What is a DV file?
DV stands for Digital Video. It was created by Sony, Panasonic and other camcorder makers and first released in 1995. DV compresses every frame on its own at a fixed 25 Mbit/s, about 13 GB per hour, which made it easy to edit and very large. It is standard definition only, 720 by 576 in PAL countries and 720 by 480 in NTSC ones, and usually interlaced.
| Type | video |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy |
| Usually contains | DV video at 25 Mbit/s with uncompressed 16-bit audio |
| In a browser | does not play in browsers; plays in VLC and QuickTime Player |
| Common uses | MiniDV camcorder tapes captured over FireWire, and old iMovie and Final Cut projects |
| MIME type | video/x-dv |
Which format should you convert DV to?
- DV to MP4 to play on any phone, computer or TV, or to upload to YouTube and social media.
DV is already lossy, so converting it to a lossless format makes the file bigger without improving it; pick a lossless target only if a program requires one.
How to open a DV file
Whether a DV file opens with a double click depends on the device. Here is what works on each, without buying software:
| Windows | Films and TV and Media Player open the common formats; VLC opens almost any video file, DV included. |
|---|---|
| Mac | QuickTime Player opens formats Apple supports; VLC or IINA open the rest. |
| iPhone and iPad | The Files app plays formats Apple supports. For others, a player such as VLC for iOS, or converting the file here, is the easiest route. |
| Android | Most gallery and music apps play the common formats; VLC for Android plays almost everything. |
| Web browser | DV does not play in browsers; plays in VLC and QuickTime Player. |
Want the technical details? See what a .dv file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
DV compared with other video formats
How DV stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DV | Lossy | DV video at 25 Mbit/s with uncompressed 16-bit audio | 1995 | MiniDV camcorder tapes captured over FireWire, and old iMovie and Final Cut projects |
| MP4 | Lossy | H.264 or H.265 video with AAC audio | 2001 | phone videos, YouTube uploads, social media and streaming |
| MOV | Lossy | H.264, HEVC or ProRes video with AAC audio | 1991 | iPhone recordings, Final Cut Pro and screen recordings on Mac |
| MKV | Lossy | almost any codec, often H.264 or H.265 with several audio and subtitle tracks | 2002 | films and TV rips, OBS recordings and anime releases |
| WebM | Lossy | VP8, VP9 or AV1 video with Vorbis or Opus audio | 2010 | web video, screen recorders and browser-based recordings |
How to use the DV converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your DV files on the box, or press Choose DV files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. Nothing is uploaded at any point.
Tips for converting DV files without losing quality
DV is lossy, so some detail was already discarded when the file was made. Converting it cannot bring that back. Converting to a lossless format preserves what is left exactly but makes the file larger; converting to another lossy format adds a small extra loss, which is invisible at sensible settings.
- Keep the original recording. Every re-encode costs a little detail, so convert from the best copy you have, not from a file that was already converted.
- Know whether you need a new container or a new codec. MOV, MKV and MP4 can all hold H.264 video, and switching between them is fast and lossless; changing the codec means re-encoding, which is slower.
- For sharing, MP4 with H.264 at 1080p or 720p is the safe choice: every phone, browser and social network plays it.
- Phones record at very high bitrates. If a file is too big to send, lowering the resolution to 720p usually shrinks it far more than any quality setting.
Convert DV files from the command line
Everything this page does can also be done in a terminal. The most common DV conversion, to AC3, looks like this with ffmpeg:
ffmpeg -i input.dv -vn -c:a ac3 -b:a 192k output.ac3Change the output extension to pick another format. The converter above runs the same ffmpeg engine inside your browser, so you get the result without installing anything.
DV converter FAQ
What is a DV file?
DV stands for Digital Video, a video format created by Sony, Panasonic and other camcorder makers in 1995. DV compresses every frame on its own at a fixed 25 Mbit/s, about 13 GB per hour, which made it easy to edit and very large. It is standard definition only, 720 by 576 in PAL countries and 720 by 480 in NTSC ones, and usually interlaced.
How do I open a DV file?
DV does not play in browsers; plays in VLC and QuickTime Player. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common DV conversion?
DV to AC3 is the conversion people search for most. AC3 holds sound only, so the picture is discarded and the soundtrack is encoded as Dolby Digital at 192 kbps.
Does converting DV files here upload them?
No. Every conversion on this page runs inside your browser, so your DV files never leave your device.
Is the DV converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark, and no limit on how many DV files you convert. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert DV files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your DV files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several DV files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.