How to Play an FLV File
Level of difficulty: Easy
An .flv file is a popular file extension supported by different types of Operating Systems. This is usually found embedded on different Web pages and video websites. The video is supported by the Adobe Flash Player plug-in. Popular websites such as Google Video, MySpace, and YouTube all use .flv files for their videos.
Materials Needed:- Media player that supports an .flv file
- Internet access
- .flv file
Step 1
To play an .flv file, make sure that you have a media player that supports this kind of file. If you do not have a media player that supports .flv files, open a Web browser window and search for free media players that support .flv files.
Step 2
Choose a media player with a good reputation to make sure that you will be able to play your file easily. You can also choose to download a media player that supports almost any type of file so you do not have to download different media players for different types of media files. Download the media player and install it on your computer by following the prompts on the screen. Installation takes a few minutes.
Step 3
Once you have downloaded a media player, you can now play the .flv file that you have. An .flv file is denoted by the file extension '.flv'. Launch the media player that you have downloaded on your computer.
Step 4
Different media players that can play .flv files usually have the same interface. From the media player’s window, find the 'Open' button. Click on the button. A window will appear.
Step 5
On the window, select the .flv file that you want to play.
Step 6
You can also play the .flv file by right clicking on the file. A drop-down menu will appear. Choose 'Open with' from the list. Another window will appear. Choose the name of the media player that you have downloaded.
Step 7
There are also options on the media player that you can change if you want to watch the video in full screen mode. You can also fix the aspect ratio of the video to suit your preferences.
Step 8
You can download more .flv files from the Internet and play it on your media player. Some websites with plenty of videos using the .flv file extension are http://www.youtube.com and http://video.google.com.
Step 9
Install the Operating System for your computer by inserting the installation CD inside the disk drive. Test to see if the computer is running smoothly.