AVI which stands for Audio Video Interleave is a multimedia format that was created by Microsoft to serve as a file format that contains multimedia content. This kind of format can often be seen on files that are from a DVD disc. This type of video file format is perfect for watching movies and other video clips with high quality. Unfortunately for Mac users, this format has some compatibility issues with its media player which is QuickTime. This may be confusing for others, but don’t worry because I will give you the easiest ways to play avi videos on mac.
Step 3 Play AVI on Mac. After setting the output formats, you can start converting AVI to Mac supported format by clicking the Convert button. Once completes, you can go to the File Location folder (in the bottom) to get your converted files. Tips: If you want to merge all the imported video clips, you can turn the console Merge All Videos on. It is the best video player Mac to watch DivX, MKV, and HEVC up to 4K films. You can use its built-in TransferWizard to burn videos to DVD/USB/computer. It also comes with DivX Codec Pack and a free 15-day trial of DivX Plus Converter for those who plan to convert. HD AVI format will offer better visual enjoyment. If you have a VR Headsets that supports 3D AVI, you can convert your torrent video to 3D AVI just choosing 3D SBS AVI, 3D TB AVI format. Just pitch down the profile list, you can get Wii AVI format, Interlaced DV NTSC AVI video, Interlaced DV PAL AVI video, AVI Remux Video, HD TV USB AVI video, etc.
Two Ways to Play AVI File on Mac
There are basically two easy ways on how to play avi file on mac, they both work well and can depend on. It depends on your preference to which method will you use.
Solution one: convert AVI to MOV
As we all know the default video player for Mac is QuickTime. And for you to play AVI with QuickTime, you can get third party plug-ins called Perian. This application enables you to play AVI, FLV, MKV and other formats on Mac. However, this process only works on older Mac OS and is not supported by the latest Mac OS X Mountain Lion. In this case, the best option we got is to convert AVI to MOV, which is the supported video format with the QuickTime media player. The best way to convert your videos to MOV is by using a free online program which is the Video Grabber. To convert file using this program all you need to do is to:
- Visit the Video Grabber homepage
- Click convert video file and enable Java applet
- Browse for the AVI file, and choose MOV as the output format
- Press convert and just wait for your output file to finish
Tips: If you want to try another video converter, then you must try this awesome program which is the Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter. This program works well in converting files to various formats. What is good about this converter is that is gives you an option to set a specific video and audio setting for your desired output. Both video converters can help you convert AVI to MOV successfully so that you can play AVI videos on Mac.
Solution 2: Use free AVI player for Mac
Here is another way to play AVI files on Mac aside from the solution that I’ve mentioned above. If we can’t play avi with quicktime then we can use other free media player instead. Here are some of the notable free media players that can utilize to play AVI files on Mac OS.
VLC media player – This is a well known media player that performs well on any OS including Mac system. Aside from playing AVI files, this player can also read almost video file format from the smallest to the largest.
MPlayerOSX – You can also play various media formats using this program. A great program to have free of charge with a nice interface.
ELmedia Player for Mac – This great media player to have on your Mac system, it has an awesome interface that matches a Mac OS style. It can play AVI files and other media file type without any issues. For added features you can buy its Pro version.
MPEG Streamclip – This is basically a video editor and converter program that has a built in player which can play multiple media files regardless of their format.
You can still try some other player at your own risk, but for best result be sure to only use this free avi player for mac. Just be sure to download this player for a reliable website to avoid getting some malware and spyware.
Audio Video Interleave (AVI files) is a well-known video file format and multimedia container introduced by Microsoft in 1992. The file format allows the audio and video playback synchronization. It is a convenient video file format preferred by many users across the world.
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances you encounter “Windows cannot play an AVI file” error. One of the main reason errors as mentioned below is AVI file corruption, which can be addressed effortlessly as mentioned in the section below.
