Two common video files that are found on the Internet include FLV (Flash Video) and MPEG (Motion Pictures Expert Group). While both are extremely easy to view and store, many computer users still prefer to convert Flash files to MPEG (specifically MPEG-2) for viewing on either PC Based media player or home DVD players. While it is easy to convert one type of file to the other, it is important to be aware of each file's attributes.

What is a Flash File (FLV)?

Flash files are used primarily on the Internet to embed video and audio files. Flash files are streaming files; however they do have the capability of being downloaded and viewed offline. Flash files consist of two data streams; the first is a video bit stream that is usually comprised of the H.263 video standard (sometimes referred to as Sorenson Spark). The second bit stream is the audio bit stream that usually consists of MP3 data.

What is a MPEG File?

MPEG files are video and audio encoding standards. The most popular type of MPEG file is the MPEG-2. This file (slightly modified) is also known as VOB (Video Object file) and is primarily used for encoding audio and video data to DVD's.

Converting FLV to MPEG

It is quite simple to convert FLV files to MPEG; all that is required is conversion software. The good news is that there are plenty of free conversion software products available. A good one we can recommend is a Freemake Video Converter due to its great user interface. For power and professional users, you can also find commercial software that includes extensive bells and whistles.

How to Convert FLV to MPEG

While software products differ, for the most part, conversion is simple and only takes a short period of time for a full conversion of FLV to MPEG to take place. Most software products require you to launch the program and choose the type of conversion you would like. Besides converting FLV files to MPEG, many products allow you to choose other conversions such as FLV to AVI, WMV, etc.

Once the type of conversion has been selected, you can select the FLV file to be converted and choose the output folder of the new converted file. Additionally, many software products allow you to select specific settings such as output video height and width, frame rate, video bit rate, audio bit rate, etc. Once your settings and all information has been inputted, you usually just need to hit enter and wait for the conversion to take place. A confirmation from the software should notify you once the conversion is complete and whether or not it was a success or if it encountered any errors.

Benefits of Converting FLV to MPEG

There are several reasons why one would be interested in converting FLV to MPEG, they include:

  • FLV files converted to MPEG can be easily edited using many different types of popular video editing software
  • FLV files converted to MPEG can be viewed on a home DVD player
  • FLV files converted to MPEG can be viewed on many portable media devices including some Apple iPod models.