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.avi

Low risk

Audio Video Interleave

Microsoft's original video container, heavily used in the Windows 98 era and still common on older camcorders and archival footage.

MIME types

  • video/x-msvideo
  • video/avi

Category

video

What opens this file

  • Windows Media Player
  • VLC
  • mpv
  • MPC-HC

How to open by OS

Windows

  • Media Player and VLC.

Mac

  • VLC and IINA.

Linux

  • VLC and mpv.

Ios

  • VLC.

Android

  • VLC and MX Player.

Safety notes

  • AVI header vulnerabilities have surfaced periodically over the years. Keep your player up to date before opening untrusted AVI files.

Common mistakes

  • AVI is a poor choice for streaming. Convert to MP4 or WebM before publishing on the web.
  • Even H.264-in-AVI exists, but MP4 still has the best mobile compatibility.

Related extensions

References