WMV Files: How to Open and Convert

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May 20, 2025

The WMV file format is a video file based on the Microsoft Advanced Systems Format (ASF) container using Windows Media compression. The encoding of the video is done using the WMV codec, and the file itself looks very much like an .ASF file.

Free Download Media Player

How to open?

Paid: Adobe Premiere Pro, Movavi Video Editor, Sony Vegas Pro.

Free: VLC Media Player, KMPlayer, Windows Player. Online: Google Drive .

How to convert?

Online:Zamzar,Wondershare Free Video Converter,Freemake Video Converter,EncodeHD.

What Is it a WMV file?

If you use Windows, you may be familiar with WMV files as it is the format in which videos are stored in that operating system. It can be opened by many video players, however, Windows comes preinstalled on all Windows computers Video and Windows Media Player are the most common options.

WMV files contain both video and audio Windows formats (WMV and WMA). Another reason is that this format is widely recognized and is only smaller than MPEG-4 or Real Video files are less popular. You can see it used for online video sales on portable media devices, the Microsoft Zune, and the Xbox 360.

Advantages +

When you This file format is perfect when you need to save hard drive space

It's great if you need to send a video quickly

WMV can be used as a web video Better than MPEG-4 compression

Supports copyright Protection

Cons-

It's hard to find a WMV file player for Mac or Linux

This is not a standard format for streaming

Video quality ratio Other formats are different

Understand what is the highest quality image format.

How to open WMV files?

Double-click the .WMV file icon and it will open in the program associated with it (if it was customized)

Use the "Open with..." option on your Windows PC and simply select the application from the list , and then check the box "Always use this application to open .WMV files". Once done after that, all WMV files will be opened with the necessary application. I should also mention that WMV can be opened by programs that support the MP4 format. Below you can Find the list of such programs.

Perhaps, you are interested in knowing about RAW files.

Professional software to open WMV files

Adobe Premiere Pro. This professional software can not only Opening the WMV video format also lets you convert these files to different formats, edit them and apply LUTs to correct colors, improve audio quality and perform other tasks to improve your videos.

This is My Adobe Premiere Pro Review.

Movavi Video Editor is a powerful set of video processing tools for creating presentations and video clips. Even absolute beginners can use it in Create your first media content in just a few hours. The capabilities of this tool and this program are very impressive and allow you to work on a variety of tasks and projects.

Learn how to use Movavi Activation Key.

Sony Vegas Pro. This software is very popular for video editing. It is often used by web developers, creators of short films and TV shows. Sony Vegas Pro has a lot of video effects that allow you to set the sound very precisely , creates video clips recorded by multiple cameras, as well as giving you tips on how to combine and format them. It supports all video formats (for creating videos and editing videos). Furthermore, when you complete your project, you will Ability to record it in Blu-ray or DVD formats.

Learn more about how to get Sony Vegas for free.

Free software to open WMV files

VLC Media Player. It is a versatile and powerful media player that can help you in many situations. You do not have to find and install any codecs or plugins as the program automatically installs them and plays almost All known file formats such as MPG, H.264, MP3, OGG, FLAC (lossless), regular DVD, VCD discs, etc. The program can also be used to stream in IPv4 or IPv6. Media files, discs, A URL or capture device can be used as the source. It is completely free, supports 70 languages ​​and works on any operating system.

Learn more about CR2 files.

KMPlayer.This KMPlayer is another universal media player that supports multiple formats, including AVI, VCD, MKV, Ogg Theora, RealMedia, WMV, etc. The program can also recognize titles, record video, audio and images of any part of the opened file. KMPlayer has Lots of settings, which is very convenient for users as it takes into account all the requirements of users.

Learn more about NEF files.

Windows Player can open almost any video file, There is no need to find and download additional codecs (they are pre-installed with the software). It is very fast and works with any Windows device. The player comes with a set of standard features such as equalizer, brightness and contrast adjustment, and creation Playlist possibility. The latter is particularly useful since it allows you to play videos that would otherwise be scattered all over your device, in a specified order.

Check out the best for Windows List of video editing software.

Online services to open WMV files

Google Drive. This is probably one of the most convenient online services to view and open WMV files. You just need to create a Google Drive account and upload the file to Google Drive. Apart from this, you can easily share this file with your friends.

Read my comparison of Amazon Drive vs Google Drive.

How to Convert WMV Files

To convert WMV files quickly, you can not only use professional software, but also online and desktop converters. All of them are very simple and completely free.

Wondershare Free Video Converter is the most Good free WMV converter that allows you to convert WMV to other formats on your Windows or Mac computer for free. You can convert simultaneously and instantly without quality loss. You can also use Wondershare to get a real-time preview that can Trim, crop, rotate, add watermarks, apply effects and edit subtitles. Finally, you can also burn CD or DVD, compress and download videos.

Learn more about how to open and convert PSD files.

Freemake Video Converter is one of the top free software to perform WMV conversion. This is both a converter with extensive file support and downloader that can help you get videos from social media or video sharing platforms. With its multi-device Supported, sharing files is very quick and easy.

EncodeHD is a handy free program that can help you convert your videos to WMV to various other formats. All you need to do is upload the file and select the one you intend to play device type. It has a feature that allows you to cut videos into 4GB chunks so that you can burn

Learn more about the best free video converters.

WMV Files: Frequently Asked Questions

When did Microsoft release the WMV format?

The first version of the WMV video format was in 2003. The file is an implementation of MPEG-4 by Microsoft Corporation Part 2 standard. In 2006 it became an open standard with the name VC-1 or SMPTE 421M, and since then it has been used as one of the mandatory formats of the BD-ROM specification.

Which devices open WMV format ?

Currently, WMV 360 is supported on PlaysForSure devices, portable media center devices, Xbox, MS Zune and all Windows devices with Windows Media Player.

How to open WMV files on Linux?

The only way is to download a third party application capable of playing WMV. This can be Miro, Boxee, RealPlayer, Mplayer or Helix Player.

How to open WMV files on Mac?

For a brief period in 2003, Microsoft made Windows Media Player available to run on Mac OS X computers. However, it didn't last long. Currently, you can watch WMV files using QuickTime Player and the Flip4Mac WMV component ( You can also use it to play WMA files)). Additionally, you can watch these videos online via Safari or Firefox.

Check out the best video editing software for Mac.

An·Yang

Hello everyone, I am An·Yang - a professional blogger ,

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