Free online 264 to AMV converter

Some older portable media players accept AMV but cannot open a raw H.264 stream saved as .264. Converting the file adds an AMV-compatible video and audio structure while adapting resolution, frame rate, and compression to the target device.

What the 264 format is

A video file ending in .264 usually contains a raw H.264/AVC elementary stream rather than a complete container such as MP4. CCTV DVRs and NVRs, security cameras, hardware encoders, x264, and FFmpeg can create this type of file. Because the stream may lack a container header, audio track, duration metadata, and reliable frame-rate information, conversion software may require those values manually.

What the AMV format is

AMV is a low-resolution video format used mainly by older inexpensive portable media players. It combines video with device-oriented audio encoding and commonly targets small frame sizes such as 160×120, 128×96, or 220×176. AMV files are useful when the destination player specifically requires .amv; they are generally unsuitable for modern editing, streaming, or archival use because of limited resolution, compression efficiency, and compatibility.

How to actually convert 264 to AMV

Using the online converter

1. Open the video converter on 101convert.com; the service can be used for free without installing software.
2. Upload the .264 file and choose AMV as the output format.
3. Set the frame size and frame rate supported by the destination player. If the device manual is unavailable, 160×120 at 12 fps is a common starting point.
4. Start the conversion, then download the resulting .amv file and copy it to the player for testing.

Using FFmpeg on a computer

FFmpeg can read a raw H.264 stream when its input format is specified explicitly. A typical low-resolution conversion is:

ffmpeg -f h264 -i input.264 -vf scale=160:120:flags=lanczos -r 12 -c:v amv -c:a adpcm_ima_amv -ar 22050 -ac 1 output.amv

A raw .264 file often contains no audio, so the command may produce a silent AMV file. To add an audio file, provide it as another input:

ffmpeg -f h264 -i input.264 -i audio.wav -vf scale=160:120:flags=lanczos -r 12 -c:v amv -c:a adpcm_ima_amv -ar 22050 -ac 1 -shortest output.amv

If FFmpeg reports that the AMV encoder or muxer is unavailable, use a build with AMV encoding support or the online converter. If the source frame rate is unknown, inspect the original recording settings; choosing the wrong rate can cause duration errors or audio-video drift.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

AMV conversion is usually lossy twice: H.264 is decoded, then the frames are re-encoded using AMV-compatible compression. Do not use AMV as an archival master; retain the original .264 file or convert it to a modern archival container such as MP4 with H.264.

The target player determines acceptable resolution, frame rate, audio rate, and file-size limits. Some players accept only specific AMV profiles, commonly 4:3 dimensions and low frame rates. If playback fails, try the exact resolution listed by the device manufacturer, mono audio at 22050 Hz, and a lower frame rate such as 10 fps or 12 fps.