What is the MXV file format?
.mxv is a proprietary intermediate video format used within the MAGIX software ecosystem, primarily by MAGIX Movie Edit Pro (rebranded as MAGIX Video deluxe) and MAGIX Photo Manager Deluxe. Introduced around 2005 with Movie Edit Pro 11, it was designed as a near-lossless intermediate codec to avoid quality degradation during internal transfers between MAGIX applications.
Unlike delivery formats such as MP4 or AVI, .mxv uses minimal compression - optimised for editing round-trips rather than playback compatibility. This results in large file sizes, often hundreds of megabytes to several gigabytes, but preserves full editing quality. The format is not supported by VLC, Windows Media Player, or any generic player.
The typical workflow involves exporting footage to .mxv within Movie Edit Pro, transferring it to MAGIX Photo Manager for cataloging or basic edits, then reimporting for further work. Final output is always exported to a delivery format such as MP4, HEVC, AVI, or WMV. MAGIX currently recommends MP4/HEVC for all delivery; .mxv is retained only as an internal intermediate.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWProprietary video format with no executable content; safe to handle.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open MXV files
Windows2 apps
MAGIX Video deluxe (Movie Edit Pro)
Paid Import MXV via File > Import; then export to MP4 or other standard format. Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Proprietary intermediate video container |
| Encoding | Binary |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Compression | Minimal / near-lossless (optimised for intermediate editing, not delivery) |
| Typical file size | 100 MB - several GB |
| Color depth | Up to 32-bit (varies by capture settings) |
| Maximum resolution | Up to 4K (depends on Movie Edit Pro version) |
| Playback compatibility | MAGIX applications only - not compatible with VLC, Windows Media Player, or generic players |
| Use case | Internal round-trip transfer between MAGIX Movie Edit Pro (Video deluxe) and MAGIX Photo Manager |
| Delivery workflow | Final output exported to MP4, HEVC, AVI, or WMV |
| Associated OS | Windows |
| Developer | MAGIX AG |
| MIME type | video/x-mxv |
| Released | circa 2005 (Movie Edit Pro 11) |
MXV conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about MXV files.
