AVI file format
Audio Video Interleave
AVI is Microsoft's 1992 video container. It's still used by older DVD players, TVs and Windows software, but it's large, can't stream on the web and lacks modern features.
| Property | AVI |
|---|---|
| File extensions | .avi |
| MIME type | video/x-msvideo |
| Introduced | 1992 by Microsoft |
| Typical video codecs | MPEG-4 Part 2 (Xvid/DivX), MJPEG |
| Typical audio codecs | MP3, PCM, AC-3 |
| Plays in web browsers | No |
| Compatibility | Windows, VLC, older DVD players and TVs |
| Best for | Legacy players, old Windows software |
What is an AVI file?
AVI (Audio Video Interleave) was introduced by Microsoft with Video for Windows in 1992. It's based on the RIFF container used by WAV and stores interleaved chunks of audio and video. In the 2000s, AVI files with DivX or Xvid (MPEG-4 Part 2) video and MP3 audio were the standard for downloaded movies.
Strengths and weaknesses
AVI is simple and widely readable by desktop players, and many older DVD players and TVs with USB ports only play Xvid AVI. But it doesn't play in web browsers, has weak support for modern codecs and subtitles, and the original format had a 2 GB size limit (later lifted by the OpenDML extension).
When should you use AVI?
Only when a legacy player or program requires it. For everything else, MP4 is smaller and plays everywhere.