WTV to XZ Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Unpack XZ into ZIP/TAR for tools that cannot read LZMA2. If your files are still in WTV format, this page is the shortcut: WTV is Windows Media Center's TV recording format — tuner captures with metadata, subtitles and multiple audio tracks inside.
This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your files never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there are no watermarks, sign-ups or queues. Drop in several files at once to convert them as a batch.
How to convert WTV to XZ
- 1
Select your files
Select your WTV file.
- 2
Convert instantly
The file bytes are gzip-compressed in place — the same archive your server or build tool produces, made locally.
- 3
Download results
Download the .gz file — ready to upload, serve or attach.
About the WTV format
WTV is Windows Media Center's recording format — what a tuner card wrote when you scheduled a TV show. Inside sits the broadcast transport stream (MPEG-2 or H.264) plus title metadata, subtitle tracks and multiple audio languages, all wrapped in Microsoft's own container.
Media Center died with Windows 10, but the recordings live on: ffmpeg reads WTV natively, so converting to MP4 or MKV keeps the content playable on any device with the metadata you actually care about.
+Strengths
- ✓Complete tuner captures with subtitles
- ✓Multi-language audio preserved
- ✓ffmpeg decodes natively
!Limitations
- −DVR-MS (older) is a different format
- −Broadcast DRM variants exist
- −Copy-once flags block some captures
About the XZ format
XZ wraps the LZMA2 algorithm: the best ratio of the common Unix compressors, which is why distribution packages and source releases pick it when bandwidth matters more than CPU.
Windows Explorer and many cross-platform tools cannot open it — unpacking to ZIP or TAR makes the payload portable.
+Strengths
- ✓Highest common ratio
- ✓Standard for Linux packages
- ✓Integrity checks built in
!Limitations
- −Memory-hungry at high settings
- −Sparse support outside Linux
Why convert WTV to XZ?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of XZ meet what WTV cannot give you. Highest common ratio Meanwhile DVR-MS (older) is a different format One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this WTV to XZ 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 WTV to XZ?
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.
Is there a size limit for archive conversion?
There is no upload cap because nothing is uploaded — the practical limit is your device memory. A few hundred megabytes of unpacked content works comfortably on a modern computer.
Are the files inside my WTV archive modified?
No. Contents are unpacked in memory and repacked into XZ byte-for-byte — the conversion changes the container, never the files inside it.