Convert G64 to WMV

A G64 recording may need conversion when a recipient, legacy Windows application, or evidence system accepts WMV but cannot open Genetec’s proprietary format. The conversion also creates a more widely playable copy for review, but it should not replace the original surveillance export.

What the G64 format is

G64 is a proprietary video-export format associated with Genetec Security Center, including its Security Desk surveillance platform. It is commonly produced when an operator exports footage from a Genetec archive and may include camera, time-range, and export-integrity information; watermarking or digital-signature features depend on the system and export settings.

Genetec Video Player, usually supplied with an exported recording, is the appropriate application for opening a G64 file. Security Desk can also open and export footage when the user has access to the original Genetec system. VLC, Windows Media Player, FFmpeg, and general-purpose online converters normally cannot decode G64 directly.

What the WMV format is

WMV is a family of Microsoft video codecs commonly stored in an ASF container with the .wmv extension. Windows Media Player and many older Windows applications support it, although current browsers and editing programs generally favor MP4 with H.264 or H.265 video.

WMV is suitable when a receiving system specifically requires it or when a legacy Windows workflow cannot accept G64. It is not inherently smaller or better quality than the source: the result depends on the selected codec, bitrate, frame size, and frame rate.

How to convert G64 to WMV

Use Genetec software for the first stage. A normal video converter cannot reliably perform the required G64 decoding.

1. Open the exported Genetec Video Player supplied with the recording, or open Security Desk on the originating system.
2. Choose File → Open or the equivalent command and select the .g64 file.
3. Select the required camera, start and end times, and audio tracks. Export only the needed segment when possible.
4. Open the export command, such as Export or Save As. If WMV is available, select it, choose the destination, and start the export.
5. Play the result in Windows Media Player or another WMV-compatible application. Check the picture, audio, duration, timestamps, and synchronization.

Genetec output options vary by Security Center version, Video Player build, installed components, and user permissions. Some systems offer WMV directly; others offer ASF, AVI, or another intermediate format instead.

Transcode a Genetec export with FFmpeg

If Genetec produces AVI or ASF but not WMV, use the exported file as the input to FFmpeg:

ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v wmv2 -b:v 2M -c:a wmav2 -b:a 128k output.wmv

For an ASF export, replace the input name:

ffmpeg -i input.asf -c:v wmv2 -b:v 2M -c:a wmav2 -b:a 128k output.wmv

Adjust -b:v 2M for the required balance between detail and file size. Omit -c:a wmav2 -b:a 128k if the source has no audio. FFmpeg does not decode the original G64; Genetec software must create the AVI or ASF intermediate file first.

Online and desktop alternatives

No general online service reliably accepts G64. Services such as CloudConvert or Zamzar can convert a supported intermediate AVI file to WMV, but that requires uploading the footage and may introduce file-size, codec, or privacy limitations. Use an online service only for non-sensitive footage and only after confirming that it accepts the exact intermediate format.

For surveillance recordings, a local Genetec export followed by local FFmpeg processing is safer. VLC and HandBrake are not suitable for opening G64, and HandBrake does not normally produce WMV output.

Quality and evidence limitations

WMV conversion normally re-encodes the video and can remove detail from low-light scenes, faces, text, and license plates. It may also discard Genetec metadata, authentication data, watermarks, or other export-integrity features. Keep the original G64 and any Genetec-native export unchanged; treat WMV as a viewing or compatibility copy.

Before distribution, compare the WMV’s first and last frames and timestamps with the G64 playback, verify audio synchronization, and record the Genetec and FFmpeg versions, export settings, operator, and conversion date when the footage may be used as evidence. Do not upload sensitive surveillance footage to an unapproved online converter.