What Is DAV File and 4 DAV Player to Open .dav Files

"I got some DAV files created by DVR, and I have tried to play it in multiple media players but none of them could handle the video files, is there any way to watch the videos with .dav extension?"

Today, video has become the major way to record memorable moments and get entertainment. And developers released a lot of video formats to meet different demands. According to a recent survey, there are more than a hundred video formats created by hardware and software.

In this post, we are going to focus one of video formats, DAV, and tell you everything you should know about DAV files, DAV player and how to play DAV on your devices.

Part 1: What Is DAV File

As mentioned before, a DAV file (.dav) is a video format file created by Digital Video Recorders (DVR) used in CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) surveillance systems to store video and audio recordings from surveillance cameras. It is compressed using a modified version of MPEG compression and saved in an encrypted format.

It is not a standard video format like MP4 or AVI, which means that it usually requires specific software or players to view. In other words, commonly used media players and video editors cannot decrypt the DAV files or play the video contents. So, if you want to open .dav files on your PC, you have to download specific DVA player software provided with your DVR system, such as DVR 365 Player or Amcrest Smart Player.

Part 2: Top 6 DAV File Players to Open DAV on Mac and Windows

There are a lot of media players on market, but only several have integrated the DAV file codec. In this part, we will identify and share top 4 best DAV players to enjoy video contents captured by your DVR.

1AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player - "The Most Versatile & Ultra-HD Choice"

AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player stands out as a professional-grade media solution that treats surveillance footage with the same high standards as Hollywood blockbusters. While most standard players stutter when handling high-resolution security files, this software is specifically optimized to support 4K/UHD monitoring records, ensuring a smooth and lag-free viewing experience. It decodes the complex codecs and container formats used by modern CCTV DVR systems automatically, providing a "plug-and-play" experience without the need for additional codec packs.

1. Download and install this DAV file player on your Windows or Mac computer.

2. Click the Open Files button to load your .dav video into this software.

Then it will start playing DAV file on your computer automatically.

2DVR365 Player - "The Lifesaver for Legacy Devices"

For those dealing with vintage security hardware, the DVR365 Player is an indispensable tool specifically engineered for older DVR models, particularly those produced around 2010. As the original, standalone software for the DVR365 system, it can decode specific legacy encryption methods and formats that modern, "smarter" players often fail to recognize. It remains the official recommended tool for these older digital CCTV recording software, providing a simple drag-and-drop interface for outdated systems.

1. Install the player on your Windows PC as the instruction. And then open the player.

2. Connect your DVR to your computer and copy and paste the DAV files to the computer.

3. Click on the Play button on the home interface, navigate to the DAV file in the Open dialog, and hit the Open button to start playing the video.

35KPlayer - "The Cross-Platform Free Choice"

5KPlayer is a powerful third-party DAV file player that fills a critical gap in the market by offering robust performance on macOS. Since many native DAV players are strictly limited to Windows, 5KPlayer serves as a "Mac user's savior," ensuring that Apple enthusiasts can view surveillance files in their original clarity. It provides a free, streamlined alternative to proprietary software, maintaining the essential details of the footage without requiring a license fee.

1. Run 5KPlayer and make sure to transfer the DAV video from your DVR or other sources to your computer.

2. Drag and drop the DAV video into the media player. It will play the video file directly with the original quality.

4Amcrest Smart Player - "The Professional Surveillance Management Choice"

As a deep-tier supporter of the Dahua ecosystem, Amcrest Smart Player is designed for comprehensive security oversight. Its standout SEO feature is the ability to synchronously playback 4-channel or 8-channel views, allowing you to monitor multiple angles of a single event simultaneously. Furthermore, it serves as a vital bridge for compatibility by allowing users to convert DAV to AVI directly within the interface, making it easy to share footage with others who do not have specialized software.

1. Start the versatile media player when you need to watch DAV videos on your computer.

2. Drag and drop the DAV videos into the play list area, double click on the first video to start playing them one by one.

Note: This player could transcode DAV videos to AVI format, but the results may be not playable in media players. We suggest to you to use a professional DAV file converter.

