AVI: Audio Video Interleave

Overview

AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft in 1992. It was one of the first video formats widely used on Windows and remains popular for storing video and audio data.

AVI files can contain both audio and video data in a standard container that allows synchronous audio-with-video playback. The format supports multiple streaming audio and video, making it versatile for various applications.

History

Development History

• 1992: Introduced by Microsoft as part of Video for Windows
• 1996: Extended with OpenDML format for files larger than 2GB
• 2000s: Widely adopted for digital video editing
• 2010s: Gradually replaced by MP4 and other modern formats

Features and Capabilities

Key Features

• Container format supporting multiple codecs
• Synchronous audio and video playback
• Support for multiple audio and video streams
• Wide codec compatibility (DivX, XviD, H.264)
• Chaptering support
• Metadata storage
• Cross-platform playback with appropriate codecs

Common Use Cases

Common Uses

• Video editing: Working format in video editing software
• Legacy video: Older digital video archives
• Screen recording: Many screen capture tools use AVI
• CCTV footage: Security camera recordings

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages

• Universal compatibility on Windows
• Good for video editing (less compression artifacts)
• Support for high-quality video
• Simple container structure

Disadvantages

• Large file sizes compared to modern formats
• Limited compression efficiency
• 2GB file size limit without OpenDML extension
• No native support for modern features like chapters
• Limited metadata capabilities

Technical Information

AVI is a container format that can hold various video and audio codecs, making it flexible but sometimes inconsistent.

Technical Specifications