Convert WTV to WMV — Free Online Converter
Convert Windows TV (.wtv) to Windows Media Video (.wmv) online for free. Fast, secure video conversion with no watermarks or registration....
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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 .wmv file when it's ready.
About WTV to WMV Conversion
WTV (Windows TV) is the DVR recording format from Windows Media Center, and WMV (Windows Media Video) is Microsoft's video codec and container for general-purpose video. Both are Microsoft technologies, making this a natural within-ecosystem conversion. WTV stores broadcast TV recordings with MPEG-2 or H.264 video, AC3 or AAC audio, and EPG metadata in a complex NTFS-like container designed for real-time recording. WMV uses the ASF (Advanced Systems Format) container with Windows Media Video 9 (VC-1) codec and WMA audio, optimized for Windows Media Player and Silverlight-era streaming.
Converting WTV to WMV moves TV recordings from the defunct Media Center container into Microsoft's general-purpose video format, which remains supported on modern Windows for playback and streaming.
Why Convert WTV to WMV?
WTV files require Windows Media Center for proper playback — an application that no longer exists on modern Windows. WMV, despite being a legacy format itself, is still natively supported by Windows Media Player, the Windows 10/11 built-in video player, and Xbox consoles. Converting WTV to WMV preserves playback on current Windows systems without requiring any third-party software.
This conversion is specifically useful for users who want to keep their TV recording library accessible on Windows without leaving the Microsoft ecosystem. WMV files also work with older Microsoft platforms — Windows Phone, Zune, Xbox 360 — providing broad coverage across Microsoft device generations.
Common Use Cases
- Making WTV TV recordings playable on modern Windows without installing any third-party media software
- Preparing recorded TV shows for Xbox console playback via USB or media streaming
- Converting a Windows Media Center archive to a format that Windows Media Player can index and organize
- Migrating DVR recordings for compatibility with legacy Microsoft devices (Windows Phone, Zune, Xbox 360)
- Consolidating WTV recordings into WMV for a standardized Microsoft-format video library
How It Works
FFmpeg demuxes the WTV container and re-encodes video to WMV3 (Windows Media Video 9 / VC-1) and audio to WMA2 (Windows Media Audio Standard) within the ASF container. VC-1 encoding at 3-8 Mbps for SD content or 8-15 Mbps for HD content provides quality comparable to the original broadcast. Interlaced WTV sources are deinterlaced with yadif. EPG metadata is discarded though the ASF container supports standard title and description tags.
Quality & Performance
WMV9 (VC-1) is a reasonably efficient codec — roughly comparable to early H.264 profiles in compression efficiency. For standard definition WTV recordings (480i MPEG-2), WMV at 3-5 Mbps produces good quality. For HD content (720p/1080i), WMV at 8-12 Mbps maintains clean video. Files are similar in size to the original WTV at equivalent quality settings. WMA audio at 192 kbps preserves broadcast audio quality adequately.
Device Compatibility
| Device | WTV | WMV |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Native |
| 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
- 1Use WMV bitrates that match the source quality — 3-5 Mbps for SD recordings, 8-12 Mbps for HD content
- 2Apply yadif deinterlacing for 1080i and 480i WTV sources to produce clean progressive WMV output
- 3Choose MP4 over WMV unless you specifically need Windows-only compatibility — MP4 works on every platform
- 4Add ASF title and description tags to the WMV to help Windows Media Player organize the files in its library
- 5Test playback on your target devices (Xbox, Windows Media Player) after conversion to verify compatibility before batch-processing an entire archive
WTV to WMV conversion keeps Windows Media Center TV recordings within the Microsoft ecosystem, producing files that play natively on modern Windows, Xbox, and legacy Microsoft devices without any third-party software.