MOV to FLV converter
Drop in an MOV and get an FLV back. FLV is the usual choice for archived video from the Flash era of the web. Your file never leaves your computer.
Need the other direction? Convert FLV to MOV
How to convert MOV to FLV
- 1 Drop your MOV .mov or .qt file onto the page, or click to browse for it.
- 2 Set the quality, or leave the default, which keeps the file small without anything showing.
- 3 Convert. The work happens on your own machine, so how long it takes depends on your computer and the file.
- 4 Download the FLV, or add more files and do the whole set in one go.
Why convert MOV to FLV
- Small files and fast start-up over slow connections.
- Simple enough that conversion tools read it reliably.
- Old screen recordings and e-learning modules.
- MOV: proRes masters are very large compared to delivery formats.
MOV compared with FLV
How the two formats differ on the things that decide whether a conversion is worth making.
| Property | MOV | FLV |
|---|---|---|
| File extension | .mov | .flv |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Typical file size | Depends on mode | Smaller |
| Browser support | Some browsers | No browser support |
| Introduced | 1991 | 2002 |
| Developed by | Apple | Adobe / Macromedia |
Quality and what changes
FLV stores the same content under a different set of rules, so what matters here is compatibility rather than picture quality. Convert once from the best source you have rather than through a chain of intermediate files.
- One FLV limitation to keep in mind: nothing plays it any more, Flash is fully end of life.
Questions about MOV to FLV
Can I open an FLV in a browser?
No. No mainstream browser renders FLV natively, so it will download rather than display. That is fine when the file is heading into desktop software or an archive, and a problem if it is going on a web page.
Is my MOV file uploaded anywhere?
No. The whole thing runs inside the browser tab you already have open. Your MOV is read straight from your own disk, converted on your machine and handed back as an FLV. Nothing is sent anywhere, nothing is stored and there is no account.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no server-side limit because no server sees the file. The real ceiling is your device memory, since the input and the output both have to fit in the tab. A few hundred megabytes is usually fine on a desktop machine and considerably less on a phone.
Can I convert several MOV files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are processed one after another, then offered as separate FLV downloads or as a single ZIP. Speed depends on your own processor rather than on a queue.
Does the converter work offline?
Yes, after the page has loaded once. The engine is cached by the browser, so you can disconnect, reload and keep converting. That falls out of doing the work locally rather than being a separate mode you switch on.