Open WMV File

WMV file extension is used by Windows Media Video files. These files contain video data compressed with either Microsoft's implementaion of MPEG-4 algorithm or proprietary Windows Media Video algorithm. Several versions of this algorithm exist. Versions 7, 8, 9 and 9.1 are the ones most commonly used today.

Some WMV files may have digital rights management (DRM) protection. DRM protection prevents unauthorized opening of WMV files. This protection uses PlayForSure standard developed by Microsoft Corporation. DRM system prevents users from making unauthorized copies of the multimedia files purchased in the online stores. This is accomplished by tying files to specific PC they were downloaded to. PC is usually identified by unique serial number of CPU, motherboard chipset, network card and other hardware components. Please note that replacing any of these components may render DRM-protected files unplayable at least temporarily.

Many players support playback and can open WMV files. These include but are not limited to: Windows Media Player, VLC Player, Zoom Player, PowerDVD and others.