XV to PCX Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Convert PCX files from retro games and clipart archives into PNG or JPG. If your files are still in XV format, this page is the shortcut: XV is the thumbnail format of John Bradley's classic XV image viewer on UNIX — a compact 33-byte header plus raw thumb data.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How XV compares to PCX
| XV | PCX | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | XV Thumbnail coder | 128B header + RLE rows + 769B palette |
| Compatibility | ImageMagick, specialty tools | DOS era, GIMP, ImageMagick |
| Best for | Legacy and specialty pipelines | Retro game and clipart archives |
How to convert XV to PCX
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your XV files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to PCX". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted PCX file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the XV format
The XV Thumbnail coder of the ImageMagick set — the unix-gallery format is written natively by the magick.wasm engine, entirely in your browser.
Obscure coder formats like this are exactly what template-driven converters list and never actually convert — here it really works.
+Strengths
- ✓Written natively by ImageMagick
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser
- ✓Free, private, no watermarks
!Limitations
- −Niche format — few modern readers
- −Feature subset varies by coder
- −Keep the original for re-editing
About the PCX format
PCX was the image format of the DOS decade: ZSoft Paintbrush's run-length-encoded raster that every scanner, game and clipart CD adopted because it was published, simple and fast on 286 hardware. The header is a fixed 128 bytes, the palette hides in the final 769, and the whole file can be decoded by one while-loop.
Retro gaming archives and 90s clipart collections are full of PCX files. Converting them to PNG or JPG finally makes them viewable — the pixels were always fine, the container was just ancient.
+Strengths
- ✓Decoded by a single RLE loop — no dependencies
- ✓Ubiquitous in DOS-era archives
- ✓Supports paletted and 24-bit variants
!Limitations
- −Effectively dead since Windows 95
- −Rows padded — some files have alignment quirks
- −256-color ceiling for most real-world files
Why convert XV to PCX?
Think of it as moving your file to the container that fits the job. Niche format — few modern readers PCX works differently: Decoded by a single RLE loop — no dependencies If any of that sounds like your task, run the conversion — it takes seconds and nothing leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this XV to PCX 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.
Will I lose quality converting XV to PCX?
No — PCX is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original XV file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
What happens to EXIF data and other metadata?
Conversions here re-encode the image, and re-encoding generally does not carry the original metadata over. If the EXIF data of your XV files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to PCX?
Transparency is kept whenever PCX actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.