Free online DAV to WEBM converter

Security cameras and DVRs commonly save footage as DAV, while browsers, web applications, and many editing tools accept WEBM instead. Converting the recording makes surveillance footage easier to play in a browser, upload, or edit with software that does not recognize the original CCTV container.

What the DAV format is

DAV is a proprietary video format used mainly by Dahua DVRs, NVRs, and IP cameras. Recordings exported from Dahua systems often use the .dav extension and may contain vendor-specific video codecs, timestamps, audio, or encryption.

You may encounter DAV files after copying footage from a surveillance recorder, exporting an incident clip from a CCTV management application, or removing a recording from a recorder’s hard drive. Standard media players and general-purpose converters may fail to open the file because DAV is not a broadly standardized format.

What the WEBM format is

WEBM is an open container designed for web playback. It normally contains VP8, VP9, or AV1 video and Vorbis or Opus audio, making it suitable for HTML5 video players, websites, Chromium-based browsers, Firefox, and many modern editing applications.

WEBM can provide smaller files than an uncompressed or lightly compressed intermediate export, particularly with VP9 or AV1. It is less suitable than MP4 when maximum compatibility with television sets, older mobile devices, or professional editing software is required.

How to actually convert DAV to WEBM

Try FFmpeg first

FFmpeg can open some unencrypted DAV files directly. Install a current FFmpeg build, place the recording in an accessible folder, and run:

ffmpeg -i input.dav -c:v libvpx-vp9 -crf 32 -b:v 0 -c:a libopus output.webm

The -crf 32 value controls VP9 quality; lower values preserve more detail and produce larger files. Values around 28–36 are practical starting points for CCTV footage. If the source has no audio, use:

ffmpeg -i input.dav -an -c:v libvpx-vp9 -crf 32 -b:v 0 output.webm

To retain the original frame rate and dimensions, do not add scaling or frame-rate options. To create a smaller 720p copy, use:

ffmpeg -i input.dav -vf scale=-2:720 -c:v libvpx-vp9 -crf 32 -b:v 0 -c:a libopus output.webm

Use the recorder’s player when FFmpeg cannot read the file

If FFmpeg reports an invalid format, missing decoder, or corrupt stream, open the file in the playback software supplied with the recorder, such as Dahua Smart Player. Use Export, Convert, or Save as and select AVI or another standard intermediate format if available. Then convert that exported file with FFmpeg:

ffmpeg -i intermediate.avi -c:v libvpx-vp9 -crf 32 -b:v 0 -c:a libopus output.webm

Some recorder applications export only by playing the selected time range in real time. Keep the player open until the export finishes, and verify that the resulting file contains the complete requested interval before deleting the original DAV file.

Convert without installing software

You can convert the file for free on the 101convert.com website without installing software. Upload the DAV file, choose WEBM as the output format, start the conversion, and download the result when processing completes.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Conversion cannot restore detail that was already lost in the camera’s original compression. CCTV footage often has low resolution, variable frame rate, noise, and dropped frames; re-encoding it to WEBM may reduce quality further, so retain the original DAV as evidence or an archival master.

WEBM output may omit proprietary DAV metadata, recorder event markers, camera authentication data, and some embedded timestamps. If the timestamp is rendered into the image, it remains visible; if it exists only as metadata, it may be lost. Preserve the original file and record the camera, time range, and time zone separately.

If a browser or editor rejects the result, check the codecs with ffprobe output.webm. Use VP9 video with Opus audio for broad current-browser support. Older applications may require H.264 video in an MP4 container instead of WEBM.