Video
What is a WMV file?
Updated Jul 2026
WMV (Windows Media Video) is a video format developed for Windows, using lossy compression to keep files compact. It plays natively on Windows and was common for older camcorders, downloads, and video calls from the 2000s and 2010s. Mac and mobile devices, plus many editing programs, often need it converted to MP4 before they'll open it.
- Extension
- .wmv
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Windows video
- Compression
- Lossy
Why WMV exists
Microsoft introduced WMV in the late 1990s as part of its Windows Media framework, meant as a smaller alternative to older formats like AVI. It became the default output for early Windows video software and a common choice for downloadable video back when most people were on slow, limited internet connections.
WMV uses lossy compression, so it throws away some picture detail to shrink the file, similar to how MP3 does for audio. Video and audio are bundled into a single container, and some WMV files were also wrapped with copy protection, which is part of why a handful of old ones refuse to play outside specific Windows software.
Most people run into WMV today through an old camcorder file, a downloaded course video, or something inherited from a Windows PC years back. It opens without any fuss on Windows, but Mac, iPhone, and many web tools either reject it outright or play it with glitches, which is usually when people convert it to MP4.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Smaller file sizes than older, uncompressed formats
- Plays natively on Windows without extra software
- Reasonable quality at low bitrates, useful on slow connections
Watch-outs
- Poor support on Mac, iPhone, and Android without conversion
- Older compression, so quality trails MP4 at the same file size
- Some files carry copy protection that blocks playback or conversion
- Falling out of use, so fewer apps bother supporting it
A note on privacy
A WMV file can carry metadata such as an author name, the recording device, and sometimes a timestamp or location if it came from a device that embeds one. Uploading it to an online converter site sends that video and whatever it's carrying to someone else's server. Converting on your own computer keeps the file, and its metadata, on your machine the whole time.
Convert a WMV file
- Convert WMV to GIF
- Convert WMV to MP4
- Convert WMV to MOV
- Convert WMV to MKV
- Convert WMV to WebM
- Convert WMV to AVI
- Convert WMV to FLV
- Convert WMV to M4V
Questions
How do I open a WMV file?
Windows Media Player opens WMV natively on Windows. On a Mac or phone you'll usually need to convert it to MP4 first, since native support is limited or missing.
Is WMV better than MP4?
Not really. MP4 plays on nearly every device and generally holds better quality at the same file size, which is why most people convert WMV to MP4 rather than the other way around.
Why do I still have WMV files?
They're often left over from older camcorders, downloaded courses, or video calls recorded years ago, back when WMV was a common default on Windows.
Can I convert WMV without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts WMV on your own computer, so the video never has to leave your machine to become an MP4.
Morphjet opens and converts WMV and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.