Free online WTV to 3GPP converter

What the WTV format is

WTV, or Windows Recorded TV, is a container used by Windows Media Center to save recorded television programs. Windows Vista and Windows 7 Media Center commonly created WTV files, which replaced the older DVR-MS format. A WTV file may contain MPEG-2 or H.264 video, multiple audio tracks, subtitles, program metadata, and broadcast interlacing.

WTV recordings usually appear in the Windows Media Center recording folder with a .wtv extension. Standard media players and video editors do not all support its metadata or transport structure, so conversion is often required before editing, transferring to an older phone, or importing into software that accepts 3GPP.

What the 3GPP format is

3GPP is a multimedia container standardized for third-generation mobile networks and commonly saved with the .3gp extension. It was designed for mobile playback, streaming, and messaging, with support for compact video and audio streams such as H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264, AAC, and AMR.

3GPP can produce smaller files than an original television recording by reducing resolution, frame rate, and bitrate. It is most useful for legacy mobile phones, older MMS workflows, embedded mobile software, and devices that do not recognize MP4. Modern smartphones and browsers generally support MP4 more reliably than 3GPP.

How to actually convert WTV to 3GPP

Using 101convert.com

1. Open the WTV-to-3GPP converter on 101convert.com; the service can be used for free without installing software.
2. Select the source .wtv file and choose 3GPP or .3gp as the output format.
3. Choose a lower resolution and bitrate if the destination is an older phone. Preserve the source resolution only when the target device supports it.
4. Start the conversion and download the resulting .3gp file when processing finishes.

Using FFmpeg on a desktop

FFmpeg can read WTV recordings and encode a broadly compatible 3GPP file. Run this command in the folder containing the recording:

ffmpeg -i input.wtv -c:v libx264 -profile:v baseline -level 3.0 -pix_fmt yuv420p -vf "scale='min(640,iw)':-2" -c:a aac -b:a 96k -movflags +faststart output.3gp

The command encodes H.264 video and AAC audio, scales wide video to a maximum width of 640 pixels, and preserves the aspect ratio. For an especially old phone that does not support H.264 or AAC, use MPEG-4 Part 2 video and AMR-NB audio instead:

ffmpeg -i input.wtv -c:v mpeg4 -q:v 5 -vf "scale='min(352,iw)':-2" -c:a libopencore_amrnb -ar 8000 -ac 1 -b:a 12.2k output.3gp

If the installed FFmpeg build lacks libopencore_amrnb, choose AAC for newer 3GPP-compatible devices or install a build that includes the required AMR encoder. Check the result with:

ffprobe output.3gp

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

• Re-encoding is normally required because the WTV stream may use MPEG-2, interlacing, or a bitrate that the 3GPP target cannot accept. Re-encoding reduces quality; keep the original WTV as the archival copy.
• Interlaced television footage can show combing artifacts after conversion. Add -vf "yadif,scale='min(640,iw)':-2" to deinterlace before scaling.
• WTV recordings protected by broadcast DRM or copy restrictions may not be readable by FFmpeg or other converters. Conversion tools cannot legitimately bypass that protection.
• Some older phones impose strict limits on resolution, frame rate, audio codec, file size, or maximum clip duration. For maximum compatibility, use 176×144 or 352×288 video, 15–25 fps, AAC or AMR audio, and test a short sample before converting the entire recording.
• Commercial breaks, unwanted channels, and recording padding are not automatically removed. Trim the converted file separately or use FFmpeg's -ss and -to options before encoding.