WMV is a native format of the Windows Media Player. Developed by Microsoft, it is primarily designed to support streaming applications. Know more about it in the more detailed explanation about this format, codecs, and compatibility issues below.
- WMV Format
Microsoft created the WMV as a subset of the ASF or the Advanced Systems Format. As a container file for video, audio, and data files, it is a closed source system. As such, its codecs are not easily manipulated. This is the reason why this file is rarely used for editing purposes.
- WMV Codec
To successfully play WMV on a computer, certain codecs are required. More particularly, users have to download the WMV 9 codecs first in order for the WMV videos to play properly. These codecs are required by users running Windows Media Player 7.1 and below, Windows Media Player for Windows XP, and Versions 9 and 10 of the Windows Media Player. Downloading and installing the codecs resolves most playback issues encountered on the computer.
- How to Play WMV Files
The WMV file is playable by Blu-ray players and HD DVD players. However, WMV is played by Windows Media Player version 8. All the other versions may require the separate installation of the required codecs for the WMV video file to play properly.
Since WMV is a Microsoft-based video format, it is not very popular among Apple users. Many errors and compatibility issues are expected to arise when working with WMV on a Macintosh machine or any of the portable Apple devices. However, there are workarounds to the problem, such as using an entirely different media player other than QuickTime. Converting the file into a more compatible file format is recommended as well. Linux users and those who are using other platforms may not be able to play WMV files at all.
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