement it.

Re: Show HN: Fileshifter – Easily convert files and videos between different formats

#30

Post by bo1024 »

systoll wrote: post #25
bo1024 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- I appreciate these posts that promote software freedom. - The tools `convert` and `ffmpeg` should cover your criteria and the functionality of the site.

unoconv too, for the office formats.

Thanks
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