FTS to OTB Converter

Turn FTS images into OTB format with ease online

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Cross-Platform

The converter works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Convert FTS to OTB from whichever device you have at hand.

Remote Processing

The heavy lifting of FTS to OTB conversion happens on cloud servers — your computer or phone stays fast and unaffected.

No Install Needed

The converter runs entirely in your browser — no desktop software required. Works on all major platforms and devices alike.

How to convert FTS to OTB

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose otb or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your otb file right afterwards

About formats

FTS is a file extension for the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS), the standard data format used in astronomy since 1981 when it was defined by Don Wells, Eric Greisen, and R.H. Harten at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and subsequently endorsed by the International Astronomical Union in 1982. FITS was designed from the outset as a self-describing archival format: each file begins with one or more 2880-byte header blocks containing ASCII keyword-value pairs that describe the data's dimensions, coordinate system, observation parameters, and provenance, followed by data blocks in a variety of numeric types — 8/16/32/64-bit integers and 32/64-bit IEEE floating-point values. FITS supports multi-dimensional arrays (images, data cubes, hypercubes), binary tables for catalog data, and ASCII tables, with multiple Header/Data Units (HDUs) that can coexist in a single file. The format handles specialized astronomical data: spectral cubes, radio interferometry visibilities, multi-extension mosaic images from CCD arrays, and time-series photometry. One advantage is scientific rigor: FITS mandates that all metadata needed to interpret the data physically — coordinate transformations (WCS), photometric calibration, telescope and instrument parameters — travels with the file, eliminating the metadata-loss problem that plagues general-purpose image formats in scientific contexts. The format's longevity and institutional backing is another strength — virtually every observatory, space telescope (Hubble, James Webb, Chandra), and astronomical software package (DS9, IRAF, Astropy) uses FITS as its primary data format.
Developer: NASA / IAU
Initial release: 1981
OTB (Over-the-Air Bitmap) is a monochrome image format developed by Nokia as part of their Smart Messaging specification in 1997, designed for transmitting small graphics — operator logos, group graphics, and picture messages — to Nokia mobile phones via SMS. OTB files contain 1-bit (black and white) images at small fixed resolutions, typically 72x14 pixels for operator logos and 72x28 pixels for group graphics, encoded in a compact binary format suitable for embedding within the payload of SMS text messages. The format uses a simple structure: a header byte indicating whether the image is an operator logo or group graphic, width and height values, and the raw bitmap data where each bit represents one pixel packed eight per byte. The extremely tight format — designed to fit within a single SMS message (140 bytes maximum payload, shared with addressing overhead) — reflects the severe constraints of mobile communication in the late 1990s. Nokia's Smart Messaging system was one of the first commercial implementations of rich content delivery to mobile phones, and OTB images represented the entire visual content capability of Nokia handsets before MMS and mobile data browsing arrived. One advantage is the format's historical role as a pioneer of mobile visual messaging: OTB images were among the first graphics that ordinary consumers could send to each other's phones, predating MMS, camera phones, and smartphones by nearly a decade. The format's minimal footprint is another characteristic — entire images fit in a few dozen bytes, reflecting an era of extreme bandwidth constraints. OTB files are supported by ImageMagick, various Nokia phone management tools, and specialty mobile format utilities.
Developer: Nokia
Initial release: 1997

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert FTS to OTB?

Most people lack software for FTS. Converting to OTB ensures your astronomical images are viewable everywhere — from phones to desktops.

What programs open OTB?

Any modern image viewer opens OTB — Windows Photos, macOS Preview, GIMP, Photoshop, and web browsers all support it.

Does this work on mobile devices?

Yes — the converter runs in any web browser, so it works on phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops regardless of operating system.

What is the FTS format?

FTS is used in astronomy and scientific research. It stores telescope captures and observatory data — converting to OTB makes this data universally accessible.

Does the conversion preserve quality?

The converter retains maximum fidelity during the FTS to OTB transformation. Any differences stem from the output format's own characteristics.