What is MIME type "video/vnd-vivo"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

The MIME type video/vnd-vivo identifies a vendor-specific video format. It signals that the file contains video content encoded in a proprietary format used by VivoActive.

This MIME type is mainly used to enable playback in specialized media players. Files with this type carry unique encoding that supports streaming and custom video features. They may also include metadata that helps the player correctly interpret the content.

The primary use case includes:

Streaming Video: Optimized for progressive download and real-time transmission.
Proprietary Playback: Requires players that understand vendor-specific coding.
Media Integration: Can be embedded in applications that support advanced video functions.

Files using this MIME type have the extension VIV. For more details on MIME type registration and usage, you can refer to the IANA Media Types resource.

Associated file extensions

.viv

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:


    Content-Type: video/vnd-vivo

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:


    <a href="file.dat" type="video/vnd-vivo">Download file</a>

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:


    const http = require('http');    
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {    
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'video/vnd-vivo');    
      res.end('Content here');    
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.viv

FAQs

What is the video/vnd-vivo MIME type used for?

The MIME type video/vnd-vivo represents VivoActive video content, a proprietary format developed by Vivo Software in the 1990s for streaming video over low-bandwidth internet connections. Files associated with this type usually have the extension .viv and require specific codecs to play.

How do I open a file with the video/vnd-vivo content type?

Because this is a legacy format, modern media players may not support it out of the box. RealPlayer historically supported VivoActive files after RealNetworks acquired Vivo Software. Alternatively, you can use the command-line tool FFmpeg to decode or convert the file.

Do modern web browsers support video/vnd-vivo?

No, modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge do not natively support video/vnd-vivo playback. To display this video content on a modern website, you must convert the file to a widely supported format such as video/mp4 or video/webm.

How do I configure an Apache server to serve .viv files?

To ensure your Apache server sends the correct headers for VivoActive files, add the following line to your .htaccess file or main configuration: AddType video/vnd-vivo .viv. This tells the browser to treat the file as a Vivo video stream.

How can I convert video/vnd-vivo to a modern format?

The most reliable way to convert these legacy files is using FFmpeg. You can run a command like ffmpeg -i input.viv output.mp4 to transcode the proprietary Vivo encoding into a standard H.264 MP4 file usable on mime-type.com and modern devices.

What is the correct Nginx configuration for video/vnd-vivo?

For Nginx, you should add the MIME type mapping in your mime.types file or inside the types block of your server configuration. Add the line: video/vnd-vivo viv; to ensure the server identifies the file correctly during transfer.

General FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.