Video format
What is a .wmv file?
WMV (Windows Media Video) is Microsoft’s video format, common in the 2000s. It usually comes in the ASF container with Windows Media Audio.
Windows plays it directly, but browsers don’t, and support elsewhere is limited. MP4 is the usual replacement.
fileclay opens and writes WMV
WMV vs MP4 vs AVI
| WMV | MP4 | AVI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | Microsoft | ISO | Microsoft |
| Browsers | No | All | No |
| Phones | Limited | All | Limited |
| Best for | Old Windows videos | Sharing and the web | Old files and software |
When to use WMV
Good for
- Keeping old Windows recordings
- Old presentations with embedded video
- Software that only reads WMV
Not a good fit
- Publishing on a website
- Phones and tablets
- New videos: use MP4
How to open .wmv files
| Platform | App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Media Player | Built in |
| macOS | VLC | QuickTime doesn’t open it |
| Any system | VLC | Free |
Convert WMV files
From WMV
All 46 output formats: .mp4, .webm, .mkv, .avi, .mov, .gif, .m4v, .mpeg, .mpg, .ts, .m2ts, .mts, .m2v, .mxf, .ogv, .flv, .vob, .asf, .divx, .3gp, .3g2, .ivf, .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .m4b, .ogg, .oga, .opus, .aac, .flac, .aiff, .aif, .wma, .ac3, .mka, .caf, .au, .tta, .wv, .mp2, .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .webp, .bmp
Conversions run in your browser. Files aren’t uploaded.
How to identify a .wmv file
WMV uses the ASF container, which starts with these bytes. WMA files start the same way.
It’s read here, in your browser. Only the first bytes.
Your file
Questions about WMV
Can a Mac play WMV?
Not with QuickTime. VLC plays it, or you can convert it to MP4.
Does converting WMV to MP4 lose quality?
A little, because the video is encoded again.
Is WMV still used?
Rarely. It mostly survives in old recordings.