What is a FLV file?
FLV — Flash Video
Use the format FLV
A concrete example
Prepare an MP4 from an old FLV video archive.
Useful checks
Compare the duration and the start of playback. A new extension cannot fix an incomplete source.
Choose a conversion
Keep the original and open the result in the software or on the device that will need to use it.
Your questions about this format
How to choose between MP4, WEBM, and MKV?
MP4 is suitable for many sharing purposes; WEBM is particularly intended for web playback. MKV may be better suited for content with multiple tracks. Look at the outputs offered for your file and test the result on the player you will actually use.
Can I extract only the audio from my video?
Yes, if MP3 is listed among the outputs of your source. Add the video, choose MP3, and start the conversion. The file must contain an audio track: a silent video cannot produce a sound recording.
Why am I being offered MKV for tracks and subtitles?
Not all outputs retain the same tracks. If the engine indicates that a MKV container is required, go back to the output selection and choose MKV instead of forcing a conversion that would remove elements. This output may fall under NoLimit.
How many videos can I convert for free?
The free offer allows one video per day, within the total quota of ten files and the limit of 100 MB per file. A batch of three files does not add three video rights: the video quota remains shared. A valid NoLimit access adjusts the limits according to the displayed offer.
What is it?
FLV is the video format of Flash, the plugin that kept online video alive for a decade. It was the format behind YouTube and Dailymotion in their early years.
Lightweight and built for streaming, it let playback start before the download finished — something we take for granted now, but it was a revolution at the time.
History & origin
Macromedia introduced FLV in 2002, and Adobe inherited it when it acquired Flash. Between 2005 and 2010, the vast majority of video on the web passed through this format.
The arrival of HTML5's video tag, followed by the final discontinuation of Flash in late 2020, made it completely obsolete. No browser can play it anymore.
Why it is useful
Its lightness and suitability for streaming were its strengths back in the day.
None of that remains today, except that it still exists in old archives.
Limits & drawbacks
The format is dead: no browser, no phone, no TV can play it anymore.
Its quality is far below that of current formats at an equivalent file size.
Practical tips
If you still have FLV files, convert them to MP4 without delay: it's the only way to make sure you'll still be able to watch them in five years.
Conversion preserves the original quality — it won't improve it, but it will save your archives from oblivion.
Convert your FLV in seconds, on our secure servers in France.
Convert a FLV