Review of Video Ringtones Applications
Video Ringtones application is an interesting software, which gives you possibility either to convert audio and video to ringtones for your mobile phone, i.e. create videoringtones by yourself, or transfer already existing video files and have them played during a phone call for profiles and contacts.
Because of the captivating idea of the software we decided to test it, make nice screenshots and tell you about our impressions after using Videoringtones by Rock Your Mobile! and ClipTone by WebGate.
Here is brief information about the application to be analyzed:
| App name | Vendor | Price | Size, Kb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Videoringtones for Nokia Smartphones | Rock Your Mobile! | Buy $11.95 | PC client – 4,162Mobile client – 103 |
| ClipTone | WebGate | Buy $9.90 | Mobile client – 1,106 |
We analyzed the following list of aspects and application details:
• Installation
• Trial period
• Software Idea
• Interface
• Settings
• Supported formats
• Help and Support
• Application in action
• Special features
• Summary of the test results
• Conclusion
Videoringtones
Mobile client
The application is installed in course of several seconds and doesn’t require additional effort.
Note! First of all you have to install the Videoringtones application on the mobile phone, only after that you can transfer the converted videoringtone and install it.
PC client
You can run setup.exe in order to install the software and then follow the installation instructions during the installation process. Nothing special.
Score given: 10
ClipTone – the installation is easy and causes no problems when following the instructions on the display of the mobile phone.
Score given: 10
Videoringtones - Rock Your Mobile! offers customers first to try the Videoringtones application. You have 15 days to test it and to decide whether you like it and want to buy or it is not as interesting as you thought.
Score given: 9
ClipTone – the trial version is limited to 20 incoming calls.
Score given: 7
Videoringtones – the application gives you the possibility to create the videoringtones by yourself, allowing to convert any audio and video files into one videoringtone; and then to transfer it to your mobile phone. You can use audio thread of the used video, or you can choose to use another audio file.
Score given: 9
ClipTone – the idea of this application is simpler: you just have to assign the corresponding file to the contact or profile. The video ringtones you use can be either downloaded from the vendors site (three of which are available for use in trial mode and 7 more upon purchase) or transferred as .3gp video file formats to your mobile, which further appear in the Ringing tone list as .3gp.wcp file format.
Score given: 7
Videoringtones
Mobile client
The interface of the Videoringtones mobile client is very simple and has the following view:
It contains brief information about the application working procedure.
Left soft key Options of this screen contains the following buttons:
• About – contains brief information about the developer
• Register – to enter the registration code
• Exit – exits the application
PC client
The interface of Videoringtones PC client looks as follows:
The interface is nice and comprehensible, so that you could easily use the application even without the user manual or Help file.
Score given: 8
ClipTone – the main screen of this application has the following view:
• Profiles – shows the list of the profiles
• Contacts – shows your contact list
When clicking left soft key Options of this screen you will see the following list of buttons:
• About – shows brief information about the product and the author
• Activate – to activate the application
• Check for update – allows you to check for new features and software updates
• More videos – to download more videos from the site
• Exit – exits the application
Score given: 6
Videoringtones
Mobile client
Videoringtones Mobile client doesn’t need to be configured, that is why contains no Settings options.
PC client
If you wish to change the settings of the Videoringtones PC client, you have to click Options → Settings:
• Output directory – here is the default directory for your output files stored
• Overwrite File settings allow:
o to overwrite file without saving the previous file
o to rename the current file when a file with such name already exists adding an index to the file name
• Screenshot settings allow:
o to choose image format (BMP or JPEG) for the picture captured
o to choose target directory where the screenshots will be saved
• Language settings – you can choose the language of Videoringtones for Nokia Smartphones Application from the list. Currently the following languages are available: English, German. The default language is English.
Score given: 8
ClipTone – the application contains no Settings options to modify them.
