Y4M to WMV converter
Convert Y4M to WMV in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your video never leaves your device.
Last updated
Quick answer: To convert Y4M to WMV, add the Y4M file to the iHateFiles Y4M to WMV converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. Y4M is a format most software has stopped opening. WMV is not.
Should you convert Y4M to WMV?
Yes. Y4M is a format most current software no longer opens, so converting it is the reliable way to keep watching it. WMV is a reasonable target; MP4 is the safest.
The picture is re-encoded
A Y4M usually holds completely uncompressed frames with no sound. This writes Windows Media (MS-MPEG4) video with WMA sound into the WMV. The source is uncompressed, so this is the first and only round of loss.
There is no sound to carry
A Y4M carries no audio track, so the WMV comes out silent. If the sound exists as a separate file, add it afterwards with the Replace Audio tool.
Expect a smaller WMV
Windows Media (MS-MPEG4) video is a much more efficient codec than what a Y4M holds, so at the same visual quality the WMV is usually a third to a half of the size.
Where the WMV will play
WMV plays on Windows, and VLC elsewhere; Macs need an extra player.
Y4M and WMV side by side
| Y4M | WMV | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the file | completely uncompressed frames with no sound | Windows Media (MS-MPEG4) video with WMA sound |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Carries sound | No | Yes |
| Plays on | Needs converting first | Windows, and VLC elsewhere; Macs need an extra player |
| Here | Read only | Read and write |
What usually goes wrong
About the Y4M. A few seconds of Y4M can be larger than a whole film in MP4. That is the format doing its job.
About the WMV. A WMV that will not play anywhere may be DRM-protected rather than corrupt. No converter can remove that, and none should.
How to convert Y4M to WMV
- Add your Y4M file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to WMV.
- Press convert and the WMV file is saved back to your device.
Questions
How do I convert Y4M to WMV?
Open this page, add your Y4M file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Is this Y4M to WMV converter free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.
Will converting to WMV lose quality?
WMV is a lossy format, so some detail is discarded. The quality control on this page decides how much. The default is set high enough that most people cannot see the difference.
Can I convert several Y4M files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.