Flash® video (FLV) files are one of the most popular formats for showing streaming video on the Internet. This format has been used by influential websites such as YouTube and Hulu to present videos online. FLV files require a recent version of Adobe® Flash® Player, and some computers and media devices don't use this software. If you want to watch Flash® videos on a device that doesn't have an FLV player, you can convert FLV files to Windows Media® Video (WMV) files. To convert FLV to WMV, you can use one of the many programs that are available for this purpose, some of which can be downloaded for free.
The WMV file format is based on Microsoft Advanced Systems Format multimedia containers. This video file is most often viewed using Windows Media Player on personal computers, but it also can be used on some portable media devices and with other programs that play video files. It can be a good idea to convert FLV to WMV because it works with more software and more systems.
To convert FLV to WMV video, you'll first need the FLV file. Save the file onto your computer in an easy-to-remember place, such as your desktop, so you can find it after you get a program that will convert it. There are programs and browser extensions that will allow you to download almost any FLV video that is on the Internet.
There are many programs that will convert FLV to WMV. Some can be purchased for a nominal fee, but there also are freeware and shareware programs that will convert video files from one format to another. Some programs allow for batch conversion so you can convert many FLV files at once. After researching the available conversion programs, download and install the conversion program of your choice.
To use most conversion programs, you simply open the program and click a command such as "Add File," then navigate to where you stored the FLV file on your computer and select that file. The conversion program usually allows you to choose the type of format into which you would like the file converted, so in this case, you would select "WMV." You likely also will be able to choose where the program will save the converted file. After you have selected these options and any others that might be available, such as the desired file size, you simply tell the program to begin by clicking a command such as "Start." After the program finishes running, you'll end up with a file converted from FLV to WMV.
After your FLV file has been converted into the WMV file format, you can watch it on your computer or transfer it to your media player of choice. You also can burn the converted WMV onto a disc or add it to a jump drive if you want to transfer it to another computer. Converting FLV to WMV typically provides many more options for viewing the video, because more devices and programs are able to play videos that are in the WMV format.