The below sections involve various approaches and methodologies to repair the AVI file not playable on windows. Before moving ahead with solutions let us first understand the common scenarios for an unplayable video files on windows
Causes for unplayable AVI Video on Windows
Common reasons reported by the users for an unplayable AVI file on windows
- Windows media player does not have updated codec
- Drivers are not updated in Windows
- AVI file corruption
- Your media player doesn’t support AVI file format
- The AVI file is not downloaded or transferred
The above-mentioned scenarios usually cause the windows - cannot play AVI file error which can be solved by following the multiple methods given in the section below. Moreover, the above reasons can also cause a Windows media player to encounter a problem while playing other files like MOV, MP4, etc.
How to Repair an unplayable AVI file?
To repair unplayable AVI file follow the below listed methods:
Method 1: Fix Windows cannot play AVI files by updating WMP (Windows media player)
The error occurs when AVI has not associated with Windows Media Player anymore.
To overcome this issue,
- Open WMP.
- Press Alt to show the menu.
- From Tools menu, choose Options. A window pops up.
- Click File Types tab.
- Make sure Windows Video File (.avi) is ticked. If it isn’t, check it and click OK.
Another way is to update to the latest version of WMP. In your WMP, press Alt to show the menu if you can’t see it and choose Help. Check for any updates and follow on-screen instructions.
How To Watch Avi Video On Mac
Method 2: Install latest Codec to repair unplayable AVI file on Windows
K-Lite contains most of the codecs needed to view your video. To add K-Lite to Windows, follow these steps:
- Download the latest version of K-Lite Codec Pack onto your hard drive.
- Now open your K-Lite installer and click Next.
- Choose the Normal mode and press Next
- In the drop-down menu, select default profile 1 and click Next.
- A new window pops up asking you to customize options. Press Next to visit next setup page.
- Now select your Windows Media Player check box for file associations and press Next.
- You can now select all the supported audio and video file formats. To select all formats, click Select All.
- Click Next to finish setup.
- Now press Finish to close your K-Lite setup window.
Method 3: Open AVI file using VLC Media Player
The VLC player can play most video formats out there. You can fix your broken AVI files with VLC player. Note that this is only a temporary solution and problems may still exist when you try playing your AVI file on WMP.
- Download and install the latest version of VLC Media Player.
- Now drag and drop your AVI file onto your VLC Media Player.
- If it has a broken index, a broken or missing AVI dialog box pops up.
- Now choose Build index and then play
- Select Input/Codecs tab and go to Files section.
- Select Always Fix from Damaged or incomplete AVI drop-down menu.
Method 4: Updating the driver on Windows
- Press Windows+R, this will guide you to the Run option.
- In the search bar below, type devmgmt.msc and click on OK
- On the device manager page, click on Display adapters and choose the Graphics card on your PC.
- Right-click on Update Driver option
In most of the cases, you can fix the Windows – Cannot play the AVI file. If you still find your windows saying unplayable AVI file after following the above methods, it can be due to a corrupt video file. To solve this you will need a reliable AVI repair tool which can help you easily repair the corrupt or damaged video files.
In case if you still find your Windows media player stating an unplayable AVI file after following the above methodologies, you will need a reliable AVI repair tool to resolve the issue.
The Remo Repair AVI employs a read-only mechanism wherein your damaged or corrupted AVI video file is repaired without modifying your source video. It offers a simple solution on how to fix avi files that won’t play.
How To Watch Avi Videos On Mac Laptop
Remo Repair AVI fixes broken, damaged, truncated, files with header corruption as well as AVI files that play with only audio or video.
How Do I repair Unplayable AVI file
Follow the steps mentioned in the section below to repair your unplayable AVI file on windows with Remo Repair AVI
- Select the AVI video file which is not playing and click on Repair select your unplayable AVI video to repair it.
- Wait until the AVI video repair process is completed.
- When the AVI video is fixed, a window will be displayed with the Preview option.
- You can verify the quality and preview the repaired AVI file for free before saving it
Conclusion
The above article emphasizes on the error Windows - Cannot Play the AVI file and the suitable approaches on how to fix the error. We always recommend downloading or transferring your AVI files from reliable sources, have updated codec and drivers. As the these solutions not only support the AVI file, but also other video file formats