Free online DAV to 3GP converter

What the DAV format is

DAV is a proprietary surveillance-video format used by some DVR and NVR systems, especially equipment from Dahua and compatible CCTV software. The file may contain H.264 or another surveillance-oriented video stream, along with timestamps, camera metadata, and optional audio. DAV files are commonly created when footage is exported from a security recorder or downloaded through its desktop management program.

Because DAV is not a fully standardized container, a normal media player or converter may not recognize every file. Some recordings are also encrypted or require the recorder’s playback software. If a converter cannot open the file, first export it from the DVR application to AVI or MP4, then convert that standard file to 3GP.

What the 3GP format is

3GP is a multimedia container developed for 3G mobile phones and low-bandwidth networks. It commonly contains MPEG-4 Part 2 or H.263 video and AAC or AMR audio.

Its main advantage is a small file size at modest resolutions, such as 176x144, 320x240, or 352x288. Use 3GP when the destination device specifically requires it or when compatibility with older phones matters. Modern smartphones, browsers, and editing applications generally prefer MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.

How to convert DAV to 3GP

Using the online converter

1. Open the DAV converter on 101convert.com; it can be used free without installing software.
2. Choose the DAV file from the DVR export and select 3GP as the output format.
3. Start the conversion and download the resulting 3GP file when processing finishes.
4. Test the output on the intended phone or player. If the file is rejected, use a lower resolution or convert an intermediate AVI/MP4 export instead.

Using FFmpeg after exporting a standard video

FFmpeg is suitable when the recorder can export the footage as AVI or MP4. A broadly compatible 3GP command is:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v mpeg4 -profile:v 0 -b:v 400k -s 320x240 -r 15 -c:a aac -b:a 64k -ar 44100 -f 3gp output.3gp

Replace input.mp4 with the exported filename. For a device that requires H.263 video and AMR audio, use:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v h263 -b:v 250k -s 176x144 -r 12 -c:a libopencore_amrnb -ar 8000 -ac 1 -b:a 12.2k output.3gp

The H.263 command depends on an FFmpeg build containing AMR-NB encoding. If that encoder is unavailable, use MPEG-4 video with AAC audio, which is accepted by many 3GP-capable players.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Conversion changes the container and often re-encodes the video, so some quality loss is expected. It cannot restore detail that was absent from the original CCTV recording. Keep the source resolution and frame rate when the target device supports them; otherwise use a smaller size such as 320x240 to reduce file size.

DAV recordings may include proprietary timestamps, multiple camera streams, unusual audio codecs, or encryption. The converted file may contain only the primary video stream, and audio may be omitted if the source has no audio track. Retain the original DAV file as the evidentiary archive and use 3GP only as a playback or sharing copy.