Free online 3GP to DIVX converter

Older phones and cameras commonly save recordings as 3GP, but legacy DVD players, televisions, and media applications may require DivX-compatible video. Converting the file creates an MPEG-4 Part 2 video stream in an AVI or DivX-compatible container instead of leaving the original mobile format unchanged.

What the 3GP format is

3GP is a multimedia container specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project for 3G mobile networks and phones. Older Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and other phones used .3gp for camera recordings, MMS attachments, and mobile video.

The extension does not identify one fixed codec. A 3GP file may contain H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, or, in later implementations, H.264 video, with AMR-NB, AAC, or another supported audio stream. The related .3g2 container was used mainly by CDMA-based mobile systems.

What the DivX format is

DivX is a codec and media-format family based primarily on MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile. DivX-compatible video is commonly stored in an AVI container with a codec tag such as DX50; some software uses the .divx extension for a DivX Media Format file.

MPEG-4 Part 2 provides smaller files than many older uncompressed or lightly compressed formats and was supported by legacy DVD players, televisions, set-top boxes, and media players. DivX compatibility is not the same as general AVI compatibility: a player may require a particular video tag, audio codec, resolution, bitrate, frame rate, or filename extension.

How to convert the file

Using 101convert.com

1. Open the video converter on 101convert.com; the conversion is available without installing desktop software.
2. Select the .3gp file and choose DIVX as the output format.
3. Start the conversion, download the result, and test it on the intended player or editing application.

Do not upload recordings containing sensitive material unless the service's handling of uploaded files is acceptable for that material.

Using FFmpeg

FFmpeg can decode most 3GP variants and create an AVI file containing MPEG-4 Part 2 video, a DX50 tag, and MP3 audio:

ffmpeg -i input.3gp -c:v mpeg4 -vtag DX50 -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k -f avi output.avi

The -q:v value controls quality-based video encoding: lower values generally produce higher quality and larger files. The command re-encodes audio as MP3 because many legacy DivX players do not support AMR or other audio streams found in 3GP files.

If the target software specifically expects a .divx filename, the same AVI-compatible output can be written with that extension:

ffmpeg -i input.3gp -c:v mpeg4 -vtag DX50 -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k -f avi output.divx

The extension alone does not change the media format. If a player rejects the file, create the container and codec combination it requires rather than merely renaming the file. FFmpeg builds must include the mpeg4 and libmp3lame encoders; check with ffmpeg -encoders or install a build that provides them.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Conversion is normally lossy because the original video is decoded and encoded again. Keep the 3GP source, and do not upscale its low mobile-phone resolution unless the target device requires a larger frame.
• Use the source dimensions and frame rate when possible. For restrictive hardware, standard-definition dimensions, a constant frame rate, MP3 at 44.1 or 48 kHz, and a moderate bitrate are safer than unusually large frames or high bitrates.
• A DivX file cannot restore detail discarded when the phone created the 3GP recording. Changing the bitrate or container may improve compatibility but cannot improve the source image.
• Some players support only AVI, while others accept .divx or require the DX50 tag. Test the converted file on the actual device before deleting the original.