All you need to know about AVI files – What is an AVI file?

What is AVI? Why are there AVI files? Here’s what you need to know about AVI and its uses.

The AVI file format, developed by Microsoft, is a popular video file format that people can easily encounter while working or studying. Although this is a larger file type that can take up more storage space on a user’s computer or cloud system, it maintains high quality through multiple saves and edits. This video file format can be used to share videos on social media platforms or through a company’s website.

This article explains What are AVI files?how to open this file on any device, how to convert this file to MP4, MP3, GIF and other formats so that it can be opened with the system in use.

What are AVI files?

Short for Audio Video Interleave, a file with the AVI file extension is a file format commonly developed by Microsoft to store both video and audio data in a single file.

This format is based on Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF), a container format used to store multimedia data. AVI is typically less compressed than other popular formats like MOV and MPEG, meaning the video will be larger than the same file in one of those compressed formats.

How to play AVI files

People may have problems opening AVI files because they can be encoded with a variety of video and audio codecs. One AVI file can play normally, but another cannot because they can only play if the correct codec is installed.

Windows Media Player is included in most versions of Windows and easily plays most AVI files by default. If not, install the free K-Lite Codec pack.

VLC media player, ALLPlayer, Kodi, and DivX Player are some other free AVI players that people can try if WMP is not working. If you’re using a phone or tablet, try the VLC mobile app.

Most web-based hosting services will also play this format when hosted there. Google Drive is one of many examples. Some simple video editors that work with this format include Avidemux, VirtualDub, and Wax.

How to convert AVI files

Sometimes people can convert a file simply by opening it in a viewer and then saving it to another format, but this may not work with most AVI players.

Instead, the easiest and most effective conversion method is a free video file converter. One of the most optimized converters, Any Video Converter, saves AVI to MP4, FLV, WMV and several other formats.

Another option, for small files, is to use an online converter such as Zamzar, FileZigZag or Online-Convert.com. After uploading the file there, users can convert it to various formats such as 3GP, WEBM, MOV or MKV, including audio formats (MP3, AAC, M4A, WAV,…).

If your file doesn’t open with the programs listed above, you may have misread the file extension; meaning you’re actually trying to open a completely different type of file.

For example, although the file extension appears to be “.AVI”, it could actually be an AV, AVS (Avid Project Preferences), AVB (Avid Bin), or AVE file.

It’s important to use a program that’s compatible with your file format; otherwise, you will get errors and have difficulty using the file in the normal way.

Frequently asked questions

How to play AVI files on Mac? You can download and install a media player capable of playing AVI files. For example, VLC media player is compatible with Mac OS X 10.7.5 and above.

How to play AVI files on Android phone? Since the default media player on Android does not support the AVI file format, you will need to download and install a third-party video player app, such as VLC for Android and Video Player All Format – XPlayer.