Free online VIV to DAT converter

What the VIV format is

VIV is an older compressed video format associated with VivoActive Encoder and VivoActive Player from Vivo Software. It was used for early web video distribution and low-bandwidth playback, before modern MP4-based workflows became common.

VIV files may contain video encoded with the Vivo codec and can be difficult for current media applications to open. Some FFmpeg builds include enough Vivo decoding support to read them; others report an unsupported codec or malformed input.

What the DAT format is

In the Video category, .dat usually means the MPEG-1 program stream stored in a Video CD file such as \MPEGAV\AVSEQ01.DAT. It is not a universal video format: the extension alone does not specify a codec, resolution, frame rate, or stream structure.

Video CD-compatible DAT content normally uses MPEG-1 video at 352×288 pixels for PAL or 352×240 for NTSC, with MPEG-1 Layer II audio at 44.1 kHz. Its main advantage is compatibility with older VCD players and authoring software, not image quality or compression efficiency.

How to convert VIV to DAT

Using the built-in online converter

1. Open the VIV to DAT converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the .viv file and select DAT as the output format.
3. Start the conversion, then download the generated file when processing finishes.

This option does not require installed software. If the converter cannot decode a particular VIV file, use a desktop decoder or first verify that the file plays correctly in a Vivo-compatible application.

Using FFmpeg

Install an FFmpeg build with Vivo decoding support, then inspect the source:

ffprobe -hide_banner input.viv

For a PAL Video CD-compatible output, run:

ffmpeg -i input.viv -target pal-vcd output.dat

For NTSC Video CD parameters, use:

ffmpeg -i input.viv -target ntsc-vcd output.dat

The -target preset sets MPEG-1 video, Video CD dimensions, compatible audio parameters, and the required program-stream settings. Replace input.viv with the actual filename; quote the path if it contains spaces.

If the intended application only needs an MPEG-1 file with a DAT extension, the following explicit command is also suitable:

ffmpeg -i input.viv -c:v mpeg1video -b:v 1150k -c:a mp2 -b:a 224k -ar 44100 -ac 2 -f mpeg output.dat

A standalone output.dat is not a complete VCD image. To create a physical Video CD, author the resulting MPEG-1 stream with VCD authoring software and write the generated disc image or project to a CD.

Quality and compatibility limitations

VIV video is typically already compressed, and Video CD encoding adds another lossy MPEG-1 generation. The result cannot restore detail discarded in the source; increasing the DAT bitrate beyond the VCD specification does not recover it.

Check the source frame rate and aspect ratio before conversion. A PAL source converted with ntsc-vcd, or the reverse, may require frame-rate conversion and can produce motion judder or incorrect playback speed.

If FFmpeg returns an unknown decoder error, the installed build does not support that VIV variant. Try a different current FFmpeg build or export the video from software that can play the file, then encode the exported intermediate to VCD-compatible MPEG-1.

Some modern players accept MPEG-1 content regardless of the .dat extension, while others expect the exact VCD directory and sector structure. Rename the output only when the receiving software requires the extension; renaming alone does not convert the video.