: Before MP4 became the universal standard, the .wmv format was the king of compressed video. Developed by Microsoft, it was the go-to format for desktop users because it offered a decent balance between file size and video quality.

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Standing for Windows Media Video , this was the flagship video compression format developed by Microsoft. Before the total dominance of MP4 (H.264), WMV was the standard for high-quality video on Windows PCs because it offered small file sizes with relatively good clarity.