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3GP file is a multimedia file container that is primarily used to make audio and video files compatible with 3G mobile devices as well as some 2G and 4G devices. These files were designed to save storage space and bandwidth of the user. With time though, these files became obsolete and now majority of smartphones and editing software don’t support 3GP video files. Converting 3GP videos to AVI can help you access old mobile phone videos on your PC or edit them in a professional video editing software easily. Read ahead to know the best ways to convert 3GP video to AVI format and why is it important.
What’s the difference between 3GP and AVI format?
3GP file is a multimedia file container that is primarily used to make audio and video files compatible with 3G mobile devices as well as some 2G and 4G devices. These files were designed to save storage space and bandwidth of the user. With time though, these files became obsolete and now majority of smartphones and editing software don’t support 3GP video files.
Advantages of 3GP files:
- File size is smaller to save storage space.
- These files are perfect for sharing media very quickly, saving data and bandwidth of users.
Limitations of 3GP files:
- Aren’t compatible with modern smartphones.
- Aren’t compatible with modern video editing tools like Premiere Pro, Final cut, etc.
An AVI or audio-video interleave is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft. As the name suggests, it mixes the audio and video data in perfect harmony.
Advantages of an AVI file:
An AVI file helps to overcome the limitations of a 3GP file in the following ways-
- AVI files offer high-quality audio and video.
- The AVI format is compatible with almost all multimedia playing platforms.
- AVI is widely recognized for advertisements, movies, and promos by individuals because they are familiar with the format.
These reasons provide an edge to AVI file format over 3GP files.
What is the Need to Convert 3GP video to AVI?
No doubt, a 3GP format is suitable for sharing multimedia files through older 3G mobile devices. That might make you wonder then, why do I need to change video format to AVI? But it also has a few downsides, which makes it sometimes necessary to change 3GP into another video format:
- Low quality of the video: The resolution of a 3GP file is generally low due to its small size. It is not ideal for playing high-resolution videos. Thus, users convert 3GP videos to AVI format.
- Limited media playing platforms: The 3GP files were designed to play multimedia on mobile phones. So, some media players and platforms don’t support playing 3GP video files. Converting them to AVI format makes video playback easier on standard media player on PC and DVD players.
- Easy video editing: Video editing software like Premiere Pro and Final Cut aren’t compatible with 3GP format as this format is only compatible with old 3G devices. These video editing software work smoothly with modern video formats like AVI.
- Better codec support: AVI format supports a wide variety of codec formats as compared to 3GP file format.
Due to these reasons, users feel the need to convert these video files formats into a much more flexible format like AVI files.
Methods to Convert 3GP Video into AVI File
To convert 3GP to AVI safely, you can VLC Media Player or online conversion tools. You can also use the FFmpeg tool to convert video files.
Method 1. Use VLC Media Player to convert 3GP video to AVI
- Launch VLC Media Player on your system.
- Click on Media > Convert/Save option to open the Open Media window.
- In the new window, click on Add button to add 3GP files to VLC player.
- Once you’ve added all the files, click on Convert/Save to proceed forward.
- Click on the Wrench icon besides profile section to choose output format.
- Choose AVI as the output format from the given options.
- Select DIVX1 as the video codec and MP3 as the audio codec. Then click on Save.
- Choose AVI from the drop-down list.
- Click on Browse to choose the saving location and then finally click on Start.
Method 2. Use Online conversion tools
Online conversion tools are an easy way to convert your video files to another video format in a few steps. These conversion tools don’t require any sign-up or installation on your system.
Just add the file that you want to change, and the converter will do the needful. Such online conversion tools are very user-friendly and don’t require any technical knowledge. However, they have a lot of drawbacks:
- Safety issues: When you save the converted video file on your system, it exposes the system to multiple virus issues and threats. Certain websites also ask the user to share their email address.
- Privacy concerns: Online converters are not suitable if you are working on sensitive and confidential information.
- Quality loss: Often, the quality of the video file gets hampered due to such converters, which makes it difficult to restore the original quality content.
- Limited file size: There is usually a limit to the file size, which restricts converting larger video files.
Method 3. Using FFmpeg method to convert 3GP Video to AVI format
Users having strong technical knowledge can convert their 3GP files using FFmpeg tool. This is an open-source tool that can easily encode, decode, mux, and demux many video formats without ruining the video quality. Follow the steps below to use this tool:
- Install the FFmpeg tool from the official website and open it on your system.
- Now open PowerShell on your device and input the given command.
- Press Enter to start the conversion process.
Convert 3GP to AVI without harming video quality
Online converter tools come with many security concerns and VLC Media Player isn’t suitable for bulk conversion of video files, so using a professional Video Converter tool is safe and beneficial. Kernel Video Converter ticks all the boxes with no file size limitation and quality maintenance, just like the original one. With the software, you can convert any video files to your desired video file formats, including MP4, MOV, MPEG, MKV, AVI, ASF, WMV, FLV, DivX, MJPEG, M4V, 3G2, TS, 3GP, AVCHD, DVR, etc. You can choose any file as a source and convert it into other formats. The major formats like MP4 can be converted to. It can convert MP4 to other formats to play in different players or devices.
Just follow these simple steps to convert your 3GP video file into an AVI file:
Step 1. Install the tool and start it by double-clicking on its icon.
Step 2. Click on plus sign + to add our 3GP video files for conversion.
Step 3. Browse the folder containing the 3GP files, select files and click Open to add them.
Step 4. The 3GP video files have now been added. Click on the Next option to proceed further.
Step 5. Select the output format for the conversion as an AVI file from the list and click on convert now.
Step 6. Choose the destination folder for saving the converted video files.
Step 7. The video conversion will start from 3GP to AVI and the status will change from processing to success.
Step 8. After the conversion process is completed, you can simply click on the link against each file to check your new video. Click on Save report to CSV.
Ending Note
We hope now you understand the features of 3GP and AVI files and why is it necessary to convert 3GP video to AVI format. Try converting your 3GP videos with VLC or an Online converter tool. If that doesn’t work out for you, give a try to a professional 3GP to AVI tool like Kernel Video Converter tool. Using a reliable video converter not only guarantees 100% accuracy, but also the original video quality is preserved.
People Also Ask
A. Not necessarily, converting 3GP videos to AVI doesn’t increase or decrease the video quality. Although, it does improve video playback and compatibility with the editing software.
A. The easiest way is to use VLC Media Player, however it’s not the best method for bulk conversion. It’s best to use a professional video converter to convert all your files easily.
A. AVI format offers better compatibility with desktop media players and professional video editing tools.