5Dahua Smart Player - "The Official Standard & Security Tool"

Dahua Smart Player is the industry-standard official Dahua player, built with a primary focus on data integrity and security. Its most critical feature is the ability to verify digital signatures and perform watermark verification, which provides definitive proof that the surveillance video has not been tampered with or edited. This makes it the only choice when the authenticity of the footage is a legal requirement, ensuring that the "official" status of the surveillance playback software is maintained.

1. Download Dahua Smart Player from the official Dahua Wiki or support website.

2. Launch the program and click the Add Files button (folder icon) or simply drag and drop your .dav file into the player window.

3. The video should start immediately. You can use the timeline at the bottom to scrub through footage or switch between multiple camera feeds if you imported a batch.

If you need to share the clip, click the Export icon to convert the DAV file into a standard MP4 or AVI format directly within the player.

6VLC Media Player - "The Versatile Choice for Power Users"

VLC Media Player is a highly versatile, open-source solution for playing DAV files, which are encrypted and compressed video files typically generated by DVR/NVR security systems (such as those from Dahua). While most standard media players fail to recognize this proprietary format, VLC can decode the H.264 or H.265 streams within the DAV container, provided the user configures the "Demux module" to H264 video demuxer within the advanced input/codec settings. This makes VLC a preferred alternative to specialized, often clunky, manufacturer-provided software, allowing users to view, pause, and even convert security footage into more universal formats like MP4 on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

1. Open VLC and go to Tools > Preferences (or Cmd + , on Mac).

2. At the bottom left under "Show settings," select the All radio button.

3. Adjust demuxer:
• On the left sidebar, navigate to Input / Codecs > Demuxers.
• On the right side, find the Demux module dropdown menu and change it from "Automatic" to H264 video demuxer.

Click Save, close VLC, and then re-open it.

4. Download Dahua Smart Player from the official Dahua Wiki or support website.

Note: Remember to change this setting back to Automatic when you are done, otherwise VLC may fail to play other file types (like MP4 or MKV) later.

Part 3: Cannot Play DAV? Convert it to MP4

In addition to DAV players, another way to watch DAV videos is to convert them to commonly used video format like MP4, AVI, etc., so that you can open the DAV files on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android dreictly. When converting DAV, quality loss is the biggest problem. From this point, we recommend AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate. It can convert DAV to MP4, AVI, MOV MKV and other mainstream video formats with a single click. Another benefit is to transcode DAV videos for playback on iPhone, Android devices and other portable machines. For tech savvy, there are extensive custom options to create unique results and convert multiple DAV videos at the same time.

In a word, Video Converter Ultimate is the best option to convert DAV to AVI, MP4 or other video formats without losing quality.

How to convert DAV to MP4/AVI/MOV with Video Converter Ultimate

1. Install the best DAV converter on your computer

Video Converter Ultimate offers two versions, one for Windows 11/10/8/7 and the other one for Mac OS. Get the right one and install it on your computer.

Then launch the application from your desktop and click Add Files button at top ribbon to import the DAV videos you want to convert.

2. Convert DAV to MP4 or other formats

Locate to the bottom area, click and expand the Convert All to dropdown menu and select a proper video format, like MP4 or AVI. If you want to playback the result videos on portable devices, select the target device from the list. To change video quality and other custom options, click the Custom Profile button to open the settings dialog.

Finally, click the Convert All button to convert DAV files to other format.

After being converted, you will be taken to the main interface. The built-in media player allows you to preview the output videos.

If you want to convert DAV to MP4 online, you can use the free DAV video converter online.

Conclusion

Based on the sharing above, you might understand what DAV file is and how to look at it on your machine. Generally speaking, there are two ways to enjoy the video files created by DVR, the DAV file player, and the DAV video converter. If you just want to view DAV video files on your computer, the above 6 players could meet your demands simply. To enjoy the DAV videos on any devices, we suggest you convert DAV to MP4 with AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate. It is not only easy to use, but also able to keep the original video quality when converting.