Video conversion
Convert MP4 to FLV
Updated Jul 2026
MP4 is the video format nearly everything plays today, while FLV is the older Flash Video format that some legacy players, security systems, and old web tools still expect. To convert, open the MP4 in a converter and export it as FLV. Doing this on your own computer means the video never has to be uploaded just to change its format.
- Extension
- .mp4
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- The universal video format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Extension
- .flv
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Legacy web video
- Compression
- Lossy
Convert MP4 to FLV on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert MP4 to FLV
- Open Morphjet and drag in the MP4 file, or a whole folder of them, that you need in FLV.
- Choose FLV as the output format.
- Convert. The FLV file is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
MP4 vs FLV: what actually changes
| MP4 | FLV | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens everywhere | Yes, plays on virtually any device or browser | No, needs a legacy Flash-based player or old system |
| File size | Efficient at a given quality | Similar or larger, due to older codec support |
| Quality | Lossy, modern compression | Lossy, with a further small loss on re-encode |
| Browser playback | Native, no plugin needed | None, Flash Player was discontinued in 2020 |
| Typical use today | Recording, sharing, streaming, editing | Legacy CMS, old DVR systems, unmigrated Flash courses |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert MP4 to FLV when a specific older system requires it, such as a legacy content management system, a security DVR built around Flash Video, or an old training course that was never rebuilt after Flash Player was retired.
Keep the MP4 if you have any choice at all, since Flash Player was discontinued in 2020 and FLV won't play in current browsers or on phones without a dedicated legacy player.
Why not just use an online converter?
The systems that still call for FLV, old security recorders, internal intranets, retired training platforms, often hold footage or material that was never meant to be public. Uploading it to a web converter just to change the format hands it to a stranger's server. Converting on your own computer keeps the file, and whatever it shows, on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting MP4 to FLV lose quality?
Yes, a little. Both formats are lossy, so re-encoding from one to the other adds a small additional loss on top of what the original MP4 already has.
Will the FLV file play in a normal web browser?
No. Flash Player was discontinued in 2020, and no current browser plays FLV directly. It only works in the older system or legacy player that requires it.
Why would anyone still need FLV in 2026?
Mostly legacy reasons: an old security DVR, a content management system that was never updated, or an internal training course still running on retired Flash software.
Can I convert MP4 to FLV without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file locally, so it never has to travel over the internet, which matters if the footage is private or internal.
Morphjet converts MP4, FLV, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.