OTB to XV Converter

Migrate OTB bitmaps to XV format online and for free

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Cross-Platform Access

Whether you are on a desktop, tablet, or phone — convert OTB to XV from any device with a modern web browser.

Simple Interface

Three steps to convert: upload your OTB, select XV, and download. The clean interface makes the process intuitive even for first-time users.

Browser-Based Tool

No software to download — convert OTB to XV entirely in your web browser. Works on any device with an internet connection.

How to convert OTB 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

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
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 OTB to XV?

OTB is tied to Nokia mobile phones. Switching to XV gives you thumbnail format from the XV image viewer and broad support across platforms, browsers, and devices.

How do I open a XV file?

Software that handles XV includes XV viewer, ImageMagick, GIMP — giving you options on every major operating system.

Are my uploaded files kept private?

Your privacy is protected. All uploaded files are erased after conversion and output files are purged within 24 hours — nothing is stored long-term.

Can I convert multiple OTB files to XV at once?

Convertio supports batch mode — drag in multiple OTB files and they all convert to XV together, which is much faster than one-by-one.

Is OTB to XV conversion free?

Standard conversions are available for free on Convertio. Larger volumes or higher usage may benefit from a premium plan for additional capacity.

What exactly is the OTB format?

OTB is an Over-The-Air bitmap format for early Nokia phones. Originally from Nokia mobile phones, it has become a legacy format — conversion is the most practical way to use these images today.