WMV File Extension
The WMV file extension is used for video files. "WMV" stands for "Windows Media Video." It was created by Microsoft as a format for files suited for playback on its Windows Media Player. There is no control over the usage of file extensions, so often several different applications use the same file extensions for different file types. However, the Windows Media Video format is the only file type that uses the WMV file extension.
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Format
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The WMV file is the same as a file with an ASF file extension. Microsoft introduced the WMV file extension to make it easier to identify video files and the WMA file extension to identify audio files. The ASF file type is another Microsoft invention. The initials ASF stand for "Advanced Systems Format." The ASF file is a container for data encoded by a codec and can contain many different types of multimedia content.
Codec
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A codec is a conversion system taking video or sound and putting into a digital format. Video data takes up a lot of space as it contains many pictures displayed in a rapid sequence. To prevent these files becoming unmanageably large, the codec has to compress the data. Microsoft has different levels of WMV codecs. Each gives a different level of clarity. The sharper the clarity, the larger the file.
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Players
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Although Microsoft created the WMV extension to be played by its Windows Media Player, this is not the only program capable of handling the file format. It can also be opened by Winamp Media Player, Cyberlink Power DVD and Power Director and the VLC Media Player, among others. A WMV component enables QuickTime players to show WMV files.
Websites
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Microsoft also produces a WMV Plug-in which enables videos to be played back in a Web browser. This means that WMV files can be integrated into websites to show video on pages including other formats of data, like text and pictures.
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References
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