WMV to TAR Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
WMV is Microsoft’s Windows Media video format, still found in old recordings, webinars and screen captures. TAR preserves the exact file tree and permissions that Linux tooling expects.
Because the whole conversion happens on your device, it is instant, unlimited and genuinely private — no accounts, no watermarks, no files on anyone's server. Multiple files are converted in one go.
How WMV compares to TAR
| WMV | TAR | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | WMV3 / VC-1 | None (pair with gzip/zstd) |
| Best for | Legacy Windows media | Linux packaging and source trees |
How to convert WMV to TAR
- 1
Select your files
Select your WMV file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR archive.
About the WMV format
WMV (Windows Media Video) is Microsoft's codec family, most commonly WMV3/VC-1 inside an ASF container. In its Silverlight-era heyday it delivered good quality at dial-up-to-DSL bitrates and DRM for Windows Media services. Today it survives mainly in corporate archives, old training videos and PowerPoint embeds from the 2000s.
Non-Windows playback was always its weakness and remains so: macOS and Linux need workarounds, phones and web platforms ignore it. Converting WMV to MP4 is the standard exit, and usually saves space at the same time.
+Strengths
- ✓Good quality-per-bit for its era
- ✓Native Windows Media integration
!Limitations
- −Poor non-Windows and mobile support
- −Obsolete next to H.264
- −DRM variants are device-locked
About the TAR format
TAR (tape archive) is Unix's fifty-year-old answer to bundling: it concatenates files with headers into a single stream, preserving POSIX permissions, ownership and symlinks — but compressing nothing. It is the container half of the classic .tar.gz pairing and the native format of Linux source trees and backups.
Being pure bundling, TAR pairs with a compressor: gzip (the classic), bzip2, zstd. Alone, a TAR is the same size as its contents. Windows 10+ ships bsdtar, so even Windows can unpack it now — permissions aside, where NTFS has no room to be faithful.
+Strengths
- ✓Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks
- ✓Streamable: works over pipes and tapes
- ✓The standard of Linux distribution and backup
!Limitations
- −No compression by itself
- −No built-in encryption
- −Permissions meaningless on Windows filesystems
Why convert WMV to TAR?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TAR meet what WMV cannot give you. Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks Meanwhile Poor non-Windows and mobile support One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this WMV to TAR converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for WMV to TAR?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
Will the audio track be kept?
Yes. The audio is carried over and re-encoded to the standard audio codec of TAR, staying in sync with the video. If your WMV file has multiple audio tracks, the first one is used.
Does converting WMV to TAR re-encode my video?
Yes. The video is decoded and re-encoded with the settings chosen by the quality slider, which is what allows the format and size to change. For an archival copy, keep higher quality; for sharing, lower quality gives a much smaller file.