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FLV Converter – Transform Flash Video Files

Convert Flash videos now that Flash Player is dead

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format

Step 3: Convert files

Read Terms of use before using

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format

Step 3: Convert files

Read Terms of use before using

500+ Formats

Lightning Fast

100% Secure

No Sign-up Required

Cloud Processing

Always Free

What is FLV?

FLV (Flash Video) was the dominant video format for web streaming during the 2000s. Developed by Adobe (originally Macromedia), it powered YouTube, Vimeo, and countless websites before HTML5 video emerged.

FLV files require Adobe Flash Player to play, which Adobe officially discontinued in December 2020. All major browsers have removed Flash support, making FLV files unplayable in modern web browsers.

If you have FLV files from old websites, downloaded videos, or archives, converting them to MP4 is essential to preserve access to this content.

Why Convert FLV Files?

FLV conversion is now mandatory since Flash Player no longer exists:

Flash is dead – Adobe discontinued Flash Player in 2020; browsers removed all support
No native playback – No modern browser, phone, or TV can play FLV files
Security concerns – Flash had numerous security vulnerabilities
Preserve content – Old FLV videos will become inaccessible without conversion
Better quality – Modern MP4 compression is superior to old FLV encoding
Share anywhere – MP4 works on all platforms; FLV works on none

Convert FLV to Other Formats

Save your Flash videos by converting to modern formats:

FLV to MP4

The essential conversion for FLV files. MP4 replaces FLV as the web video standard and plays everywhere Flash no longer works.

FLV to AVI

Convert for Windows video editing and legacy media player compatibility.

FLV to MOV

Transform for Apple ecosystem compatibility and professional video editing.

FLV to MKV

Archive FLV content in MKV format with support for metadata and multiple tracks.

FLV to WebM

Convert to the open web video format that replaced Flash for HTML5 video.

FLV to MP3

Extract audio from Flash videos as MP3 files. Great for music videos and podcasts.

Convert Other Formats to FLV

Creating FLV files is not recommended since Flash is discontinued. Convert TO modern formats instead.

MP4 to FLV

Only useful for very specific legacy systems that still require Flash video format.

FLV Technical Specifications

Full name: Flash Video
Developer: Adobe Systems (originally Macromedia)
First released: 2002
Discontinued: December 31, 2020
File extension: .flv
MIME type: video/x-flv
Video codecs: Sorenson Spark, VP6, H.264
Audio codecs: MP3, AAC, ADPCM, Speex
Status: Obsolete – no longer supported

FLV Compatibility

Software That Still Plays FLV

VLC Media Player (recommended)
PotPlayer
MPC-HC (Media Player Classic)
FFmpeg-based players

Platforms That No Longer Support FLV

All web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
All mobile devices (iPhone, Android)
Smart TVs and streaming devices
Windows 10/11 (no native support)
macOS (no native support)
All video platforms (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)

How to Convert FLV Files

Upload your FLV file – Drag and drop your Flash video or click to browse.
Choose your output format – Select MP4 for universal compatibility (recommended).
Download converted file – Get your modernized video that works everywhere.

Expert Tips for FLV

Pro Tip

Many old FLV files from early YouTube or Flash websites are historically significant. Convert them to MP4 immediately—as Flash fades further, finding tools to read FLV may become difficult.

Common Mistake

Trying to install Flash Player to watch FLV files. Flash Player is discontinued and a security risk. Use VLC to play FLV files, or better yet, convert to MP4.

Best For

FLV was designed for Flash-based web video streaming. Today it's only encountered in old video archives and downloaded content from the 2000s-2010s era.

Not Recommended

Never create new FLV files. Flash is dead and FLV has no advantages. Always use MP4 or WebM for video today.

About FLV

FLV Format

file extension

.flv

file category

Video

stands for

Flash Video

developer

Adobe Systems (initially developed by Macromedia)

links

en.m.wikipedia.org

overview

It is a multimedia container file format which is used over the internet to provide digital video content to the users. Digital video content includes TV shows or series, movies; etc. Adobe Flash Player 6 and new versions provide support to it. To play flash video from Personal Computer and online websites we need an FLV player. Although, Apple iOS does not support Flash, yet, with the help of additional software, one can play flash videos. Also, it is a common platform for various websites that allows video streaming such as YouTube, Yahoo! Video, Metacafe, Hulu; etc . With the help of screen capturing and other recording programs, screen recording is possible for flash videos. Furthermore, it also supports a screen share or screen cast.

technical description

FLV files mostly have video bitstreams which are one of the variants of H.263 Standard and it is named as Sorenson park(FourCC FLV1). The SWF files and this extension uses the identical way to encode data. There are two variants available for screen casting. First one is lossy as it reduces colour depth or bit depth (number of bits used to indicate the colour of one pixel) and compresses the data. The second type is only compatible with Flash Player 8 and the newer versions. Both these aforesaid kinds are based on bitmap tile. Uncompressed Audio or ADPCM format audio is also supported by it. This format has header and packets in its video structure. A standard header includes signature, version, flags and header size.

Frequently asked questions

FLV (Flash Video) was Adobe's video format for web streaming. It powered online video from 2002-2020 but is now obsolete. Adobe discontinued Flash Player in 2020, making FLV files unplayable in browsers.

Adobe discontinued Flash Player on December 31, 2020, and all browsers removed Flash support. FLV files require Flash Player, so they no longer play in any browser. Use VLC Media Player or convert to MP4.

MP4 is the best replacement for FLV. It's the modern web video standard, plays on all devices and browsers, and offers better compression than FLV. MP4 literally replaced FLV as the internet's video format.

Yes, but only with standalone players like VLC Media Player. FLV files won't play in any web browser or on mobile devices. For reliable playback, convert FLV to MP4.

Yes, FLV stands for Flash Video. It was Adobe's video format used with Flash Player for web video streaming. Both Flash Player and the FLV format are now obsolete.

Upload your FLV file to ChangeMyFile, select MP4 as output format, and download the converted file. The process is instant and preserves your video quality.

Minimal quality loss occurs with proper conversion settings. Modern MP4 codecs are actually more efficient than old FLV encoding, so your videos may look better and be smaller in size.

Keep the originals as backup if storage permits, but the MP4 versions are what you'll actually use. FLV files are becoming increasingly difficult to play as Flash support disappears completely.

YouTube technically accepts FLV but strongly recommends MP4. Convert to MP4 for faster uploads, better processing, and optimal quality on YouTube.

HTML5 video with MP4 (H.264) and WebM formats replaced Flash Video. These formats play natively in browsers without plugins, unlike FLV which required Flash Player.