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

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

video/x-tsv is a MIME type for Time Shift Video content.
Files with this type support features like pausing, rewinding, or shifting the playback time of a live stream. They let you capture ongoing broadcasts and then play them back with more control.
These files normally have the extension TSV.

Time-shift functionality: Supports pausing or rewinding live video.
Live event recording: Captures live broadcasts for later viewing.
Broadcast solutions: Often used in systems that require non-standard video handling.

The x- in the MIME type signals that it is experimental or proprietary. Custom software or players may be required to access this format properly.
For further reading on MIME types and their classifications, visit the video MIME types registry.

Associated file extensions

.tsv

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

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


    Content-Type: video/x-tsv

HTML

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


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

Associated file extensions

.tsv

FAQs

What is the difference between video/x-tsv and a standard TSV file?

There is a major conflict with the .tsv extension. While video/x-tsv refers to Time Shift Video data used for recording live streams, the extension is most commonly associated with Tab-Separated Values (text data). You can usually distinguish them by file size; video files are significantly larger than text spreadsheets.

How do I play a video/x-tsv file on my computer?

Because the x- prefix indicates a non-standard or proprietary format, default media players like Windows Media Player often fail to open these files. We recommend using a versatile player like VLC Media Player or FFmpeg, which can often decode raw or proprietary stream formats.

Can I embed video/x-tsv directly in an HTML5 video tag?

No, modern web browsers do not support video/x-tsv natively. To display this content on a website, you must convert the file to a standard format like video/mp4 or video/webm using a transcoding tool.

How do I configure my web server to serve video/x-tsv correctly?

You must explicitly map the MIME type, but be careful not to break text-based TSV downloads. For Apache, add AddType video/x-tsv .tsv to your configuration, though using a specific extension like .ts or .tsv-video is safer to avoid conflicts. For Nginx, use types { video/x-tsv tsv; } inside your http or server block.

Why is this MIME type marked with an 'x-' prefix?

The x- prefix signifies that video/x-tsv is an experimental or non-standard type not officially registered with the IANA as a primary standard. It is often used by specific hardware manufacturers for DVR (Digital Video Recorder) functionality to allow pausing and rewinding live TV.

How can I convert a video/x-tsv file to MP4?

You can use a command-line tool like FFmpeg to change the container without re-encoding the stream, assuming the internal codec is standard (like MPEG-2 or H.264). Use the command: ffmpeg -i input.tsv -c copy output.mp4.

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.