Member Avatar for Amy M.

I have a .w4v video which plays on either itunes or Quicktime for Mac. I would like to be able to play it on a windows based computer. I was told to just change the .w4v to .wp4 and it would work (but it didn't).

From my research, I now understand that I need to convert the video format (not just change the extension).

1. Does anyone have any recommendations as to a specific conversion software which is reliable?
2. Do they offer the service for free or do they all charge?
3. Would I load the conversion software on my Mac, convert the file, then be able to play it on the windows-based computer? Or initiate the conversion from the windows based computer? Right now the windows computer will not open the file, so I'm not sure if it would be able to convert from that.

Any assistance is appreciated.

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Dani AI

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Two things are most likely blocking playback and conversion in this thread: the file is either DRM‑protected (iTunes/FairPlay) or the CD was burned in a Mac‑only format that Windows cannot read. 's suggestion to convert M4V to MP4 is correct in principle, but conversion requires a readable, non‑encrypted file; simply renaming the extension won't change either the container or any encryption.

Quick checks and steps that resolve the common causes observed by @AmyM:

  • Verify DRM: in iTunes or Finder use Get Info (File → Get Info). If the file is labeled as "protected" / "purchased" or shows a padlock, it is DRM‑protected and standard converters will refuse to import. DRM can usually be played only on machines authorized with the same Apple ID; removing DRM is typically restricted by law and/or the iTunes Terms of Service.
  • If not protected, the CD is the suspect. Many Mac burns use filesystems Windows won't mount. Copy the .m4v from the Mac to a FAT32/exFAT USB stick or transfer it over SMB (System Preferences → Sharing → File Sharing → Options → enable SMB) so the Windows PC has a local copy. Do not run converters directly from the burned disc.

Once the file is on the Windows drive and not encrypted, a fast lossless route is to remux the container (no re‑encode) with ffmpeg:

ffmpeg -i input.m4v -c copy output.mp4

That preserves quality and usually yields a Windows‑friendly .mp4. If a player like VLC opens the file on Windows but the converter still fails, the problem is likely a codec mismatch — try VLC's Convert/Save or a reputable converter that supports m4v input. If the converter explicitly reports "encrypted" or "protected," the file is DRM‑encrypted. If the file remains inaccessible after a proper copy, the burn/copy may be corrupted; recopy from the Mac hard drive.

Member Avatar for Scorpio123

You should mean itunes video(.M4V) and want to convert it to mp4, here i recommend using this , you just need to load m4v files to your pc and use this software to convert it to plain mp4 to play on windows

Member Avatar for Amy M.

Thanks so much for your reply and for correcting my mistake. I've been looking at all these extensions too long!

My problem is loading them to the PC. Using my Mac, I saved the .m4v to a CD, which I then took to the PC. When trying to bring it up, the PC just says the file is unaccessible.

So I don't understand how I can use the PC to change the extension when it won't let me choose the file in the first place. Or does the software take care of that?

Thanks again.

Member Avatar for Amy M.

Ok, I just read the info on the web site, which I should have done prior to my last post. I'm going to give this a try first thing tomorrow. I think I understand this better now. Will let you know how it goes.

Member Avatar for Amy M.

I tried to run the Daniusoft program but when it instructed to ADD (by importing the video I was trying to convert), it failed to import it. I tried several times but got the same reply each time.

I had saved the file from the Mac hard drive to a CD and was trying to open it from the CD on the windows machine. Did I do something wrong?

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