Why convert MP4 to WMV?
WMV is still required by some older Windows software, corporate presentation systems, and legacy hardware players built before MP4 became universal. If your target device or program specifically demands .WMV, conversion is the only option - modern Windows and Mac systems play MP4 natively and do not need it.
How to convert MP4 to WMV
VLC media player FREE
Go to Media > Convert/Save, add your MP4, edit a profile to set the video codec to WMV2 and audio to WMA, then save the output as .wmv.
FormatFactory FREE
Add your MP4, choose WMV as the output format, and click Start.
Freemake Video Converter FREE
Drag in your MP4, click to WMV, adjust quality if needed, and convert.
Command line - ffmpeg CLI
Run ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vcodec wmv2 -acodec wmav2 output.wmv to re-encode with standard WMV2 and WMA audio.
Programs that convert MP4
About these formats
.MP4
MPEG-4 Part 14 Video File
An MP4 file is a video container (MPEG-4 Part 14, standardized 2003) that holds video, audio, subtitles, and chapters in one file. It plays on every phone, computer, browser, and smart TV…
Open .MP4 details →
.WMV
Windows Media Video
A WMV file is a Windows Media Video file from Microsoft, introduced in 1999. On Windows it plays in the built-in Media Player with no setup. On Mac, Linux, Android or iOS, use the free VLC…
Open .WMV details →Quality & what to watch
- Re-encoding is unavoidable - WMV and MP4 use different video codecs, so some quality loss always occurs; keep the output bitrate close to the source to minimise it.
- WMV files are typically larger than MP4 at the same quality because the Windows Media Video codec is less efficient than H.264.
- Audio is re-encoded from AAC to WMA, and any embedded subtitles or chapter markers in the MP4 are not carried over to WMV.
