┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : Adobe Systems
│ CATEGORY : Video
│ MIME TYPE : video/x-flv
│ MAGIC BYTES : 464C56
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘
What is an FLV file?
FLV (Flash Video) is a container format developed by Adobe (originally Macromedia) for delivering video over the internet via Adobe Flash Player. It was the dominant web video format throughout the 2000s before being replaced by HTML5 video (MP4/WebM).
How to open FLV files
- VLC Media Player (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free
- MPV (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Lightweight
- PotPlayer (Windows) — Feature-rich
- 5KPlayer (Windows, macOS) — Free
Technical specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Container | Flash Video |
| Video Codecs | H.264, VP6, Sorenson Spark |
| Audio Codecs | AAC, MP3, Speex |
| Streaming | RTMP protocol |
| DRM | Flash DRM supported |
Programs that open FLV files
- VLC Media Player — Universal media player
- FFmpeg — Command-line conversion
- HandBrake — Free video transcoder
- Any Video Converter — GUI converter
Common use cases
- Legacy web video: Pre-HTML5 website videos
- Archived content: Old YouTube/Flash videos
- RTMP streaming: Legacy live streaming