Windows 7: Dealing with the .xesc filetype

I am using the Microsoft Expression Encoder Screen Capture program. The output it produces is a lossless .xesc filetype. That needs to be encoded with the Expression Encoder which takes forever (about 3 to 6 minutes for every recorded minute).

I use a little trick just changing the filetype of the output file to .wmv. That works amazingly well, but not always. For those cases I have been looking for a faster filetype converter (faster than MS Expression Encoder). The internet yields nothing. Only the codec for WMP (and only for WMP) which I have.

It would be even better if I found a codec that the WLMM would recognize because I usually use the WLMM as next step processing the captured .xesc files.

If anybody steps on something like that, please let me know.

PS: I use this program for screen capture because it produces the best quality output of all programs I have ever tried. If someone knows of a real high quality free screen capture program, I would be pleased to know about it and try it.