Convert WTV to iPhone Video — Free Online Converter
Convert Windows TV (.wtv) to iPhone Video (.iphone-video) online for free. Fast, secure video conversion with no watermarks or registration....
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Works Everywhere
Any browser, any device
How to Convert
Upload your .wtv file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.
Click Convert and download your .mp4 file when it's ready.
About WTV to iPhone Video Conversion
WTV (Windows TV) is Microsoft's DVR recording format from Windows Media Center, storing broadcast television with MPEG-2 or H.264 video, AC3 or AAC audio, and rich EPG metadata. The iPhone Video device preset is a pre-configured FFmpeg profile producing H.264 Main Profile video with AAC-LC audio, optimized for iPhone hardware video decoding at resolutions up to 1080p with bitrates balanced for quality and storage efficiency on mobile.
The iPhone has been the world's most popular smartphone for media consumption, with hardware video decoding that handles H.264 at up to 4K resolution. The iPhone preset targets the sweet spot of 720p-1080p where quality is excellent on the 6.1-6.7 inch display without wasting storage on resolution the small screen cannot fully utilize.
Why Convert WTV to iPhone Video?
iOS has never supported WTV playback and never will — the format is entirely Microsoft-specific. Converting WTV recordings to the iPhone preset produces MP4 files that play natively in the iPhone's Videos app, Files app, and any third-party player. The preset handles broadcast-specific challenges like deinterlacing 1080i content and downmixing multichannel AC3 to stereo automatically.
The iPhone preset balances quality against the practical limits of phone viewing. On a 6.1-inch screen, 720p and 1080p are nearly indistinguishable, so bitrates are optimized for efficient storage rather than maximum resolution. This means more hours of TV recordings fit on the device for extended trips and commutes.
Common Use Cases
- Converting Windows Media Center recordings for commute viewing on iPhone
- Making recorded TV series portable on iPhone for binge-watching during travel
- Sharing favorite TV recordings with family members' iPhones via AirDrop
- Building an offline entertainment library on iPhone from legacy WTV archives
- Converting recorded concerts and music shows for iPhone playback with headphones
How It Works
FFmpeg demuxes the WTV container and applies the iPhone-optimized encoding profile. The preset uses H.264 Main Profile Level 3.1 at up to 720p or 1080p resolution, depending on source quality. Audio is encoded as AAC-LC stereo at 128 kbps. Interlaced WTV sources are deinterlaced with yadif. AC3 5.1 surround audio is downmixed to stereo for headphone and speaker playback. The MP4 container uses faststart for instant playback. Target video bitrate is 2-4 Mbps.
Quality & Performance
At 720p with 2-4 Mbps H.264, the iPhone preset delivers excellent visual quality that fully utilizes the iPhone's display. Text overlays, scoreboards, and fine details in broadcast content remain sharp and readable. AAC at 128 kbps is transparent for broadcast audio through AirPods or iPhone speakers. File sizes average 1-1.5 GB per hour, allowing 20+ hours of TV on a 64 GB iPhone.
Device Compatibility
| Device | WTV | iPhone Video |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Partial |
| macOS | Partial | Partial |
| iPhone/iPad | Partial | Partial |
| Android | Partial | Partial |
| Linux | Partial | Partial |
| Web Browser | No | No |
Recommended Settings by Platform
YouTube
Resolution: 1920x1080
Bitrate: 8-12 Mbps
H.264 recommended for fast processing
Resolution: 1080x1080
Bitrate: 3.5 Mbps
Square or 9:16 for Reels
TikTok
Resolution: 1080x1920
Bitrate: 4 Mbps
9:16 vertical, under 60s ideal
Twitter/X
Resolution: 1280x720
Bitrate: 5 Mbps
Under 140s, 512MB max
Resolution: 960x540
Bitrate: 2 Mbps
16MB limit for standard, 64MB for document
Discord
Resolution: 1280x720
Bitrate: 4 Mbps
8MB free, 50MB Nitro
Tips for Best Results
- 1Choose 720p over 1080p for iPhone to maximize the number of recordings that fit on the device — the quality difference is negligible on a phone screen
- 2Use AirDrop for the fastest wireless transfer of converted files from Mac to iPhone
- 3Trim recordings to just the program content, removing commercial breaks to save iPhone storage
- 4Convert to AAC at 128 kbps rather than higher bitrates — broadcast audio does not benefit from 256 kbps on phone speakers
- 5Queue batch conversions overnight to have an entire TV library ready for transfer in the morning
WTV to iPhone Video conversion transforms Windows Media Center TV recordings into iPhone-optimized MP4 files, delivering broadcast-quality viewing on Apple's smartphone with efficient storage usage.