How to View FLV Video Files

FLV (Flash video) is a video file format used primarily online on websites such as YouTube, GoogleVideo and MySpace. Although FLV is simple to embed and upload to a website, most video players do not have the capability to play FLV files. To view your saved FLV videos you must obtain a FLV player. Many FLV players are available and operate in a slightly different manner.

Instructions

VLC Player

1. Download and install the VLC Player (see Resources) on your computer.

2. Start the VLC player by clicking on the desktop icon or selecting it from "Programs" in the "Start" menu.

3. Click "File" and select "Open File." The "Open" dialog box will appear.

4. Open FLV files from a location saved on your computer, from a removable disk or from a location on your network by clicking on the respective tabs in the "Open" dialog box. Click on "Browse" to select the extension for the FLV file and click "OK."

5. Press the "Play" button to play your FLV video.

Wimpy Desktop FLV Player

1. Download Wimpy Desktop FLV Player (see Resources) on your computer. Unzip the contents of the file into the desired folder on your computer.

2. Open the file folder and double-click the "FLVPlayr.exe" file. The Wimpy FLV Player will launch.

3. Click on the icon that resembles a folder in the bottom right corner. This opens the "Open a file" dialog box.

4. Browse to the FLV file that you want to view, select it and click "Open."

5. Click the screen to start the video. Click the screen at any time to pause the video.

6. Click on the "Expansion" icon in the bottom right corner to switch the player to "Full Screen" mode. Click it again to make the player smaller.

Applian FLV Player

1. Download and install the Applian FLV Player (see Resources) on your computer.

2. Start the Applian FLV player by clicking on the desktop icon or selecting it from "Programs" in the "Start" menu.

3. Open the FLV file that you wish to view by either clicking on the screen, clicking the icon and upward arrow on it, pressing "Ctrl" and "O" simultaneously, or dragging the file to the Applian FLV Player window.

4. Press the "Play" icon to view the FLV video. Press it again to pause the video.

References

• Fileinfo: FLV
• Afterdawn: How to view FLVs
• Stream Capture: How to Play a Flash Video FLV File
• Wimpyplayer: Wimpy software

Resources

• Afterdawn: Download VLC
• Wimpyplayer: Wimpy Desktop FLV Player
• Applian: Download FLV Player