M4V to WMV converter

Convert M4V to WMV in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I have Choose files or drop them here, M4V files

I want WMV

Quality

Applies only when the video has to be re-encoded. A straight copy keeps the original quality.

Advanced 2

Resolution

Always re-encode Rebuilds the picture as H.264 (VP9 for WebM) even when it could be copied. Fixes files that won’t play on older TVs and PCs.

Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B · nothing leaves this tab

Other ways to convert M4V

Convert other formats to WMV

Read more about the M4V format and the WMV format, or see every video tool and all video conversions.

Should you convert M4V to WMV?

Yes, when a device or app needs WMV. WMV can’t carry the H.264 or HEVC (H.265) video found in M4V files, so the picture is re-encoded as Windows Media Video, which takes about as long as the clip on a recent laptop.

Check that WMV is really needed: it plays in Windows Media Player and VLC; not Macs, iPhones, browsers or most websites, while M4V is mainly an Apple format.

M4V is an MP4 video with Apple’s extension; WMV is the Windows Media video format from the Windows XP era. Choose WMV only for an old Windows PC or presentation that won’t take anything else.

M4V and WMV compared
Property	M4V	WMV
Usually contains	H.264 video with AAC audio	WMV2 or WMV3 video with WMA audio
Support	Mainly an Apple format	A legacy format
Plays on	Apple apps and VLC; some Windows apps and upload forms reject the extension	Windows Media Player and VLC; not Macs, iPhones, browsers or most websites
Best for	Apple TV and iTunes libraries	Old Windows presentations and players
Introduced	2003	1999

How to convert M4V to WMV

01
Add your M4V

Drop your M4V video onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.
02
Check the settings

The output is already set to WMV. Change the quality if you want to; the defaults suit most files.
03
Save the WMV

Press convert and save the WMV. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when M4V becomes WMV

Re-encoded, at a quality you choose

Because the video has to be compressed again, a little detail is lost. The default quality keeps the difference invisible; choose High for footage you’ll edit further.

WMV is an older format

Choose WMV only for an old Windows PC or presentation that won’t take anything else. For sharing, uploading or playing on phones, MP4 is the better choice.

Expect a larger file

WMV generally takes more room than M4V. If the file has to fit an upload limit, check the size once it’s converted. M4V: The same as the equivalent MP4. WMV: Larger than MP4 for the same quality.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of M4V and WMV, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Video files are big, and uploading one just to change its container can take longer than the conversion itself. Your browser can read and write these formats, so the file never has to leave your device.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

About the M4V. Films bought from the iTunes Store are copy-protected and can’t be converted by any tool; your own M4V exports convert in seconds.
About the WMV. WMV files from old DRM-protected downloads can’t be converted by any tool; only unprotected ones will work.
MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM are handled by your browser’s own video engine, often with hardware help. AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG and the other older formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, and are slower.

Questions

Does converting M4V to WMV lose quality?

The video is re-encoded, so a little detail is lost, but the default quality is set high enough that it doesn’t show.

Will a WMV play on my phone?

WMV a legacy format: Windows Media Player and VLC; not Macs, iPhones, browsers or most websites. Windows Media Player and VLC play WMV files; on a Mac, use VLC.