AVI

Key Features of AVI Format:

📌 What is AVI video format? AVI, short for Audio Video Interleave, is a video container format.

📌 What is AVI file extension? Files in AVI format come with the .avi extension.

📌 When was AVI created? Microsoft designed and introduced AVI format alongside its Video for Windows (VfW) in 1992. This was to provide video playback services for Windows 3.1 users and also to prevent the Apple QuickTime for Windows being the dominant player.

📌 What features does AVI offer? An AVI file can store multiple audio and video streams and supports synchronous playback.

To learn more details about the AVI video format, check out the table below. It gives you a thorough overview of Audio Video Interleave.

What is an AVI File - Overview Table of AVI Video Format

Category	Details
File Format	AVI
Full Name	Audio Video Interleave (or Audio Video Interleaved)
Media Type	Video
Format Type	Container format
File Extension	.avi
Subtype of	RIFF (Resource Interchange File Format)
Developed by	Microsoft
Initial Release	1992
History	Microsoft, teamed up with its vendors, developed and introduced the AVI format with Windows 3.1 on November 10, 1992, not only as an effort to offer Windows users an inexpensive yet satisfactory video playback solution but also to compete with Apple’s QuickTime for Windows.
Features	▪ An AVI file can include both audio and video data ▪ Allow interleaved audio and video streams ▪ Support simultaneous playback of video and audio ▪ Able to provide excellent image and sound quality ▪ Can deliver good rendering performance
Supported Codecs	▪ Video: DivX, XviD, MJPEG, MPEG-4, DV, Indeo, Cinepak, etc. ▪ Audio: PCM, MP3, AC3, ADPCM, etc.
Cons	▪ Require 3rd-party software to open it outside of Windows ▪ Large file sizes compared to MP4 equivalents ▪ Some codecs are outdated

How Do I Open an AVI File?

The AVI file format is proprietary and published by Microsoft. You can simply double-click the .avi file to open it in Windows local player like Windows Media Player.

However, if you want to view an AVI file outside of Windows or, unfortenately, are greeted with a codec error message when opening it with WMP, you can try a third-party player or convert the unrecognized AVI file to handle playback.

✅ Here are some players you can try:

1. VLC Media Player
2. GOM Player
3. KMPlayer
4. 5KPlayer
5. PotPlayer
6. DivX

✅ Recommended AVI converter: WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro

It can help you convert AVI to or from any video easily and quickly. Besides, you can also use it to record, edit, and compress AVI videos to needed sizes for all purposes without hassle.

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