A classic conversion
In the early 2000s, converting MPEG to AVI was one of the most common jobs on a home PC. People turned DVD video and TV recordings into AVI files with DivX or Xvid compression, because a whole film then fitted on one CD. Many devices and programs from that time still expect AVI, and that is the main reason to choose it today.
Who needs AVI now
- Owners of DVD players and TVs with DivX certification or a USB port that plays AVI but not MP4.
- Users of older editing tools, such as VirtualDub or Windows Movie Maker, that work best with AVI.
- Schools, labs and companies with software that only accepts AVI input.
- Car head units and portable players from the 2000s.
For anything modern, MP4 is smaller and plays everywhere, including iPhone and Mac: see MPEG to MP4.
Size compared with MPEG
The codecs normally used in AVI, from the same MPEG-4 family as DivX and Xvid, are more efficient than MPEG-2, so an AVI is usually smaller than the MPEG source at similar quality. It will not be as small as an MP4 with H.264, but for a DVD-resolution video the saving can still be large.
Settings for older players
Old DivX players had limits. If yours is from the 2000s, keep the resolution at DVD size (720×576 or 720×480) or below, and keep the original frame rate: 25 fps for PAL or 29.97 fps for NTSC. Very high bitrates may stutter on old hardware, so the default quality preset is a good starting point.
How it runs
Both MPEG and AVI are processed by the built-in converter engine, which runs inside your browser. The MPEG video is decoded frame by frame and encoded again, and the MP2 or Dolby Digital sound is converted to an audio codec that AVI players support. Long DVD titles take a while. Your files never leave your computer.
To make the AVI smaller, use the AVI Compressor. To go from AVI back to MPEG, for example for DVD authoring, use AVI to MPEG.