WTV File - What Is a WTV File and How Do I Open It

If you have ever record TV shows using Windows Media Center then you would have definitely come across the WTV file format. Being a container format, multiple data streams come packed with the format. Opening and playing these files can be a challenging task owing to the limited number of tools and players that are compatible. So, if you too have WTV files you are struggling to deal with, we are here to help you.

Part 1. What is a WTV (Windows Recorded TV Show)

Developed by Microsoft, a WTV is a container format that is used for storing the TV content that is recorded using Windows Media Center. The format is capable of storing videos, audio, text, and other information as well. The format is also supported by DRM (digital rights management) which provides digital media copyright to the file. The WTV format has replaced the earlier used DVR-MS format that was used by Windows XP Media Center Edition.

Part 2. How to open a WTV file (all free)

Below we have listed the ways by which WTV files can be opened for free

Method 1. The easiest way to open.WTV file in 2022- Wondershare UniConverter Player

If you are looking for a simple yet functional way to open and play your WTV files we suggest Wondershare UniConverter as the best option. This Windows and Mac-based software comes with a built-in player that is capable of playing almost all audio and video file formats including WTV. You can create a playlist of the videos using the software for back-to-back playback.

Key features of the software

• Play a wide range of video and audio formats including WTV.
• Create a video playlist.
• Support several playback functions like previous, next, adjust volume, playback speed, full-screen mode, capture screen, and more.
• Hassle-free high-quality video playback.
• A wide range of additional features is supported like video conversion, download, recording, compression, DVD burning, and many others.
• Windows and Mac support.

Steps to play WTV files using Wondershare UniConverter

Open the installed software on your system and the left side of the interface will show the main functions. Click on the Player button.

Next, on the right-side menu, click on the Open File button or Add Files icon to browse and add the WTV file. Multiple files can also be added to create a playlist.

The added files will appear on the interface. You can drag and move their position if needed. Next at the bottom of the added videos, options like video speed, volume, full screen, capture screen, and more will appear. Choose the settings as needed.

Finally, click on the play icon and the WTV files will start playing.

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Method 2. VideoLAN VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is one of the most popular player tools available for all platforms and OS. This free and open-source app can play your videos in almost all formats that also include WTV. The interface is simple and the playback quality is also decent. The tool also supports basic playback options like rewind, forward, pause, and more. Using VLC Media Player, you can even customize the video file parameters and can even transcode them.

Method 3. File Viewer Plus

Another player compatible with opening and playing WTV files is File Viewer Plus. This free tool by Microsoft support playing over 200 formats and also comes with a built-in browser. If needed, you can even upgrade to the premium paid version that supports more than 400 formats and also support additional features like saving and converting the files.

Part 3. How do I convert WTV to MP4 [Desktop and Online Ways Included]

As discussed above, the tools capable of opening and playing the WTV format are very limited, and thus to make the files more accessible, the best option is to convert it to a more popular format and which can be a better choice than MP4. To convert your WTV files to MP4, below listed the best desktop and online tools.

1. Desktop WTV Converter- Wondershare UniConverter

Wondershare Uniconverter is an excellent conversion tool that supports conversion in over 1000 formats as well as device-specific profiles. So, using this versatile software you can easily convert your WTV files to MP4 as well as other formats. The software also supports batch processing so that multiple files can be converted at a time and the process of conversion is fast with lossless quality. The built-in editor can be further used for customizing the files using features like crop, trim, effects, and more.

Steps to convert WTV files to MP4 using Wondershare UniConverter

Step 1. Launch Wondershare UniConverter and add WTV files

Open the software and from the main interface choose the Converter tab from the left-side menu. Browse and add WTV files by clicking on the + sign or Add Files icon. You can also drag and drop the videos.

For batch processing, multiple files or an entire folder can also be added.

Step 2. Choose MP4 as the target format

Next, from the drop-down list in the Output Format section, choose MP4 as the desired format. Also, select the file resolution.

Step 3. Convert WTV to MP4

At the File Location tab, select the system folder to save the converted files, and then clicking on the Start All button will start the conversion process.

2. Online WTV Converter- CloudConverter

This is free to use online tool that supports over 200 formats for conversion. Using the program, you can convert your WTV files on your system, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive as well URLs to MP4 and other formats. The interface is simple and the tool allows changing several file parameters like resolution, aspect ratio, codec, and others.

Steps for conversion

Step 1. Launch https://cloudconvert.com/ and click on the Select File button to browse and add the WTV file.

Step 2. At Convert to section select MP4 from the Video list as the desired target format. Click on the settings icon that will open a pop-up window from where you can adjust several

file parameters.

Step 3. Click on the Convert button in the bottom-right corner to start the conversion process.

3. WTV to MP3 (Online & Free) - Convertio

Convertio is a renowned browser-based tool that is used for the conversion in an array of file types and formats as needed. Using the tool, you can easily convert your WTV files to MP3 and other formats. The free unregistered version allows adding videos of up to 100MB at a time from Google Drive, Dropbox, and the system. The processing is fast and there is an option to save the converted files to the cloud storage in addition to the local system.

Step 1. Launch https://convertio.co/ and click on Choose Files to browse and import WTV files.

Step 2. Select the desired Image, Audio, or Video file format from the drop-down list.

Step 3. Choose if you want to save the converted files to the cloud storage and then finally click on the Convert button.

4. Convert files from and to WTV format online - AnyConv

This is another simple-to-use online tool that is free to use and allows converting WTV files to MP4 and other supported formats. The interface is very simple and the processing speed is also speed. The files after the conversion can be downloaded to your local system.

Step 1. Open https://anyconv.com/ and add the WTV file by clicking on CHOOSE FILE button.

Step 2. Select the target format from the supported list.

Step 3. Click on the Convert button to start the processing.

Part 4. Conclusion

So now you can use one of the above listed compatible players for opening WTV files and when the player option is not available convert them to MP4 and other formats. For both these tasks, Wondershare UniConverter works as a powerful tool that supports a built-in player to facilitate file conversion and supports a wide range of other functions as well.