AV1 to WTV Converter

Convert AV1 to WTV: What This Tutorial Covers

This guide is for the narrow case where you need a .wtv file — the Windows Recorded TV Show container — built from an AV1 video, usually to slot a clip into a legacy Windows Media Center (WMC) library. Be clear-eyed first: WTV is a dead end. Microsoft discontinued Windows Media Center in May 2015 and stripped it from Windows 10, so almost nothing plays .wtv on a current machine. If your real goal is "make this AV1 playable," convert to MP4 instead — this page tells you how to make WTV correctly and when not to bother.

How to Convert AV1 to WTV

1. Upload Your AV1 File: Drag and drop your .av1 file onto the page or click "+ Add Files." You can queue several clips and apply the same settings to all of them.
2. Set the File Compression Mode: Under Advanced Options, choose how to control output size — Quality Preset (default "Very High"), Constant Bitrate, Variable Bitrate, Constant Quality, or a Specific file size target. The output is re-encoded to H.264 video for the WTV container.
3. Adjust Video Resolution or Trim (Optional): Keep the original resolution, pick a preset (e.g. 1080p), or set an exact Width x Height; use Trim to export only a time range instead of the full clip.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your .wtv file. Files upload over an encrypted connection, are processed on our servers, and are deleted automatically after a few hours. No sign-up, no watermark.

Walk-through: Codec, Audio, and Quality Settings

A raw .av1 file is a video-only AV1 elementary stream (OBU) — it carries no audio track. xconvert defaults the WTV output to H.264 video with an AAC audio track, but because the source has no sound, the result is silent unless your file already came from a muxed container. This is a re-encode, not a remux, so expect some generation loss; AV1 is a far more efficient codec than the H.264 / MPEG-2 family WTV expects, and squeezing it back into that envelope discards detail.

• If you want the smallest file: pick Specific file size or a low Constant Bitrate under File Compression.
• If you want maximum fidelity for archiving: leave Quality Preset on "Very High" and Keep original resolution.
• If you only need a segment: set Trim to a Time Range so you re-encode less footage and lose less quality.

Common Errors and How to Fix Them

• "The WTV file won't open / nothing plays it" — Windows Media Center is gone from Windows 10 and 11. Open the file in VLC, or convert to MP4 instead for normal playback.
• "The video is silent" — A raw .av1 stream has no audio. There is no soundtrack to carry over; the output will be silent unless your source was already a container with an audio track.
• "The file looks soft or blocky" — Re-encoding efficient AV1 into the older H.264/MPEG-2 family WTV uses is lossy. Raise the Quality Preset or use a higher Constant Bitrate, or keep the file as MP4.
• "The output is huge" — WTV/H.264 is far less efficient than AV1 at the same quality, so files grow. Use Specific file size or trim to a shorter range to keep it manageable.

When This Doesn't Work

WTV only makes sense if you are deliberately feeding a still-running Windows 7 / 8 Media Center setup. For every other purpose — watching the clip, sharing it, editing it, or storing it long-term — convert to a modern container instead. Use AV1 to MP4 for universal playback on phones, browsers, and TVs, or AV1 to MKV if you want to keep the AV1 stream losslessly inside a flexible container. DRM-protected recordings and corrupted streams won't transcode cleanly in any tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can anything still play a WTV file in 2026?

Not natively on a modern PC. Microsoft discontinued Windows Media Center in May 2015 and removed it from Windows 10, so WTV has no built-in player on Windows 10 or 11. VLC can usually open .wtv files, and converting to MP4 is the reliable route for normal playback.

Why is my converted WTV file silent?

Because a raw .av1 file is a video-only elementary stream — it contains no audio track at all. There is simply no sound in the source to carry into the WTV container. If you need audio, start from a file that already includes an audio stream.

Will I lose quality converting AV1 to WTV?

Yes, some. AV1 is a modern, highly efficient codec, while WTV expects the older H.264 / MPEG-2 family of codecs. Going from AV1 into that container is a re-encode, so it discards detail and usually produces a larger file at comparable quality. Keep the Quality Preset high to minimize the loss.

Should I convert AV1 to MP4 instead of WTV?

Almost always, yes. Unless you are specifically importing into a legacy Windows Media Center library, MP4 is the better target — it plays on virtually every phone, browser, smart TV, and editor. WTV is a backwards step that only suits a discontinued application.

What codecs does the WTV output use?

xconvert encodes the WTV output with H.264 video and an AAC audio track by default, which is broadly compatible with the players that still open .wtv. The original WTV format as written by Windows Media Center typically stored MPEG-2 video with MPEG-1 Layer II or Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio.

Is the conversion private?

Yes. Your file is uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. There is no sign-up, no watermark, and files are never shared or made public.