FLV file format
Flash Video
FLV is the Flash Video format that powered early YouTube. Since Adobe ended Flash Player in December 2020, browsers can't play FLV — convert old FLV files to MP4.
| Property | FLV |
|---|---|
| File extensions | .flv |
| MIME type | video/x-flv |
| Introduced | 2003 by Macromedia / Adobe |
| Typical video codecs | H.264, Sorenson Spark, VP6 |
| Typical audio codecs | AAC, MP3 |
| Plays in web browsers | No (Flash Player ended in 2020) |
| Compatibility | VLC and some desktop players; RTMP live-streaming tools |
| Best for | Old Flash archives, RTMP streaming workflows |
What is an FLV file?
FLV (Flash Video) was introduced with Flash Player 6 and 7 in 2002–2003 and became the format behind early YouTube, news sites and video portals. Later FLVs usually contain H.264 video and AAC audio — the same codecs as MP4.
Strengths and weaknesses
FLV is still used internally by RTMP live-streaming tools. But Adobe ended Flash Player support on 31 December 2020, so no browser plays FLV and most phones and editors can't open it.
When should you use FLV?
Almost never for new videos. Convert old FLV downloads and archives to MP4 — often without re-encoding when the file already uses H.264 and AAC.