Ellora Assets Corporation has released Freemake Video Converter 2.2, an update it terms "major" due to the fact it promises vastly improved conversion speeds on suitably powerful machines. The improved performance is made possible by integration of DXVA2.0 technology into its code.

Freemake Video Converter is a freeware video conversion program that can handle a wide variety of formats, plus download and convert video directly from over 40 sites. The program includes video-editing tools, and the finished results can be output for the web, a wide variety of smartphones and other portable devices, or burned to video DVD or Blu-ray.

Version 2.2 also features the debut of a new algorithm that promises to automatically detect and optimize the conversion parameters, whether DXVA, CUDA or DXVA+CUDA. This is determined by the individual computer being used to run the program and ensures the most efficient process is selected based on the PC's individual hardware specification.

DXVA, which stands for DirectX Video Acceleration, utilizes the computer's graphic chip where possible to accelerate the video decoding part of the conversion process while freeing up the computer's core processor for other tasks. DXVA 2.0 -- which is compatible with Windows 7 and Vista, but not XP -- allows more operations, including video processing and capturing, to be handled by the graphics chip, helping boost performance further. Ellora claims the integration of DXVA 2.0 means that the conversion process for certain video codecs, specifically H.264 and MPEG2 as found in HD video and video ripped from DVD, is accelerated by up to 50 per cent.