WMV to XviD Converter

How to Convert WMV to Xvid Online

1. Upload Your WMV File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select one or more .wmv clips from your computer. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared.
2. Pick a Quality Preset: Default is "Very High (Recommended)" for near-source quality. Choose a lower preset for smaller files, or switch the File Compression mode to Specific file size, Constant Bitrate, Variable Bitrate, Constant Quality, or Constraint Quality to dial in bitrate vs. size directly.
3. Resize and Trim (Optional): Under Video resolution, scale by Resolution Percentage, pick a Preset Resolution (Keep original, 720p, 1080p, etc.), or enter custom Width x Height. Under Trim, switch from "Unchanged" to Time Range to keep only the segment you need.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. The output is an Xvid-encoded MPEG-4 ASP stream in an .avi container, ready for older DVD/media players and legacy editing workflows.

Why Convert WMV to Xvid?

WMV is Microsoft's codec family (WMV 7/8/9, with WMV 9 standardised as SMPTE 421M / VC-1 in April 2006), typically wrapped in an .asf container. Xvid is a GPL-licensed implementation of MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile (first released in 2001, last stable build 1.3.7 from December 2019), almost always wrapped in .avi. Converting from WMV to Xvid trades the Microsoft codec stack for one that hardware decoders from the mid-2000s through early 2010s shipped with built-in support.

• Legacy DVD and media-player playback — Many standalone DVD players and old in-car head units list "DivX/Xvid" on the front panel but choke on .wmv. An Xvid AVI is the format they were certified against.
• Cross-platform compatibility without Microsoft codecs — macOS dropped first-party WMV support when Telestream ended Flip4Mac on June 28, 2020. An Xvid AVI plays directly in VLC and QuickTime alternatives on Mac and Linux without installing Windows Media components.
• Legacy NLE / editing workflows — Older versions of Sony Vegas, Pinnacle Studio, and Adobe Premiere Elements handle Xvid AVI more reliably than VC-1 WMV, which often requires an extra DirectShow filter.
• Archival of old camcorder footage — Convert WMV recordings from late-2000s Windows Movie Maker projects into a codec whose reference encoder and spec (MPEG-4 Part 2) are both openly documented, so the files remain decodable decades from now.
• Smaller files at SD resolutions — At 480p/576p, a properly tuned Xvid stream typically lands in the 800-1500 kbps range with quality comparable to WMV 9 at similar bitrates, while staying within the playback envelope of DivX Home Theater certified devices.

WMV vs Xvid (AVI) — Format Comparison

Compression Mode Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Xvid the same as DivX?

No. Both implement MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile, so a player that decodes one usually decodes the other, but they are separate codecs. Xvid is open-source under GPL v2+; DivX is a proprietary product from DivX, LLC. Xvid was forked from the early open-source OpenDivX project in 2001 after DivX, Inc. closed its code. In practice, an Xvid-encoded AVI plays on most DivX-certified hardware, but features like Global Motion Compensation, Qpel, or packed bitstreams can break playback on stricter certified devices — leave those off if you target old DVD players.

Will an Xvid AVI play on my DVD player?

If the front panel or remote shows a DivX or Xvid logo, almost certainly yes — those players were certified against MPEG-4 ASP streams in AVI. If you see only the DVD-Video logo, no — that player only reads the MPEG-2 Program Stream on pressed/burned DVD-Video discs. Tested players that handle Xvid AVI from USB or burned data discs include the Philips DVP5960 and DVP5990/DVP5992 series. Stick to 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) at under ~2000 kbps video to stay safely inside the DivX Home Theater certified profile.

Why is my converted AVI larger than the original WMV?

Two reasons. First, WMV 9 / VC-1 is a more modern codec than MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP, so at the same visual quality VC-1 typically produces smaller files. Second, your source .wmv may have been encoded at a low bitrate that no MPEG-4 ASP encoder can match without quality loss. To get comparable size, lower the Quality Preset or set a Specific file size target — but expect some quality drop.

Can I keep the original audio track?

The converter re-encodes audio to fit the AVI container. WMV files typically carry WMA audio inside ASF; that gets transcoded to MP3 (the most-compatible AVI audio codec) during conversion. If the source uses uncompressed PCM, you may see a small quality loss from the lossy MP3 re-encode. For lossless audio in AVI you would need PCM, which most hardware Xvid players don't support consistently.

What's the maximum resolution Xvid supports?

The MPEG-4 ASP standard itself supports resolutions far above HD, but practical limits are set by the playback profile. DivX Home Theater (the certification most old DVD players carry) caps at 720x480 / 720x576 SD. DivX HD 720p adds up to 1280x720, and DivX HD 1080p adds up to 1920x1080. Encoding 4K Xvid is technically possible but defeats the point — modern devices handle 4K through H.264 or H.265, and the old hardware that motivates choosing Xvid will not play it.

Should I pick AVI or another container for Xvid?

AVI is the canonical and most compatible container for Xvid because it's what every "DivX/Xvid-certified" device was designed against. MKV can hold Xvid and adds subtitle tracks, but many older hardware decoders refuse MKV. If your goal is software playback only (VLC, MPC-HC), MKV is fine; for hardware playback, stay on AVI.

What's the difference between Constant Quality and Variable Bitrate?

Constant Quality (sometimes labelled "single-pass quantizer") targets a visual-quality level — every frame is encoded to look the same, and the file size lands wherever it lands. Variable Bitrate targets an average bitrate but lets the encoder spend more bits on complex scenes and fewer on static ones, so the result hits a predictable size with most of the quality benefit of CQ. Pick Constant Quality for archival masters, VBR for general use, and Constant Bitrate only when a downstream device or stream demands a fixed rate.

Why convert at all instead of just renaming .wmv to .avi?

Renaming changes the file extension but not the bitstream inside. WMV's codec data won't decode as MPEG-4 ASP, so the renamed file would either fail to open or play as garbage in an Xvid-only player. A real conversion decodes the WMV bitstream, re-encodes the video frames into MPEG-4 ASP via Xvid, swaps the audio codec to one AVI supports (usually MP3), and rewrites the file with an AVI header.

Where should I go next if I want a more modern format?

If the only reason you're using Xvid is "the playback device is old," Xvid is the right call. If the device actually supports newer codecs, you'll get better quality per byte from H.264 — see WMV to MP4 for an H.264 MP4 output, WMV to MKV for H.264 in a more flexible container, or WMV to AVI if you want AVI but with codec choice. To go the other way, Xvid to WMV handles the reverse direction. To shrink files first, try Compress WMV.