Score given: 2
Videoringtones
The input video formats are:
• DVD
• AVI
• WMV
• MP4
• MOV
• 3GP
• ASF
The output video formats are:
• for S60.2 - .sis file
• for S60.3 - .vrtp (note: video ring tones player required)
Score given: 9
ClipTone – the application supports only the 3gp format.
After being transferred the .3gp file format can be found in the Ringing tone list of the application. Here this file receives the .3gp.wcp extension.
Score given: 4
Videoringtones
Videoringtones for Nokia Smartphones doesn’t contain Help file, which really upsets, as during or even before the application usage user can read it to freely navigate in the application; it has an e-mail (support@rock-your-mobile.com) to contact a developer in case of any questions or suggestions.
Unfortunately this is not the first time that the support department of Rock Your Mobile! does not respond to our e-mail.
Score given: 5
ClipTone – even though the application is easy in use, it contains the Help file; I guess all recently released applications no matter what should contain it; if you have questions regarding the ClipTone application you can contact the developers (support@webgate.bg).
Having waited for 5 days we have been left with no answer to our question.
Score given: 6
Videoringtones
PC client
At the beginning of the application usage you have to load an input video file, which you want to convert. This can be done using the button of Videoringtones for Nokia Smartphones – Add Video/Add DVD (it depends on the format of your video file) or in the Toolbar (Menu) which is situated in the top part of the main window you can choose button File → Add Video/Add DVD.
Then you have to choose the piece of the video you would like to convert.
Play the video with the “Play” button on the program interface.
In the frame of the Windows Media Player you can select “Start” and “Finish” of the video piece for conversion with the green arrow buttons.
The Piece selected will be shown with the blue line on the Windows Media Player bar.
Next step is selecting of the target mobile device for which you would like to convert the video chosen.
A Crop Frames option selects the way in which the frames of your video will be cropped. White field shows the area that will be cropped:
After the video has been chosen, there will be a default name and default path for the output video given automatically and highlighted in the field: Output File name (you can change the name by typing a new one:
To convert the video file press Convert Current/Convert Checked buttons on your program interface or in the Toolbar (Menu) which is situated in the top part of the main window you can choose button conversion → Convert Current/Convert Checked.
Below in the bar you will find the progress bar.
After the video is converted you will find it in the output directory specified.
You can transfer it via Bluetooth or data cable.
Screenshot
Also you have the possibility to save the screen that you are currently viewing.
To make such screenshot you have to press “Screenshot” button on the Interface or to go to Player → Screenshot or use a shortcut F5.
Clicking Options → Settings → Screenshot you can choose:
• Image format (BMP or JPEG)
• Default Directory to save Screenshot (after Installation the default directory is the installation directory).
Video Full Screen Feature
You can watch the full screen video using the right-key menu of the mouse or pressing “ALT+ENTER”.
Conversion details
There is a possibility to see all the details of convert and to change them.
Press the Details button and you will see the following screen:
• Duration – duration of the video, which you are going to convert
• Start Position – the starting point of the conversion process
• Format – choice of audio/video format
• Size – choose the size of the video shot depending on the screen of your mobile device
• Frame Rate – how many frames per second will be shown
• Sample Rate – sampling frequency used for the audio file
• Channels – you can choose stereo or mono channel
• Bit Rate – number of bits that are processed in a second
• Replace Audio Track – is ticked in case user wants to choose another audio instead of the original one
• New Sound Track – with the help of the button on the right, user can choose the track he wants
• Play – play the chosen track
Profile Editor Details
To access Profile Editor Details of Videoringtones for Nokia Smartphones press Options → Profile Editor:
• Title – indicate the name of the new profile
• Video/Audio Codec – choice of video/audio format
• Video Size – choose the size of the video shot depending of the screen of your mobile device
• Bit Rate – number of bits that are processed in a second
• Frame Rate - how many frames per second will be shown
• Sample Rate – sampling frequency used for the audio file
• Channels – you can choose stereo or mono channel
• Rename – allows to change title of already existing profiles
• Delete – allows to delete the already existing profiles
If you Tick Check as Default option it allows to choose several or one of the profiles in case you don’t need the whole list of the profiles, which will be automatically loaded on the application start-up.
