

Using the search term " free video to gif conversion" in Google, you will find over 305,000,000 hits. Most of these methods involve using the command line, but their use is relatively simple and straightforward. As a result, the GIF format can now be freely used without fear of licensing headaches.įortunately, there are a few ways you can create your own animated GIFs from video files. The resurgence can also be partially linked to the fact that the patents that initially made GIF files taste like soured milk have now expired in 2003 in the U.S., and in 2004 in most of the rest of the world. Animated GIF files are now being used as a replacement for video clips in a lot of cases, especially on social media sites. GIF files are experiencing a resurgence in popularity, and they can be found all over the internet.

Most importantly, the PNG format was created to be an open format, free of patents.įast forward to today. The PNG format offered a larger color palette and avoided the LZW licensing trap, as well as offering more options than the original GIF format. Ironically, Compuserve helped spearhead the development of the PNG format. Second, GIF files - especially animated GIF files - tend to be relatively large in file size, especially when compared to the sizes produced by other graphic file formats.Īs a result, the PNG graphics format was created to help circumvent the patent issues that encumbered the GIF format. There are other formats out there that provide a much larger palette that contributes not only to a much higher color resolution, but that also appear much more lifelike in appearance. First, standard GIF files are limited to a 256 color palette. Meanwhile, users tended to shy away from using GIF files for other reasons. In fact, there are still some computer users who feel bitter about the "GIF War" of nearly 20 years ago. Some developers incited open rebellion against the GIF format, with such activities as "Burn The GIFs" campaigns. As a result, developers steered away from creating programs that output GIF files, fearful of being slapped with cease and desist orders and forced into having to pay exorbitant licensing fees.

Compuserve, which created and patented the one-time popular graphics format, along with Unisys (who owned the patent of the LZW compression algorithm that the GIF format employed), defended their "property" like a hunger-ravaged junk yard guard dog. The GIF graphic format was, at one time, avoided like the plague. Convert Video Files To Animated GIFs Easily
