JV File

What are JV files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a JV file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your JV files.

What is a JV file?

A .JV file is a Bitmap Brothers JV Video file.

Bitmap Brothers JV video files are multimedia resources used by the game Z (DOS version and its Windows port Z-95), created by The Bitmap Brothers. These files store short in-game animations or cinematic scenes combining both video and audio data that play during events like intro sequences, level transitions, or story interludes.

The format is proprietary, designed for efficient playback within the limited hardware of the mid-1990s. Video content is stored with palette-indexed frames using the BTC (Bitmap Brothers BTC) encoding, while audio is stored uncompressed in PCM format. The files begin with a fixed-length header, then an index table, followed by frame data chunks.

Technically, JV files start with the ASCII signature "JV" in their first two bytes. Later in the header there is a copyright string beginning "Compression by John M Phillips…" (at offset 5). Header fields also include a palette mode, the width and height of frames, followed by indexed frames, audio samples, and palette information per frame.

How to open JV files

We have identified one JV opener that is compatible with this specific type of JV file.

Programs that open Bitmap Brothers JV Video files

Last updated: August 7, 2026

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