What is MIME type "video/x-flc"?

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

video/x-flc is a MIME type used for animation files stored under the FLC extension.

These files hold frame-based animations. They were popular in legacy software and multimedia tools.

Main purpose: To deliver simple animated sequences with basic color details and effects.

Support for video/x-flc is now mostly found in legacy applications, as newer formats offer improved quality and compression.

For more details, see Wikipedia: FLIC File Format.

Associated file extensions

.flc

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

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


    Content-Type: video/x-flc

HTML

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


    <a href="file.dat" type="video/x-flc">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/x-flc');    
      res.end('Content here');    
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.flc

FAQs

Can I play video/x-flc files directly in a modern web browser?

No, modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge do not support the legacy FLC format natively. To display these animations on the web, you must convert them to a supported standard like video/mp4 or video/webm.

How do I open a file with the .flc extension?

Because FLC is a legacy format from the 1990s, default system players often cannot open it. You should use a versatile media player like VLC media player or legacy animation tools like Autodesk Animator if available.

How do I configure Apache to serve video/x-flc correctly?

If your server is not recognizing the file type, add the MIME definition to your .htaccess file or main configuration. Use the line: AddType video/x-flc .flc to ensure browsers and downloaders identify the content correctly.

What does the 'x-' prefix mean in video/x-flc?

The x- prefix indicates that this is a non-standard or experimental MIME type that was not formally registered with IANA. While common in the past for proprietary formats like Autodesk FLIC, modern standards usually omit this prefix.

How can I convert video/x-flc files to a modern format?

The command-line tool FFmpeg is highly effective for converting legacy formats. You can convert an FLC file to MP4 using the command: ffmpeg -i input.flc output.mp4.

Is video/x-flc the same as video/flc?

Functionally, yes. video/x-flc is the most common variation used historically for .flc files, but you may occasionally see video/flc or even application/x-flic. When configuring servers, it is best to stick to video/x-flc for consistency with older clients.

Why is my Nginx server downloading .flc files as generic binary data?

This happens if Nginx does not have a MIME type mapping for the extension. Open your mime.types file (usually in /etc/nginx/) and add the line video/x-flc flc;, then reload the server.

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.