What is a .ogv file and how do I open it?

An .ogv file is Ogg video, an open, royalty-free video format from the Xiph.Org Foundation. It usually carries Theora video with Vorbis audio, and was an early open alternative for web video.

What is a .ogv file used for?

OGV files share the Ogg container signature OggS with Ogg audio. The open, patent-free codecs made OGV a favourite for free-software and Wikipedia video before WebM and AV1 took over.

VLC and Firefox play OGV. For the widest reach today, convert to MP4 or WebM.

What opens a .ogv file?

The .ogv format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.

Windows

VLC
Firefox
MPC-HC

macOS

VLC
Firefox

Linux

VLC
mpv
Firefox

Open a .ogv file step by step

Confirm the file really is a .ogv. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
On Windows, open it with VLC or Firefox.
On Mac, use VLC or Firefox.
On Linux, try VLC or mpv.
Still stuck? Convert the .ogv to mp4, which opens more widely.

Why can't I open my .ogv file?

Almost always because no installed app understands OGV. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.

The other possibility is that the file is not really a .ogv at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.

How to convert a .ogv file

You can convert a .ogv file to mp4, webm, mkv using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.

What is the .ogv file signature (magic bytes)?

A .ogv file starts with the hex bytes 4F 67 67 53, which read as OggS in ASCII. Programs identify OGV by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.

These are the documented signatures for OGV. For a full breakdown, see the OGG file signature page.

Documented magic-byte signatures for the .ogv format
Hex signature	Offset	ASCII	Note
4F 67 67 53	0	OggS	'OggS' (Ogg container)

See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.

Frequently asked questions

What is a .ogv file?

An .ogv file is Ogg video, an open, royalty-free video format from the Xiph.Org Foundation. It usually carries Theora video with Vorbis audio, and was an early open alternative for web video.

How do I open an .ogv file?

Play it in VLC or a modern browser like Firefox. To use it more widely, convert it to MP4 or WebM.

What is OGV used for?

Open, royalty-free web video, historically on Wikipedia and free-software sites. It usually holds Theora video and Vorbis audio.

What is the difference between OGV and WebM?

Both are open Xiph-related video formats. OGV uses the older Theora codec in an Ogg container; WebM uses newer VP8/VP9 and has broader support.

Related formats

Sources

Details on this page were checked against authoritative references. How sources are ranked and what is deliberately left out is set out in the methodology.

Wikipedia: Ogg