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Convert WMV to OGV - Royalty-Free Web Video

Transform Windows Media Video into open-source OGV format. No licensing fees, no restrictions.

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format
Step 3: Convert files

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Why Convert WMV to OGV?

WMV files are Microsoft's proprietary video format. They work great on Windows, but cause problems everywhere else. Mac users struggle to play them. Linux systems need special codecs. Web browsers don't support WMV natively at all.

OGV (Ogg Video) solves these problems with an open-source approach. Created by the Xiph.Org Foundation, OGV uses the Theora video codec-completely royalty-free and patent-unencumbered. In our testing, OGV files played natively in Firefox, Chrome, and Opera without any plugins or additional software.

If you're working on open-source projects, educational content, or web publishing where licensing fees matter, converting your WMV files to OGV makes practical sense.

How to Convert WMV to OGV

  1. Upload your WMV file - Drag and drop or click to select your Windows Media Video
  2. Confirm OGV as output - The converter automatically selects the right settings for web-ready Theora video
  3. Download your OGV file - Ready for web embedding, open-source projects, or royalty-free distribution

The entire process happens in your browser. No software installation, no account creation, no watermarks on your video.

WMV vs OGV: Technical Comparison

Understanding the differences helps you decide when this conversion makes sense:

  • Licensing - WMV requires Microsoft licensing for commercial use. OGV is completely free with no royalties or patent concerns.
  • Web Support - WMV has zero native browser support. OGV works natively in Firefox, Chrome, and Opera through HTML5 video.
  • Compression - WMV typically achieves slightly smaller file sizes. OGV's Theora codec prioritizes open standards over maximum compression.
  • Quality - Both formats deliver good quality at reasonable bitrates. In our testing, the visual difference was negligible for most web content.
  • Platform Support - WMV is Windows-centric. OGV works across Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD without special software.

OGV won't match WMV's compression efficiency, but the open-source freedom and web compatibility often outweigh the slightly larger files.

When to Use OGV Format

Open-Source Projects

If you're contributing to open-source software, OGV aligns with the philosophy. No proprietary codecs, no licensing headaches, no vendor lock-in. Your video stays as free as your code.

Educational Content

Schools and universities often operate under tight budgets. OGV eliminates licensing fees entirely. In our testing with educational institutions, OGV proved ideal for lecture recordings and training materials where budget constraints matter.

Web Publishing

For HTML5 video on your website, OGV provides native browser playback. While WebM has become more popular for web video, OGV remains a solid choice for projects committed to completely open standards.

Archival Purposes

The Theora codec has a documented, open specification. Unlike proprietary formats that could become unplayable if the vendor disappears, OGV's open nature ensures long-term accessibility.

Quality Expectations

Converting from WMV to OGV involves transcoding-the video gets decoded and re-encoded. This process can theoretically reduce quality, but the impact is usually minimal for practical purposes.

In our testing with 720p and 1080p WMV files, the converted OGV videos looked virtually identical to the originals when viewed at normal playback size. Only frame-by-frame comparison revealed minor compression differences.

For best results:

  • Start with the highest quality WMV source available
  • Avoid converting videos that have already been compressed multiple times
  • Accept slightly larger file sizes for better visual quality

OGV Browser Compatibility

OGV's HTML5 support varies by browser. Here's the current landscape:

  • Firefox - Full native support since version 3.5
  • Chrome - Supported, though Google has indicated potential future deprecation
  • Opera - Native support included
  • Safari - No native OGV support; requires fallback format
  • Edge - Limited support; not recommended as primary format

For maximum compatibility, consider providing multiple formats. If Safari support matters, you might also convert to MP4 as a fallback option.

Batch Conversion for Multiple Files

Have a folder of WMV recordings that need converting? Upload multiple files at once and convert them all to OGV in a single batch. This saves significant time compared to converting files one by one.

Batch conversion is particularly useful for:

  • Legacy video libraries stored in WMV format
  • Screen recordings from Windows applications
  • Archived webcam footage or presentations

Alternative Formats to Consider

OGV isn't always the best choice. Depending on your needs, consider these alternatives:

  • MP4 - Maximum compatibility across all devices and browsers. The most universally supported format.
  • WebM - Google's open format for web video. Better compression than OGV with similar open-source principles.
  • OGV from other sources - If you have videos in other formats, they can also be converted to OGV.

Choose OGV specifically when open-source philosophy matters, when you need guaranteed royalty-free distribution, or when targeting platforms where Theora support is strong.

Works on Any Device

Our converter runs entirely in your web browser:

  • Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera
  • Desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone

No downloads, no plugins, no software installation. Just upload your WMV and download the OGV.

Pro Tip

When embedding OGV on websites, always include an MP4 fallback using the HTML5 video element's source tag. Safari users won't be able to play OGV, but they'll seamlessly fall back to MP4. Example: <video><source src='video.ogv' type='video/ogg'><source src='video.mp4' type='video/mp4'></video>

Common Mistake

Assuming OGV works everywhere like MP4. While OGV has good Firefox and Chrome support, Safari and many mobile browsers prefer other formats. Always test on your target platforms before committing to OGV-only distribution.

Best For

Open-source software projects, educational institutions with budget constraints, archival purposes where long-term format survival matters, and scenarios requiring absolutely royalty-free video distribution.

Not Recommended

Don't use OGV if you need universal browser support or are targeting Safari users. For maximum compatibility web video, MP4 or WebM are better choices. OGV is a philosophical choice as much as a technical one.

Frequently Asked Questions

OGV is an open-source video container format developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation. It uses the Theora video codec and Vorbis audio codec, both of which are royalty-free and patent-unencumbered. OGV is commonly used for web video through HTML5.

Convert WMV to OGV when you need royalty-free video distribution, want native web browser playback without plugins, or are working on open-source projects where proprietary formats don't fit. OGV eliminates Microsoft licensing concerns entirely.

There may be minimal quality loss during transcoding, but it's usually imperceptible at normal viewing. In our testing, 720p and 1080p conversions looked virtually identical to the originals. Start with the highest quality source for best results.

Firefox, Chrome, and Opera support OGV natively through HTML5 video. Safari and Edge have limited or no native OGV support. For universal browser compatibility, consider also providing MP4 as a fallback format.

Not necessarily. MP4 has broader browser support and often better compression. OGV's advantage is being completely open-source and royalty-free. Choose OGV for open-source projects or when licensing costs matter; choose MP4 for maximum compatibility.

Yes. Upload multiple WMV files and convert them all to OGV in a single batch. This is efficient for converting legacy video libraries or folders of Windows Media recordings.

OGG is the container format; OGV specifically indicates video content within an OGG container. OGV files contain Theora video, while OGG files typically contain Vorbis audio only. The distinction helps applications know what content to expect.

No. The converter runs entirely in your web browser. Upload your WMV, get your OGV. No software installation, no plugins, no account creation required.

OGV remains relevant for open-source projects and scenarios requiring guaranteed royalty-free video. However, WebM has largely replaced OGV for new web video projects due to better compression. OGV is still valuable for archival and open-source philosophy alignment.

Theora is an open-source video codec derived from On2's VP3. It was released royalty-free and is maintained by the Xiph.Org Foundation. Theora provides reasonable quality video compression without any patent licensing requirements.

Yes. VLC Media Player handles OGV on any operating system. On Linux, most default media players support OGV natively. Mac users can use VLC or browser playback. OGV's cross-platform support is better than WMV's Windows-centric approach.

OGV files are typically slightly larger than WMV at equivalent quality settings. The Theora codec prioritizes open standards over maximum compression efficiency. Expect 10-20% larger files on average, depending on content type.

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