How to Convert Movie Files for the Web
by Melissa Worcester, Demand MediaVideo formats are confusing. There are several different ones, and some work well on the web, while others are more suited for viewing on your camera. If you've created a video and need to share it on the web, you may need to convert it to a different format.
Step 1
Determine the format of video you want to convert. If you have a camera that interfaces with a PC, the easiest way to tell is to look at the file extension on the video files. This is the three or four letters after the period in the file name. For example, the file "myvideo.avi" has a file extension of "avi" and is considered an AVI file.
Step 2
Decide what format you need to share the video on the web. Most video sharing sites use similar file systems to that of YouTube. YouTube recommends the following formats: FLV, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, but will also accept all of the following: WMV, 3GP, AVI, MOV, MP4 and MKV. You may find that you already have a format that will allow you to upload the file to the web. If you are not sure which format you need, check the help section of the video sharing site you are using.
Step 3
Find out if your video creation software will convert the file if the formats are not a match. Open the file in a program such as Windows Movie Maker and choose "save to my computer" or "Save as." Look for a format that will work with the video sharing site on which you plan to upload it, and choose that to save it.
Step 4
If you can't convert it using software on your computer, look for an online video converter such as Online.Movavi.com. Choose the file and the format to which you want to convert it, and click on the "Convert" button.
Tips
- Be aware that YouTube will let you upload videos and then embed the code on your website or blog, so your visitors will see the video on your site, but the file is actually hosted on YouTube. This saves you bandwidth and also will get around any limitations your web host may have as to the file formats you are allowed to upload.
