FLV to MP4 Conversion Information
A comprehensive guide to understanding FLV to MP4 conversion, including technical details and best practices.
Understanding the Formats
FLV (Flash Video)
- Developed by: Adobe (Macromedia)
- Year: 2002
- Status: Deprecated
- Codec: Usually Sorenson Spark or VP6
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14)
- Developed by: Moving Picture Experts Group
- Year: 2001
- Status: Active, widely supported
- Codec: Usually H.264/AVC
Technical Conversion Details
What Happens During Conversion
- Demuxing - FLV container is opened
- Decoding - Video/audio streams are decoded
- Re-encoding - Streams are encoded to MP4 codecs
- Muxing - New MP4 container is created
Quality Considerations
- Same bitrate = Similar quality
- Re-encoding may cause minor quality loss
- No upscaling - Can't add quality that wasn't there
Codec Information
Video Codecs
| FLV Codec | MP4 Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Sorenson H.263 | H.264 |
| VP6 | H.264 |
| H.264 | H.264 (direct copy possible) |
Audio Codecs
| FLV Audio | MP4 Audio |
|---|---|
| MP3 | AAC |
| AAC | AAC (direct copy) |
| PCM | AAC |
File Size Changes
Converting FLV to MP4 may result in:
- Smaller files - H.264 is more efficient
- Similar size - Depending on settings
- Larger files - If increasing quality
Compatibility After Conversion
MP4 files play on:
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- iOS, Android
- Smart TVs
- Web browsers (HTML5)
- Gaming consoles
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