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Majority of people globally use MP4 format to share and stream videos online. On the other hand, AVI video files are one of the most supported video files across older media players like WMP. MP4 to AVI conversion is perfect for working on legacy systems, older editing tools, or for burning videos on CDs/DVDs. It is important to understand why it is necessary to convert MP4 to AVI, the steps to convert MP4 to AVI with several methods, and the best practices to convert MP4 to AVI video without losing quality.
MP4 vs AVI: Understanding the differences
MP4 and AVI are the two major formats in which you watch most of the videos on your computer or any other device. Knowing the difference between these two formats is necessary to understand the need to convert MP4 files to AVI format.
| Features | MP4 | AVI |
|---|---|---|
| Codecs supported | H.264, H.265 (HEVC), AAC | Mainly DivX, XviD |
| Compression | High (smaller size) | Low (larger size) |
| Video quality | Good | Good |
| Compatibility | Universal | Best for legacy systems |
| Video editing | Good | Excellent |
| Best use case | Streaming and video sharing | For editing videos and for video archiving |
What are the reasons to convert MP4 to AVI?
Converting MP4 videos to AVI is ideal for using older software and hardware. Most common reasons of MP4 to AVI conversion are:
- Legacy systems and software compatibility: AVI files work perfectly on legacy Windows systems and old TVs, DVD players, and old editing software.
- Video editing: AVI files offer less compression to videos as compared to MP4 files, making it smoother to edit videos.
- Avoiding codec issues: Some editing software, particularly older ones, have issues reading modern codecs (H.264/H.265). Converting them to AVI format can resolve the codec issues.
- Easy playback on Windows systems: AVI file format is developed by Microsoft, making it suitable for working in Windows environments.
- Easy offline playback: Since AVI files are supported by Windows desktop players, these video files can be played without internet and even without any additional plugins.
How to convert MP4 to AVI?
The best method to convert MP4 to AVI format includes using a reliable Video Converter tool and VLC Media Player for free conversion. We’ve explained each method in detail.
Method 1. Convert MP4 videos to AVI using VLC Media Player
This is one of the easiest ways to convert MP4 videos to AVI format. Follow the steps for this method:
- Open the VLC media player on your system.
- Go to the Media and then choose the Convert/Save
- In the file tab, click on the Add button to add your MP4 file to it. Then click on Convert/Save.
- Click on the Wrench icon besides the options list.
- Select AVI from the given formats and choose DIVX1 and MP3 as the video and audio codec, respectively. Click on Save.
- Then choose AVI from the drop-down list.
- Click on Browse to select the location to save converted files and click on Start.
Method 2. Using free online tools
Online converters are easy to use and convenient, but they pose a risk of data leakage. There’s no 100% guarantee that your uploaded videos aren’t stored in the online converter database. There’s also a high chance that these online converter tools can also induce malware and ransomware with the converted videos.
This is why we do not recommend using these methods much, as it carries the risk of infecting the data stored within your PC.
Does converting MP4 files to AVI impact quality?
Yes, converting MP4 videos to AVI format affects the quality of the video because it’s a loss-oriented conversion process. As the video file undergoes the re-encoding process, some details can get lost. However, if your video player supports re-mux (repackage) of the video files, then it can be done without any loss of quality. Some techniques to avoid losing video quality can be:
- High bitrate: Try to maintain a high bitrate like FFmpeg during conversion to avoid loss of quality.
- Use good codec packs: Using advanced codec packs like ProRes or DNxHD can help you prevent the loss of quality, if supported by the AVI file.
- Use a desktop-based Video Converter tool: Try to convert your video files with a desktop-based Video Converter tool to convert all MP4 files to AVI format without compromising the quality.
Convert MP4 to AVI without losing quality
Due to lack of direct methods and efficient online converters to convert the MP4 to AVI file, you should use a convenient video file converter software that can convert the videos to any desired format.
Use Kernel Video Converter software that works perfectly fine even in offline mode and work on only your computer. It has a simple user interface and a simple process to convert the video. Using this tool one can easily convert MP4 to other formats. Here is the process of the conversion:
- Install the software and run it from the Application menu. After opening the software, click the Add (+) button to choose the video file.
- Browse to the location of the video file. Select it and click Open. You can choose multiple files at a single time.
- After selecting the video, you will see its thumbnail. Click Next.
- Choose the AVI format as the desired output format for the video. Click Convert Now button.
- Select the location where you want to keep the newly created file. Click OK.
- After converting the video, the software will show the conversion status as Success and its saving location. You can save the conversion report in the CSV file and close the software.
- If you click the link of the saving file location, then you can check the new file in the AVI format.
Conclusion
Getting a Video Conversion tool is a perfect solution for all your video conversion needs. It supports all the major video formats like MP4, MOV, MPEG, MKV, AVI, ASF, WMV, FLV, DivX, MJPEG, M4V, 3G2, TS, 3GP, AVCHD, etc. The tool is available with the free version of the software that helps to selectively convert video MP4 to AVI free into any chosen format. You can convert MP4 to MP3, MP4 to AVI, AVI to MP4, MKV to MP4, 3GP to MP4, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. Yes, AVI files are large in comparison to MP4 files.
A. AVI files offer less compression for video files and are good for working with legacy systems. While MP4 is better for editing videos in modern systems.
A. Yes! Users can convert MP4 videos to AVI using VLC Media Player.
![How to Convert MOV to MP4 Video File Format? [Top 3 Methods]](https://www.nucleustechnologies.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/mov-to-mp4.jpg)
