FLV vs WMV
How do FLV and WMVcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.flv
Full guide →Flash Video
FLV was the dominant web video format during the Flash era. While Flash is dead, FLV files still exist in archives and legacy systems. Converting FLV to MP4 is one of the most common conversion needs.
.wmv
Full guide →Windows Media Video
WMV is Microsoft's proprietary video format. It was popular on Windows platforms in the 2000s but has largely been replaced by MP4. WMV files are still encountered in corporate and legacy environments.
| Specification | FLV | WMV |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Flash Video | Windows Media Video |
| Extension | .flv | .wmv |
| MIME type | video/x-flv | video/x-ms-wmv |
| Category | Video | Video |
| Developer | Adobe (Macromedia) | Microsoft |
| Year introduced | 2003 | 1999 |
FLV advantages
- Very small file sizes
- Fast to decode
- Was the web video standard
- Simple container format
FLV limitations
- Flash Player is discontinued
- Limited browser support
- Outdated codec support
- No modern features
WMV advantages
- Native Windows support
- Good compression for its era
- DRM support
- Windows Media Player integration
WMV limitations
- Limited cross-platform support
- Proprietary format
- Declining popularity
- Inferior to modern codecs
Which should you use?
FLV and WMV target different use cases. FLV is ideal for converting old web videos, while WMV works best for legacy windows video libraries.
Best uses for FLV
Best uses for WMV
Convert between FLV and WMV
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.