While it is true, a great variety of computer companies have developed certain coding specifications and video data compression standards, with the aim of creating digital videos that can be distributed as light videos transmitted through the network, mainly.
In the case of Adobe Systems , the American software company, has done this work for Flash video files that, finally, are stored in FLV format and that way, are appended with the file extension .FLV . However, even though these extensions are so used today, many users are unaware that they really are.
For this, we want to let you know the greater details of this .FLV file extension and also how to open and play these files without any complications . Also taking into account some additional alternatives to play a video with such format.
Index:
What is it and what files with extension are used for. FLV?
In general, FLV file formats refer to a type of container format that is usually known as video file format Flash. Which, can be viewed through the use of Adobe Flash Player and thus, is a standard video format on the Internet.
In reference to its composition, the FLV file extension is made up of a header section (Signature, Version, Flags, Header size) and, in addition to that, it has provisions to save audio packets, video and even metadata . Therefore, it is a type of extension that shows great willingness to travel videos through the network.
Now, in terms of the main use of these files with an .FLV extension , it stands out as a video format widely used to publish content on websites as renowned as YouTube, Google Video, Vevo, MetaCafe and much more with a great track record.
However, these types of formats are not predetermined in the main operating systems, that is, in Windows, Mac, Android and even in iOS. Thus, it should be noted that previously, in the latter system these files could not be obtained, since they were not supported by the iPhone; which has changed.
Since, fortunately, there are simple methods to start and play .FLV files on Smartphones or computers and that is why, in the next section, we will let you know.
How to open and play files in .FLV format on smartphones or computers?
As we mentioned, the methods used to open and play .FLV files are very easy to carry out, both on computers and mobile phones. Thus, focused on the main operating systems that are managed today.
Here we indicate the step by step to follow for each of them, since it is not a default file in any:
On Windows PC
To open a .FLV format video or any type of file of this type on a Windows computer, it is necessary to use additional software. Since, it is not possible to do it with Windows Media Player which, by default, is hosted on any PC of this operating system.
That is why, we will rely on the VLC Media Player program, which is a free and open source media player, which in addition to being able to run on Windows, also does it in great variety of other operating systems, since is cross-platform . Which presents the ability to play most multimedia files.
Next, the steps to open and play a .FLV extension file, specifically:
Download VideoLAN for Windows
- To start, you must enter the official VideoLAN website , to proceed to search for the VLC Media Player download button. It is advisable to do so from this page, since other unofficial sites could affect your computer.
- Second, click on the option to download the media player on your Windows computer >. This will start the download process that, depending on the speed of your Internet, may take a few minutes.
- Now, at the end of the process, double click on the installer file to start the wizard of installation of VLC Media Player. So, you just have to follow the instructions on the screen and with which, you can install the media player easily.
- Later, at the end of the installation, the program will open automatically. Then, it’s time to click on the “ Multimedia ”, “ Media ” or “ Medium ” section; located in the first position at the top.
- After that, select the option “ Open file ” to proceed to choose the file you want to see.
- Now, a dialog box will appear on the screen for “ Open one or more files ”, and there you must navigate to where you have stored the FLV file you wish to open and play. Finally, select it and click on “ Open ”, it will start playing and you’re ready.
On Mac computers
In the case of Mac computer users, they can also make use of the VLC Media Player which we indicated earlier, following the same process that must be performed on Windows PCs. However, to have another solution and show more options, we will use a media player known as “ Wimpy FLV Player ”.
Which, is also simple to handle and has compatibility with both Mac and Windows. The process that must be followed is as follows:
Download Wimpy FLV Player for Mac
- To start, you need to proceed to download the media player. We recommend you do it from the official Wimpy website , so as not to take risks in terms of data usurpation or damage to your computer.
- Once located within that website, you should look for the option to download Wimpy Desktop FLV Player on your Mac computer , specifically.
- When the download process is finished, double-click on the installer file so that, , the software installation wizard starts . Then they will give you all the instructions to follow and when the installation is finished, Wimpy will open automatically .
- Finally, when you have the program installed and you are located on its main page, look for the FLV file on your Mac computer and proceed to drag it to the media player in question and drop it there >. That way, the FLV file will open and, in that way, start playback without further action.
On Android mobile phones 
In Google Play Store , there are many free and paid apps that allow you to easily open and play .FLV files. However, the best application of this type for Android mobiles is VLC Media Player which, as we already indicated during the process to follow on Windows computers, is a free, open source multimedia player and multiplatform.
Thus, VLC Media Player for Android has the ability to open this type of extensions on any mobile with such an operating system and, in addition to that, it also manages to play any audio and video file , as well as network transmissions, resources and network drives and DVD ISO, etc.
As for its main advantages, we emphasize that VLC for Android devices is a very complete audio player , which has an optimized database and also an equalizer and a variety of filters that can be played by all audio formats and even the least known.
