What is the “FLV” video file format?
The FLV video file format is an abbreviation commonly used in the multimedia world to talk about Flash Video, also known as the .flv extension.
This is a container format used mainly on the Internet, for sharing videos. It is played by the Adobe Flash Player video player, versions 1 to 10, and in Adobe Flash animation playback, which allows high streaming video streams.
A brief history of the FLV format.
Originally developed by Macromedia in the early 2000s, Flash Video was designed for Internet video streaming channels. Subsequently, Adobe System develops two types of Flash Video: FLV and F4V. Both formats are usable under Adobe Flash Player, which stopped in December 2021.
We will have to wait for 2006 and Flash Player 6 for the video format to appear .flv, which will remain present until its latest version, Flash Player 10, in 2008.
Gradually, the quality of video and audio encoding increases, while maintaining its own quality: a light and fast video stream that allows streaming with a small footprint…as indicated by its name of «flash video».
How do I use and export a FLV video?
You should know that a FLV video is not intended to be played by default on Mac or Windows, your computer will not recognize the extension. To read a .flv, it is necessary to have first installed a playback software such as VLC Media Player or RealPlayer for Windows and Mac, or FLV Player and Adobe Suite for Windows.
It is easy to export audio and video content in .flv. The FLV format is supported on Windows with Adobe Premiere, or Mac with QuickTime or Final Cut Pro, but also on Linux, Android and iOS. When creating your file, simply select the .flv extension and export the media content.
What media can I upload a FLV file to?
Once your .flv file is created, you want to share it and upload it. YouTube hosting platform allows you to download content in . flv, as well as Dailymotion and Vimeo. Regarding social networks, your FLV passes on Facebook, unlike Instagram or TikTok which do not take this format into account.
