What is an AVI file?
AVI is an older Windows video file. What is inside one varies enormously, so an AVI you were sent may play on one machine and refuse on another. Converting it to MP4 is the reliable fix. You can convert AVI files here, both into the format and out of it.
Specification
| Full name | Audio Video Interleave |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .avi |
| Media type | video/x-msvideo |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless, depending on the mode |
| Transparency | — |
| Animation | — |
| Multiple pages | — |
| Colour depth | — |
| Size limits | — |
| Introduced | 1992 |
| Developed by | Microsoft |
| Standard | Proprietary |
| Browser support | Not displayed by browsers |
What AVI is used for
- Legacy video archives and camcorder tapes captured to disk
- Windows software and older editing pipelines
- Uncompressed or lightly compressed capture from analogue sources
- Files inherited from the DivX and XviD era
Strengths and limitations
What AVI does well
- Simple, well documented structure that almost every tool can read
- Will hold almost anything, including uncompressed capture footage
- Extremely widely supported in desktop players
Where AVI falls short
- No browser plays AVI, so web use always needs a conversion
- Poor support for modern video, subtitles and variable frame rates
- Files are larger than a modern equivalent of the same clip
Convert AVI to
Every target this format can be written out as, each on its own page.
Convert to AVI
Everything that can be turned into a AVI file.
Tools that accept AVI
Questions about AVI
What is a .avi file?
AVI is an older Windows video file. The extension .avi identifies it, and its media type is video/x-msvideo.
How do I open an AVI file?
Browsers do not display AVI natively, so you either need software that understands it or you convert it to something more common first. Converting is usually the faster route when you only need to look at the contents once.
Is AVI lossy or lossless?
Lossy or lossless, depending on the mode. Check which mode a particular file used before assuming anything about its quality.
What is AVI good for?
Simple, well documented structure that almost every tool can read. Will hold almost anything, including uncompressed capture footage. Extremely widely supported in desktop players. In practice that makes it a good fit for legacy video archives and camcorder tapes captured to disk, and Windows software and older editing pipelines.
What are the drawbacks of AVI?
No browser plays AVI, so web use always needs a conversion. Poor support for modern video, subtitles and variable frame rates. Files are larger than a modern equivalent of the same clip.