What Is a DV File and How Do I Open One?

In the field of photography, you will have to get together with various file formats such as RAW, DV, and a lot more. But, if you are one of those who want to know more about the DV file extension and how to open DV files, we are here to help you with the same. DV file is a popular format that will surely be known to all the photographers out there.

So, if you are someone who is into this field, you should read this article till the end. There are lots of questions you might ask when you have to deal with the DV files.

When it comes to running various file formats in our computer, mobile phones, and tablets, we have got various galleries, editing, and another sort of apps for that. But, some files can’t be opened without treatments or even third-party software sometimes.

DV files come into the same category. That is the reason why people keep searching for how to open DV files over and over again. This file format is completely different from other formats such as mp4, QuickTime, etc.

Fortunately, we have got numerous options in the form of apps and software to open those files.

what is a dv file

But, when you do not have these software in your system or device, it can become tough for you to do the same. Even seeing your photos or videos can become impossible for you.

Although no deep technical knowledge of required to open those files you must have a basic understanding of why you will need external software to open DV files.

So, without further discussions, let’s start discussing

DV File Extension – What is a .dv file?

DV File format is recorded in Digital camera’s tape whenever your record any photo or video. These files are saved in standard RAW format with this extension where no losses are there inside the captures. The DV files are created with the DIF (Digital Interface Blocks) which are 80 bytes.

These files can contain visuals, audio, and video content generally. The videos can contain 10 or 12 sequences depending on the type of block sequences.

In this manner, the resulting files can be produced at a rate of 25Mbits/second. So, when it comes to technical specifications, DV files use compression parameters to store the data inside it.

So, the audio can be stored uncompressed but videos with be in the compressed formats. However, if you want to open a DV file, there are various software available for that.

We are going to discuss all those software for different operating systems.

Best Software to open .dv files [Windows/ Mac or Linux]

For Windows users, there are various options available to use in order to open the DV files perfectly. You are free to pick the desired one as per the specifications or even prices. So, let’s discuss every software one by one.

File Viewer Plus

This is one of the best software you should be using to open not only DV but various other file formats effectively on your computer. File Viewer Plus is equipped with elegant gallery options where you can browse all your photos and videos collections in a perfect manner.

This is the reason why it becomes the best software to open DV files. Not only for the photographers, anyone can make use of this software and start playing or browsing their photos and videos on their Windows computer without any cost.

Yes, the software is completely free to use for any sort of task.

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Apple QuickTime Player for Windows

This is another impressive program capable of running H.264 and AAC files effectively on your Windows computer. Not only that, but it will also help you to easily run DV files without any hassles on your computer.

The software has a pretty innovative user-interface that makes it best for any sort of browsing task including DV, RAW, mp4, and various others. The software has all the necessary features you may need in your image or video browser.

So, when it comes to making the most out of this platform, you can use it anytime. Also, it is free software offered by a named brand Apple.

So, it will definitely be a reliable software to use.

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Adobe Flash Professional CC

This is another branded product that will surely help you to open not only DV but various other file formats like the software we discussed earlier.

Adobe Flash Professional CC is also equipped with a lot of features for photographers such as 3D targeting, audio splitting, motion editor, sprite sheet editing features, and a lot more.

However, you can use it for free only with its trial period. Once it is expired, you will have to opt for the paid plan which may be out of budget for some people.

So, you can consider it if you want some extra features which you can check on the official page.

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Open and view dv file with VLC Player

If you own a Windows computer, you might have heard about this software. Yes, VLC can help you to open your DV files perfectly. Because it has a large number of supported file formats, DV is one of those files.

So, if you want to know how to open DV files and have the VLC player on your computer, you do not have to install any other app or software.

VLC is enough to help your browse through your collection. However, it may not perform well when you want to open high-quality files on VLC with a low-end computer.

But, in simple terms, it is perfect for any sort of DV file opening work.

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Is iOS/Linux Support digital video file format? – Best Software for Mac to open .dv Files

If you have a Mac computer, do not worry about anything. We have some amazing software that you can use to open your DV files effectively without hassles.

As we discussed earlier, VLC Player and Quicktime player will work perfectly on your Mac computer too.

But, here are some other options if you want them.

Apple iMovie

You might have Apple iMovie pre-installed on your Mac. If yes, then you do not have to get any other software from anywhere. You can easily open any type of DV file in seconds using this software.

It will not only help you to open the quickly but make necessary adjustments. It is like a gift from Apple for mac users.

So, before searching for any other third-party software, try to open your files on iMovie first of all.

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Elmedia Player

For Mac users, Elmedia player is another great option to easily start browsing through the DV files. This software has a pretty excellent user-interface and various other features you may not get with any other media playing app.

It will help you to easily run AVI, MKV, MP3, M4V, Blu-ray, and various other files too. The software supports the HD format and will help you to get a realistic watching experience.

The software is completely free to use so make sure to try it once.

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MPlayer

MPlayer has an impressive user-interface along with numerous advantages that make this package great for any sort of DV opening work. Not only the DV, but Mplayer also has its support always ready for various other video file formats.

Also, you can customize your video playing experience in an impressive manner. Not only for Mac, but the software is also available for Windows operating systems.

In other words, it is a complete package for photographers to easily run their desired files and observe any detail impressively.

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Is run digital video Files on Linux?

For Linux computers, there is no special tool that you will have to install on your PC. You can use some of the software which we have discussed above.

You can try using various other software but we are here to give you the best and most reliable options to choose from.

VLC Media Player

Firstly, we suggest you use the the VLC media player in your Linux computer because it is supposed to perform well on this operating system too.

Also, you will receive additional advantages to use it as a full-fledged media player on your computer.

MPlayer

The second on is MPlayer which is available with various options to let you enjoy a great video watching experience.

You are free to pick it for any sort of media playing capabilities. But, for DV especially, every professional will prefer MPlayer for sure.

Is it crucial to download third-party software to run DV files?

It is not important to download any of these software if your computer is equipped with a required package already.

In simple words, if you have Apple iMovie or the latest version of Windows Media player, you might be able to run these files on your system without any hassles.

However, if you are not able to do the same because of any reason, you can try these free or paid options as per your preferences. But, they will allow you to have some additional benefits like tweaks or visual adjustments.

Also, when it comes to playing your videos in HD resolutions, the inbuilt software may not perform great. But, when you have software like VLC on your computer, it will surely help you to get the desired results in the way you want.

So, before downloading any of the third-party software on your computer, make sure to consider your requirement, budgets, and other important things.


Final Verdict

Make sure to visit the official websites of these software carefully and read reviews before picking anyone for you. This will help you to make a wise decision for anything you require.

In order to browse DV files, you should definitely need to be careful because any mistake while moving or opening your file may cause data losses. Also, corrupted software may cause different issues.

So, consider downloading the latest software version or update it online.

We hope you have found this article helpful to know how to open DV files in Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. We have researched a lot to make this article as helpful as possible for you. So, make sure to share your valuable feedback in the comment section.

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