Guide to Opening .mnft Video Files in Windows

If you have encountered a .mnft file, you likely downloaded a video from a content website such as Dailymotion using a tool like youtube-dl. This article will guide you through understanding .mnft files, their contents, and how to convert them into a usable format.

What is a .mnft File?

One of the most common scenarios where you might encounter a .mnft file is after downloading a video from a video content site like Dailymotion, using a tool such as youtube-dl. An .mnft file is a manifest file, designed to store human-readable metadata about the video file you are trying to access. This metadata is typically stored in JSON format and includes details such as video URL paths and timestamps.

.mnft files are not directly playable; instead, they provide pointers to the actual video files that you need to play. In many cases, the information provided in the manifest points you to a .flv file, which is a Flash Video file. These files can be played by various media players, such as VLC media player.

Opening a .mnft File

Due to the nature of .mnft files, you cannot directly open and play them. Instead, you will need to extract the useful information and use it to open the actual video file. Here is a step-by-step guide:

Download the File: Use a tool like youtube-dl to download the video from the web site. Identify the .mnft File: The program will save a .mnft file alongside the actual video download. Open with a Text Editor: Open the .mnft file using a text editor such as Notepad or Sublime Text. Extract the Video Links: Look for the JSON object containing video link information. It might resemble the following example:

{
    "start_times": [
        [19.960],
        [110.040],
        [810.000],
        [19.280]
    ]
}

Here, the start_times array contains timestamps that indicate where to find the video segments.

Find the Video URLs: The manifest file might contain a link to the .flv file or a template that points to the video's segments. You need to access this file to play the video. Use VLC Media Player: With the video URL, open VLC media player and point it to the .flv file. VLC will then play the video according to the timestamps and links provided in the manifest.

Alternative Methods: Rename and Play

If you wish to avoid using a text editor, you can rename the .mnft file extension to .flv to try to play it directly. However, this method only works if the file structure follows the typical .flv format. Here are the steps:

Rename the File Extension: Change the file extension from .mnft to .flv. For example, if your file is , rename it to video.flv. Check VLC Media Player: Open VLC media player and load the renamed file. VLC will attempt to play the video based on the file structure.

For most cases, manually extracting the video URLs and using VLC is the more reliable method. However, renaming the file and playing it can be a quicker solution in certain instances.

Conclusion

Understanding and working with .mnft files can be a bit tricky, but by following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully open and play your downloaded videos. Remember, the .mnft file contains metadata, while the actual video content is often stored in a separate .flv file. Using a text editor or VLC media player is the best approach for handling these files.