HEIC to XV Converter

Convert HEIC to XV free — Khoros visualization

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Visualization Ready

XV format integrates with Khoros and Unix visualization tools — your HEIC photos become data for scientific analysis.

Cloud-Based Conversion

No Unix workstation needed — Convertio converts HEIC to XV on remote servers through your web browser.

Instant Output

XV file generation completes quickly. Your scientific imaging file is ready for fast download.

How to convert HEIC to XV

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple's branded implementation of the HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) standard that uses HEVC (H.265) as its image compression codec. Apple adopted HEIC as the default photo format on iPhones and iPads starting with iOS 11 in September 2017, replacing JPEG for newly captured images. HEIC files store photographs compressed with the intra-frame coding mode of the HEVC video codec, which applies sophisticated prediction, transform, and entropy coding techniques that achieve roughly 50% better compression than JPEG at equivalent visual quality. The ISOBMFF (ISO Base Media File Format) container supports multiple images in a single file, enabling Live Photos (a still plus a short video clip), burst sequences, depth maps from dual-camera systems, and HDR gain maps that allow compatible displays to render extended dynamic range. HEIC also stores alpha channels, auxiliary images for computational photography features (portrait mode depth data, semantic segmentation masks), and comprehensive EXIF/XMP metadata. One advantage is storage efficiency: iPhones shooting HEIC use roughly half the storage of equivalent JPEG captures with no visible quality loss, a significant benefit on devices where storage is finite and photos accumulate rapidly. The format's integration with Apple's ecosystem is another key strength — HEIC files are natively supported across macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and iCloud Photos, and automatic JPEG transcoding during file sharing ensures compatibility when sending photos to non-Apple devices. HEIC can also be opened by Windows 10/11 (with codec), GIMP, ImageMagick, and Adobe Lightroom.
Developer: MPEG / Apple
Initial release: 2015
XV is an alternate file extension for the VIFF (Visualization Image File Format) developed by Khoral Research as part of the Khoros scientific image processing environment, which originated at the University of New Mexico around 1990. The .xv extension and the .viff extension refer to the same underlying format — a container with a 1024-byte header encoding image dimensions, data type (from single-bit to double-precision float and complex numbers), color space, band count, and optional spatial location metadata, followed by color map data and pixel values. The XV extension became common on systems where Khoros was installed alongside other X Window System tools, and in some research communities .xv was preferred over .viff as a shorter alternative. Khoros itself was a pioneering visual programming system where scientists assembled image processing pipelines by wiring together processing nodes in a graphical canvas — an approach that predated and influenced similar environments in MATLAB, LabVIEW, and commercial remote sensing packages. One advantage of the VIFF/XV format is its ability to store data at scientific precision levels — floating-point and complex number pixel values preserve measurement accuracy that would be lost in photographic formats limited to 8-bit or 16-bit integers, making it valuable for spectral analysis, computational physics output, and satellite imagery. The multi-band architecture provides another strength, allowing a single file to hold dozens of spectral channels from multispectral or hyperspectral sensors without splitting data across multiple files. XV files are supported by ImageMagick and can be converted to modern image formats for visualization or publication.
Developer: Khoral Research
Initial release: 1990

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert HEIC to XV?

XV is used by the Khoros visualization platform and the XV image viewer on Unix systems — useful for scientific and academic imaging workflows.

What software opens XV?

The XV image viewer on Unix/Linux, Khoros visualization tools, and ImageMagick for format conversion.

Is XV the same as VIFF?

XV and VIFF are related — both come from the Khoros visualization ecosystem, though they may have slightly different internal structures.

Is XV still used?

XV is mostly legacy — relevant for academic institutions using the Khoros platform or the XV image viewer.

Is this conversion free?

Yes, standard HEIC to XV conversions are free on Convertio.