Convert DAV to MP4

Turn Dahua .dav recordings into MP4 files that play on any phone or computer. It runs in your browser, so your footage is never uploaded and the quality stays exactly the same.

Drop .dav files here to convert them to MP4Choose .dav files to convert them to MP4

Choose files

Your files stay on this device. Nothing is uploaded.

Name files by recording timeUses the date and time stored inside the recording, e.g. 2023-11-05_14-22-33_to_14-32-33_CH01.mp4

How to convert DAV to MP4

Add your recordings
Drag one or more .dav files onto the blue screen on this page, or choose them from your computer. Files exported from a Dahua DVR, NVR or SmartPSS all work.
Wait a few seconds
Each file is rewrapped into MP4 on your device. A 200 MB recording usually takes a few seconds, because the video is copied rather than re-encoded.
Download the MP4
Play the result right on the page, then download it, or download them all as one ZIP. The MP4 plays in Windows, macOS, iPhone, Android and messaging apps. To keep only part of it, press Trim this clip.

DAV to MP4: details

Input: .dav (Dahua DHAV), including recorders sold under other brands
Output: .mp4 with the original H.264 or H.265 video
Quality: Unchanged; the video stream is copied, not re-encoded
Audio: Kept; G.711 audio is converted to AAC so MP4 players can play it
Recording time: Read from inside the recording and saved as the MP4's creation date, assuming the recorder is set to your time zone; the name ends on the recorder's own end second
Location: Left out of the MP4; the recording date is kept
File size: Up to about 1 GB works on most computers. Converting needs about 3.5 times the file's size in free memory, so 2 GB and larger recordings can fail; export shorter clips for those
Upload: None; files are processed in your browser
Several files: Yes, add as many as you like and download them all as one ZIP
Price: Free

DAV to MP4: questions

What is a DAV file?

DAV is the video format Dahua security recorders use for their recordings and exports. It wraps H.264 or H.265 video, and often audio, in a Dahua-specific container that most media players can't open. Converting it to MP4 keeps the same video inside a standard container.

Are my recordings uploaded anywhere?

No. The converter downloads once to your browser and then runs on your device. Your files are read locally and the MP4 is created locally, so the footage never leaves your computer or phone.

Does converting DAV to MP4 lower the quality?

No. The video stream is copied into the MP4 container without re-encoding, so every frame stays identical to the original recording. Only G.711 audio is re-encoded, because MP4 players don't support it.

Why won't my DAV file open in Windows Media Player or QuickTime?

DAV is a proprietary Dahua format, and standard players don't understand its container. Dahua's own Smart Player can open it, but the clip still can't be shared easily. Converting to MP4 fixes both problems.

The MP4 plays without picture. What can I do?

Your recorder probably saved the video as H.265 (HEVC). The MP4 still contains it, but some players need HEVC support. It plays on macOS and iPhone, in Chrome and Edge on most recent computers, and on Windows after installing the HEVC Video Extensions. VLC plays it everywhere.

Can I convert several DAV files at once?

Yes. Drop or choose as many files as you like. They are converted one after another; download each one, or all of them as one ZIP file.

How are the MP4 files named?

With Name files by recording time on, each file is named after the start and end time stored inside the recording, plus the channel and any camera or recorder name from the original file name, like Garage_2023-11-05_14-22-33_to_14-32-33_CH01.mp4. The time comes from the recording itself, so it stays right even if the file was renamed. The same time is saved as the MP4's creation date, so video apps sort clips by when they were recorded.

Is there a size limit?

The tool sets none, but your browser's memory does. Converting needs about 3.5 times the file's size in free memory: a 1 GB recording works on most computers, while 2 GB and larger recordings can fail with an out-of-memory error. The row warns you before a large file starts. For those, export the recording from the recorder as shorter clips.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes, in current versions of Safari and Chrome. Phones have less memory, so for recordings over a few hundred MB a computer is more reliable.

Next steps

Video trimmerCut the part you need out of a video or CCTV recording, without re-encoding it.
Video to MP3Take the sound out of any video, CCTV too, as MP3.

Guides

How to play DAV files on Mac, PC and phonePlay Dahua .dav CCTV recordings on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android with Smart Player or VLC, or convert them to MP4 in your browser.
What is a DAV file and how do you open it?DAV is the recording format of Dahua CCTV recorders. Here's what's inside a .dav file, why normal players can't open it, and three ways to watch it.