FLV VS MP4
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Flash Video and MPEG-4 Part 14.
FLV
flvLegacy streaming container widely used before HTML5 video adoption.
Pros
- Small file sizes
- Progressive playback
- Easy to embed in legacy players
Cons
- Deprecated technology
- No iOS/Android support
- Must be converted for modern browsers
MP4
mp4The most compatible digital multimedia container for video and audio.
Pros
- Universal compatibility
- Good compression/quality balance
- Streaming support
Cons
- Compression is lossy
- Editing requires re-encoding
When FLV wins
Stay with FLV when you need legacy archives or intranet training portals. Its strengths center on small file sizes and a feature set native to Macromedia.
When MP4 wins
Choose MP4 when your workflow prioritizes web video or social media. It delivers universal compatibility plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | FLV | MP4 |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | video/x-flv | video/mp4 |
| Developer | Macromedia | MPEG |
| Release Year | 2002 | 2001 |
| Best For | Legacy archives, Intranet training portals | Web video, Social media, General storage |
Need to switch?
Where FLV still wins
Keep FLV when you need small file sizes and workflows depend on legacy archives / intranet training portals. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship MP4 deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .flv glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use MP4 for web video while archiving originals as FLV.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.