Among other features, this player supports subtitles, supports gestures to control volume, brightness and search . It also adds a widget for audio control, allows you to search folders directly, has a media library for audio and video files, etc.
On iPhone devices with iOS h3>
In the case of the iPhone, previously there was no way to open and play a file with a .FLV extension. But, thanks to the different applications that have been developed to support a variety of formats on iOS devices, this is now possible. Thus, among so many apps that exist, we locate one that shows excellent features and best of all, is that is free .
In this sense, it is “ PlayerXtreme Player ” which, as the name implies, is a video player available in the App Store, both for iPhone and iPad, as well as for Apple TV. This, in addition to supporting FLV formats , also supports as many as: 3gp, asf, avi, divx, m2p, m2ts, m2v, m4v, mkv, moov, mov, mp4, mpeg, mpeg1, mpeg2 , mpeg4, mpg, mpv, mxf, ogm, ogv, ps, qt, rm, rmvb, ts, vob, webm, wm and wmv.
In reference to its interface, it is very similar to that of Windows Explorer and Mac Finder. Therefore, it gives you the ability to organize your movie collection and has excellent functions of search, to simplify each process.
Among other features, PlayerXtreme gives you the option to add files from your computer to your iPhone , it also allows you to connect your library as a network drive, shows the ability to transfer your favorite movies without converting them , supports high definition playback in all formats, increases the volume up to three times more than the original sound of the videos , contains control of font size, mode and subtitle language, etc. p>
In addition to this, it exhibits complete security, compared to other options for playing FLV files. Since, it allows you to set a password to access your library and thereby, restrict access of third parties to your files or folders. It also has a function of hiding folders and if you wish, you can accept the entry of some guests.
and video List of the best programs to play alternate programs with videos .Flv format without using VLC Media Player
Due to the great fame and excellent performance shown by the VLC Media Player , users of each of the aforementioned operating systems commonly choose to use it.
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However, many of these people want to know other additional solutions to also use them , at any given time.
This is why, below, we present some alternative softwares to open and play a video in .FLV format , as well as some applications that also support this type of format and even contain other functions of interest.
Applian FLV and Media Player h3>
It is a player that only supports Windows computers and specializes in opening and playing the much used .FLV video format. It also supports other formats such as: 3GP, TOD, MP4, MPEG, WMV, AVI, M4V and MKV. In addition, it is a completely free software that is worth using, thanks to its excellent features.
For its part, it allows all its users, a wide variety of customization options and settings, in order to meet each requirement. It should be noted that, it includes a great video optimization and with this, you can get the best performance . As for the platform, it shows a very simple but completely aesthetic design.
Sothink FLV Player
This is another program that works as a flash video player and in that way, it manages to open and play all types of files with the FLV extension . In addition to being free, it is an alternative compatible with Windows and Mac . That is why, it is considered one of the best FLV players, taking into account that it also plays encoded and decoded FLV files.
In reference to the Sothink FLV Player interface, we emphasize that it is very clean and simple. In addition to this, it contains the basic tools of a media player, either pause and stop, adjust the volume, navigate back and forth within each video, etc. To open the video, you can do it with the method of “ drag and drop ” or using the file browser .
MoboPlayer
For Android phones, we present this other very effective application that, although you can not find it in Google Play Store, you can download it as a free APK application, to play all files with extension .FLV in your smartphone . Bearing in mind that MoboPlayer is considered a powerful video player that supports a large number of video formats.
The app has the ability to load different subtitle files along with the videos, that is, not just the common SRT. It also has options to create playlists and allows playback of entire folders without any limitations . In short, accept the playback of high definition video files, but if you have a weak mobile, it may slow down when you do this.
Movie Player 3
This is an application available in the App Store that can be downloaded for both iPhone and iPad, as well as on an iPod Touch to play your favorite videos that have the .FLV file extension . Similarly, it supports other formats such as: divx, avi, mov, wmv, mpg, mpeg, mpeg1, mpeg2, mpeg4, mp4, m4v, mpv, vob, ts, ogv, ogm, mkv, dv, asf, 3gp, m2p , m2ts, m2v, gxf, etc.
Among other details, Movie Player 3 presents excellent file management, since it allows to transfer movies through iTunes and Dropbox . Added to this, it exhibits a remarkable integration because it also manages to play videos in email attachments from any web browser and allows you to organize, classify and group your movies in encrypted folders through passwords imposed by yourself .
How to convert videos with .Flv format to MP4 or MP3 format fast and free?
On the other hand, if you want to convert videos that have .FLV format, since you prefer to save it in MP4 or MP3, there are also simple methods to perform that conversion and, although many of them are paid, in this post We announce some free online services that allow you to do it very quickly .
FLV to MP4 Converter of Media.io span >
It is a desktop service that you can find on the network and supports Windows and Mac. This, as the name implies, has the ability to convert FLV files to MP4 files (and even MP3) very easily.