XESC File

What are XESC files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an XESC 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 XESC files.

What is an XESC file?

An .XESC file is a Microsoft Expression Encoder Screen Capture Video file.

The Microsoft Expression Encoder Screen Capture Video File is a recording of a computer screen (and optionally microphone audio) captured using Microsoft's Expression Encoder Screen Capture, part of the discontinued Expression Studio suite. These files are used to record tutorials, demonstrations, or other on-screen activity and are meant to be processed or converted into more common video formats after capture.

Files in this format are produced by Microsoft Expression Encoder 3 or 4 (Screen Capture component). During capture, the raw screen video (and optional microphone audio) are saved into a proprietary container using Microsoft's own screen capture codec. The workflow is: first record to a .xesc file, then use Expression Encoder to convert (encode) this intermediate file into files like WMV or MP4 for editing or playback. Without the Screen Capture Codec installed, .xesc files typically cannot be played in standard media players.

Technical details: .xesc uses Microsoft's Expression Encoder Screen Capture Codec (FourCC "MTS2"), optimized for screen content and employing YUV 4:2:0 colour format, with macroblock-based compression including DCT (discrete cosine transform) and VQ (vector quantization).

How to open XESC files

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

Programs that open Microsoft Expression Encoder Screen Capture Video files

Last updated: August 14, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of XESC files. Remember, different programs may use XESC files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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