How to Play FLV Files

FLV is a file format commonly used for online video streaming on websites such as YouTube, MetaCafe, Vevo, and more. FLV isn’t a default file format type on Windows and Mac OS X, but you can play FLV files using any third-party media player that supports FLV playback.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
VideoLAN VLC Media Player

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    Navigate to VideoLAN’s official website at http://www.videolan.org/.
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    Select the option to download the VideoLAN VLC media player to your Windows or Mac computer.
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    Double-click on the installer file to launch the VideoLAN installation wizard, and follow the on-screen prompts to install the media player on your computer. The application will launch automatically when installation is complete.
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    Click on “Media” at the top of your VideoLAN session, and select “Open File.” The “open file” dialog box will display on-screen.
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    Click on “Browse,” then navigate to the FLV file you want opened.
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    Select the FLV file, then click on “Open.” The FLV file will open and play within VideoLAN’s media player.[1]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Wimpy Desktop FLV Player

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    Navigate to Wimpy’s official website at http://www.wimpyplayer.net/products/wimpy_standalone_flv_player.html.
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    Select the option to download the Wimpy Desktop FLV Player to your Windows or Mac computer.
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    Double-click on the installer file to launch the Wimpy installation wizard, and follow the on-screen prompts to install the media player on your computer. The Wimpy media player will launch automatically when installation is complete.
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    Drag and drop the FLV file into the Wimpy media player. The FLV file will immediately open and begin playing.[2]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
FLV Player by Applian (Windows Only)

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    Navigate to the official website for Applian Technologies.
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    Click on the “Download” link to download the FLV player to your Windows-based computer.
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    Right-click on the installer file and select “Run as administrator.” This will launch the Applian installation wizard.
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    Follow the on-screen prompts to install the media player on your computer. FLV Player will launch automatically following installation.
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    Open a session of Windows Explorer and navigate to the FLV file you want opened.
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    Drag and drop the FLV file into the FLV Player. The FLV file will open and begin playing in the media player.[3]
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References

  1. ↑ https://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation:Open_Media/
  2. ↑ http://www.wimpyplayer.net/products/wimpy_standalone_flv_player.html
  3. ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/232141/flv_player.html
  4. ↑ http://www.freemake.com/blog/top-5-free-flv-players/

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 137,533 times.
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Co-authors: 3
Updated: September 30, 2020
Views: 137,533
Categories: VLC Media Player
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