DAT to FLV Converter

Convert DAT (Video CD video (DAT)) files to FLV online, for free, with nothing to install.

To convert DAT to FLV, select or drop your .dat file above, check that FLV is chosen as the output, and click Convert. This conversion runs on our server, and your files are deleted 72 hours later.

What is a DAT file?

DAT – Video CD video (DAT). DAT is the film of a Video CD: MPEG-1 pictures and sound in the files AVSEQ01.DAT, AVSEQ02.DAT… of the disc's MPEGAV folder, stored as CD-ROM XA sectors. Most players and editors made today do not open it; as MP4 it plays on any phone, TV or computer. Many programs also use .dat for their own data, and only Video CD tracks can be converted.

DAT Converter →

What is an FLV file?

FLV – Flash video. FLV is Flash Video, the format of the Flash Player era (early YouTube). Few programs make it today. Converting makes a new file: the video is decoded and encoded again, so converting from a format that lost detail never brings it back.

FLV Converter →

How to convert DAT to FLV

  1. Click Select File, or drop your .dat files anywhere on this page. You can add several at once.
  2. Check that FLV is chosen as the output format. On this page it is picked for you.
  3. Click Convert. When a file has to go to our server, the button says Upload and convert instead.
  4. Click Download next to each file when it's done.

DAT vs FLV: how they compare

DATFLV
LayoutMoving pictures and soundMoving pictures and sound
EditableIn video editors, once convertedIn video editors
Created byPhilips, Sony, JVC and Matsushita, 1993Macromedia, 2002
Best forFilms and home videos on Video CDs (VCD)Old Flash players and websites

Good to know

  • Take the films from the MPEGAV folder of the disc (AVSEQ01.DAT, AVSEQ02.DAT…), one file for each. The files in the CDI, EXT, SEGMENT and VCD folders are the disc's menus and player program, not the film.
  • The video is decoded and written as an FLV file by ffmpeg: H.264 pictures and AAC sound, at a fixed quality. The first picture track and the first sound track are kept; subtitles and other tracks are left out.
  • Pictures wider than 1080p are made 1920 pixels wide. Interlaced video (DVD, TV, camcorders) is deinterlaced.
  • The server converts about as much video as it can in 10 minutes: a long or large video is refused at once with how long it would take, and can be cut shorter first.

Frequently asked questions

Is converting DAT to FLV free?

Yes. Everyone gets 25 free credits a day, with no account needed. Conversions on our server use one credit per started minute of work, so most cost a single credit. Credits reset at midnight UTC.

Are my DAT files uploaded anywhere?

This conversion runs on our server, because converting video needs ffmpeg, which does not run in a browser. Your file is sent over an encrypted connection, and both it and the result are deleted 72 hours after the conversion. The server has no internet access while it works on your file.

How large can the DAT file be?

Up to 1 GB per file. This conversion runs on our server, which accepts files up to that size.

Will the FLV look the same as the DAT?

The picture and sound are decoded and encoded again at a fixed quality, so the FLV looks and sounds very close to the DAT but is not bit for bit the same. Sizes up to 1080p are kept; the first picture track and the first sound track are kept.

Can I convert several DAT files at once?

Yes. Add as many files as you like; they are converted one after another, and each one gets its own Download button.

How long does converting DAT to FLV take?

In our tests a two-minute Video CD track took about 9 seconds to become an MP4 file, so a whole 74-minute disc takes about 6 minutes. Uploading the file (about 10 MB a minute of film) usually takes longer than that on a slow connection.

Convert DAT to other formats

Convert other videos to FLV

All video formats

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