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Y4M File Format

YUV4MPEG2 Raw Video category

Y4M is uncompressed video with a text header — the interchange format of video-filter pipelines (avisynth/vapoursynth) and encoder test suites.

Typical use: Convert Y4M raw video to MP4/WEBM with real compression.

About the Y4M format

Y4M (YUV4MPEG2) is uncompressed video with a one-line text header: resolution, framerate and color space, then raw YUV frames. It is the lingua franca of video-filter pipelines — AviSynth, Vapoursynth and encoder test suites pass frames around as Y4M because there is nothing to misparse.

A Y4M of any real length is enormous (30MB per second of 1080p), so conversion to MP4/WEBM with H.264 or VP9 is always the destination — the value is in the zero-ambiguity input, not the format itself.

Strengths

  • ✓ Zero-ambiguity pixel format declaration
  • ✓ Standard between filter frameworks
  • ✓ Lossless by construction

Limitations

  • ✗ No compression whatsoever
  • ✗ Color space variants (limited/full) trip decoders
  • ✗ Not natively playable in browsers
Structure
YUV4MPEG2 header + FRAME blocks
Types / schema
Raw YUV frames
Compatibility
ffmpeg, x264, vapoursynth
Best for
Filter-pipeline interchange

Convert Y4M to…

25 direct directions plus 46 workflows, sorted A–Z; 🔥 marks popular targets.

Y4M to 3G2 Y4M to 3GP Y4M to APNG Y4M to ASF Y4M to AVI Hot Y4M to DV Y4M to F4V Y4M to FLV Y4M to GIF Hot Y4M to H.264 Y4M to M2TS Y4M to M4V Hot Y4M to MKV Hot Y4M to MOV Hot Y4M to MP4 Hot Y4M to MPEG Y4M to MPEG1 Y4M to MPEG2 Y4M to MPEG4 Y4M to MPG Y4M to TS Y4M to VOB Y4M to WEBM Hot Y4M to WebP Hot Y4M to WMV

Cross-engine workflows

Y4M to 7Z Y4M to AAC Y4M to AC3 Y4M to AIF Y4M to AIFF Y4M to ALAC Y4M to APK Y4M to AU Y4M to CAF Y4M to E-AC3 Y4M to F4A Y4M to F4B Y4M to FLAC Y4M to GSM Y4M to JAR Y4M to JFIF Y4M to JPE Y4M to JPEG Y4M to JPG Y4M to M4A Y4M to M4B Y4M to M4R Y4M to MP2 Y4M to MP3 Y4M to OGA Y4M to OGG Y4M to OPUS Y4M to PCM Y4M to PNG Y4M to PNG24 Y4M to PNG8 Y4M to TAR Y4M to TAR.BZ2 Y4M to TAR.GZ Y4M to TAR.XZ Y4M to TBZ2 Y4M to TGZ Y4M to TTA Y4M to TXZ Y4M to VOC Y4M to W64 Y4M to WAV Y4M to WAVPCM Y4M to WIM Y4M to WV Y4M to ZIP

Convert other files to Y4M…

3G2 to Y4M 3GP to Y4M ASF to Y4M AVI to Y4M Hot DivX to Y4M DV to Y4M F4V to Y4M FLV to Y4M GIF to Y4M Hot H.264 to Y4M M1V to Y4M M2TS to Y4M M2V to Y4M M4V to Y4M Hot MJPEG to Y4M MKV to Y4M Hot MOV to Y4M Hot MP4 to Y4M Hot MPEG to Y4M MPEG1 to Y4M MPEG2 to Y4M MPEG4 to Y4M MPG to Y4M MTS to Y4M MXF to Y4M OGV to Y4M RM to Y4M RMVB to Y4M TS to Y4M VOB to Y4M WEBM to Y4M Hot WMV to Y4M WTV to Y4M Xvid to Y4M

Frequently asked questions

What is a Y4M file?

Y4M is uncompressed video with a text header — the interchange format of video-filter pipelines (avisynth/vapoursynth) and encoder test suites.

How do I convert Y4M files online?

Pick a target format from the "Convert Y4M to…" list below, drop your file and hit convert. Everything runs in your browser — no install, no upload, no watermark, no limits.

Is it safe to convert Y4M files here?

Yes. Every conversion is performed by your own device inside the browser — files never leave for a server, and the page keeps working even offline.

Which formats can Y4M convert to?

This page lists all 71 directions across documents, images, audio, video, spreadsheets and archives — each one is its own free converter page.