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Video format

FLV converter

An .flv file is a Flash Video container, the format that powered most web video during the 2000s. YouTube, news sites, and early streaming platforms delivered .flv streams into the Flash Player plugin before HTML5 video replaced the whole stack.

Private for supported formats — processed in your browser

Convert supported files

Runs on your device

Drop FLV files here

Batch files can each use a different output. Nothing uploads for local conversions.

Working inputs include camera RAW, browser-local audio/video, PDF, CBZ/CBR comics, office documents, ebooks, markup, 3D models, structured text, images, and archives.

Where FLV comes from

Macromedia introduced FLV with Flash Player 6 in 2002, initially carrying the Sorenson Spark codec and later On2 VP6 and H.264. Adobe inherited the format through its 2005 acquisition and formally ended Flash Player on December 31, 2020, leaving .flv files without their native runtime.

How FLV works

  • A simple sequence of tagged audio, video, and script packets designed for progressive download and RTMP streaming
  • Video is Sorenson Spark, On2 VP6, or H.264 depending on era; audio is usually MP3 or AAC
  • An onMetaData script tag near the head stores duration, dimensions, and encoder details
  • F4V, the MP4-based successor, replaced it once Flash gained H.264 support in 2007

When to use FLV

  • Recovering clips downloaded during the Flash era
  • Converting RTMP stream captures into modern formats
  • Extracting audio tracks from vintage web videos
  • Migrating legacy content libraries to MP4 before the source players vanish entirely

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Very small container overhead
  • H.264/AAC content re-wraps to MP4 without any re-encoding
  • Thoroughly documented after years of reverse engineering

Limitations

  • No mainstream player ships FLV support anymore
  • Older Sorenson and VP6 files must be transcoded rather than re-wrapped
  • No provision for subtitles or chapters

Compatibility

No current browser can play .flv, since the plugin that decoded it was removed from Chrome, Firefox, and Edge at the end of 2020. VLC and ffmpeg-based tools still read the format reliably, which is how old files get rescued into MP4.

An onMetaData script tag embeds duration, dimensions, and encoder details; there is no standard field set for titles or authorship.

Convert FLV to another format

Convert other formats to FLV