XnView

Pros

• Over 400 file formats supported
• A smooth interface that does not glitch or lag
• Easy to figure out
• Offers quite a lot for a free program

Cons

• The native file recognition is sometimes iffy
• An inability to edit any type of text file
• Full screen mode may act up with larger video files

XnView is an innovative graphic image program that allows users the freedom of managing, viewing, editing and converting multimedia files of practically any file extension.

What You Get with XnView

XnView is a free program available for the Windows 7 OS that deals in graphic files primarily. For the everyday user, images are not difficult to deal with nor to manipulate. Windows has quite a few programs that get the job done, and there’s also Photoshop for professional image manipulation. However, those who deal with graphic files know that display formats are vast and varied. XnView actually has over 400 different file formats to use for graphic images, including a wide range of formats for video.

The program is strikingly similar to Windows Explorer. In fact, the controls are pretty much the same, making this program a breeze for anyone already familiar with Explorer. Where XnView separates itself is in the sheer amount of different file types the program can run. Windows Explorer would need a host of different codec packs and mods to operate the same way.

What XnView Can Do

XnView makes viewing and manipulating graphic multimedia a lot simpler than similar programs out there. The browsing feature is very user-friendly, providing you with different options for photo viewing, including a slideshow or full-screen mode. When you view INI or TXT files, the text of these images will actually be displayed via an icon, rather than having to open up a different program to view the file. So everything’s done in-house with XnView.

Another way XnView stands out on its own is with its smooth interface and its ability to stay fast and responsive regardless of file size. This is great for individuals who want to view or manipulate large video files.

The program has a bit of trouble recognizing a file's native form if the format has been altered. This is more of a nuisance than a real issue. In addition, covering over 400 extensions does not cover them all. Believe it or not, several more types of files are available, and you may encounter something that XnView does not recognize. If this is the case, the program does at least provide a hash value. Whether or not this will be useful depends on the file.

Some of the read support XnView offers includes: Leaf, Epson, AVT, Contax, Leica, JPEG-XR, Nifti, IPlab and more than 400 other types of files covering image and video formats. Updated versions of the program typically include support for more file types.

Pros

• Over 400 file formats supported
• A smooth interface that does not glitch or lag
• Easy to figure out
• Offers quite a lot for a free program

Cons

• The native file recognition is sometimes iffy
• An inability to edit any type of text file
• Full screen mode may act up with larger video files