Visible option gives you an opportunity to make visible those profiles in the list which you really need.
Mobile client
Having received the file with .vrtn extension, you open it and install the received videoringtone either on Phone memory or Memory card.
Then you can open your address book, choose any contact or group of contacts and assign the videoringtone to it. The converted files will have the .mvtn extension.
When receiving the phone call from the contact or group of contacts with the assigned videoringtone, the screen will have the following view:
Because of the long preparation time for a single video as well as much effort, we score application in action a bit lower.
Score given: 8
ClipTone – the application is really easy in use.
To start using it you can go to the Profiles option, where you come to native Nokia profile Settings:
Here you can the list of the available profiles. Clicking left soft key Options of this screen you will see the following list of buttons:
• Activate – to activate a profile
• Personalize – to customize a profile
• Create new – to create a new profile
• Help – contains information to easily navigate in the application
• Exit – exits the application
To change a profile you have just to scroll in the list to the profile you need and select Options → Activate.
In order to assign the video file to a profile you just have to select the file as Ringing tone for the corresponding profile and save your changes.
The same procedure is also held for Contacts. Choosing the Contacts button you will see the contacts database of your phone. Having chosen the needed one you have to open it and click left soft key Options of the current screen → Ringing tone:
And choose the needed tone, for example the received .3gp file, which in the Ringing tone list appears with the .3gp.wcp extension:
When receiving the phone call you will see the video playing on the mobile screen as a ringtone:
Score given: 10
Videoringtones
If application contains interesting features which others don’t have, it attracts users’ attention.
Videoringtones application has the following list of special features:
• Screenshot making
• Possibility to convert not only single, but also multiple videos
• Video Full Screen Feature
Score given: 8
ClipTone – this application has no special features.
Score given: 2
Having analyzed all components and settings and given them the scores from 1 to 10, we have multiplied the scores by a corresponding importance factor in order to get the total score value of the application.
We have used the following Importance factor (IF) values:
• Installation: IF 2
• Trial period: IF 4
• Software idea: IF 6
• Interface: IF 5
• Settings: IF 6
• Supported formats: IF 8
• Help and Support: IF 5
• Application in action: IF 10
• Special features: IF 5
The total possible score for an application would be 510 points.
Multiplying the score by Importance factors we have got the following table:
| Videoringtones for Nokia Smartphones | ClipTone for Nokia S60 3rd edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | 20 | 20 |
| Trial period | 36 | 28 |
| Software idea | 54 | 42 |
| Interface | 40 | 30 |
| Settings | 48 | 12 |
| Supported formats | 72 | 32 |
| Application in action | 80 | 100 |
| Help/Support | 25 | 30 |
| Special Features | 40 | 10 |
| Total | 415 | 304 |
Test winner according to the overall application test is Videoringtones for Nokia Smartphones.
The compared above apps are useful in varying boring audio ringtones. The video ringtone has all the features of a normal ring tone: you may choose it from the list of the ringtones and let it play in some profile, or when a user group or a user from your address book is calling you.
Videoringtones application became a winner of our comparison review, as it combines several advantages over the ClipTone application.
First of all the main advantage is the possibility to create the ring tone by yourself converting video and audio files. It is also important that the application contained settings option, so that you could set the application to your needs.
The disadvantage of Videoringtones by Rock Your Mobile! is that the whole process of ring tones creating takes more time than you wished to.
ClipTone is an application, which doesn’t demand any special skills to use it. It is very easy and ituitive. However in most cases you will need an extra software to adjust and convert your 3gp video, and also the audio file is not extra adjustable.
But still I guess the reviewed software is worth trying, and there will be fans for both reviewed software titles.