AVI Video
VideoA RIFF video container. Legacy files use varied codecs; a player may parse AVI but lack the decoder needed for its streams.
- What it is used for
- Legacy video and captured media
- What the file contains
- Binary data
All sections, questions and sources
Content reviewed： · Editor：Kai
First: choose for your purpose
AVI can originate from older recorders/editors. It is not necessarily uncompressed; inspect video/audio codecs. Conversion needs aspect-ratio, interlacing, sync and duration checks.
Opening steps
Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.
Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.
Troubleshooting by symptom
- Audio-only playback may indicate an unsupported video codec. Avoid anonymous codec packs; identify the original format.
- Seeking problems can reflect index damage or unfinished capture. Preserve the recording and check the capture tool’s recovery options.
- Stretched image: compare stored dimensions, display aspect and pixel aspect.
- Combing on movement: inspect interlaced source and deinterlacing settings.
- Audio drifts: compare capture origin, frame rate and timing and inspect synchronization throughout.
AVI → MP4
- Choose MP4 in a converter able to decode the original AVI and select compatible codecs.
- Inspect motion in interlaced footage and compare subtitles/sync.
- Verify interlacing, aspect, audio sync, duration and playback to the end.
Re-encoding/deinterlacing can change quality. Renaming does not turn AVI structures into MP4.
Inspect legacy recordings
Record device, app, duration and frame rate and consult producer documentation/supporting players for unknown codecs.
Avoid routine installation of unknown codec packs; separate decoder absence from unfinished-index recordings.
Original preservation and MP4 delivery
Choose destination codecs and compare aspect, movement, sync and subtitles; deinterlacing/resizing changes source information.
Check beginning/middle/end rather than assuming completion proves preservation; retain AVI and source information.
Source for these steps：FFmpeg · ffmpeg Documentation
Related-format differences
| Format / choice | Purpose and preserved information |
|---|---|
| AVI | Container with possible legacy codecs/indexing issues. |
| MP4 | Delivery option requiring codec/aspect settings. |
| Codec | Encoding/decoding method not established by the AVI suffix. |
Handling and security
Avoid unknown codec installers; consult the creating tool and player documentation.
Questions and answers
Why does AVI play sound only?
The video decoder may be missing. Identify the recording codec.
Is AVI uncompressed?
It can carry compressed or uncompressed streams; inspect the codec.
Does failed seeking mean corruption?
Missing indexes/creation workflows can affect seeking. Preserve the source and check the recorder.
Does combing mean corruption?
It may be interlaced display; inspect source and playback settings.
Can I fix stretching simply by changing width?
Identify aspect/pixel ratios before exporting a corrected copy.
Format facts: name, steward and MIME type
- Formal name
- Audio Video Interleave
- Steward / specification
- Microsoft
- MIME type
- video/x-msvideo (commonly used)
Primary and official sources
- Official documentationAVI RIFF File Reference
Documents AVI streams and indexes.
Microsoft · Link checked： - Project documentationffmpeg Documentation
Documents transcoding versus stream copying.
FFmpeg · Link checked： - Project documentationVLC User Documentation
Player documentation for desktop, Android and iOS.
VideoLAN · Link checked：