┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : Microsoft
│ CATEGORY : Video
│ MIME TYPE : video/x-msvideo
│ MAGIC BYTES : 52494646????????41564920
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘
What is an AVI file?
AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft in 1992 as part of its Video for Windows technology. It stores audio and video data in interleaved chunks, supporting a wide range of codecs.
How to open AVI files
- VLC Media Player (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free
- Windows Media Player (Windows) — Built-in
- QuickTime Player (macOS) — Limited codec support
- MPV (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Lightweight
- PotPlayer (Windows) — Feature-rich
Technical specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Container | RIFF-based |
| Video Codecs | DivX, Xvid, H.264, MJPEG |
| Audio Codecs | MP3, PCM, AC-3 |
| Subtitles | Limited support |
| Max File Size | 2 GB (OpenDML extends to 256 GB) |
Common use cases
- Legacy video: Archived video content from the 2000s
- Video editing: Intermediate format for editing workflows
- Surveillance: CCTV and security camera recordings
- Gaming: Game capture and replay files