When it comes to AVI files, people always wanted to know how to watch AVI files on Mac. The AVI as an Audio Video Interleave is a container format introduced by Microsoft.
To open AVI files, your player requires codecs. If you had tried to watch AVI files on your Mac, you may have gotten an error message. Because, of Mac’s built-in player, QuickTime isn’t able to play AVI files on a Mac.
So, how to watch AVI files on a Mac? Is it possible? Thankfully, yes, you can. In this article, I will show you how you can watch AVI files on your Mac.
What does AVI mean?
AVI stands for an Audio Video Interleave, it is a multimedia container format which is introduced by Microsoft in 1992. AVI is compatible with synchronized playback of different types of video and audio streams.
It is a generally used video format that contains audio, video, and a variety of codecs like DivX and XviD. It is lossless compression enabled, making it ideal for storing videos in raw form and for editing applications.
Why can’t we Watch AVI Files on Mac QuickTime?
You can’t play AVI files on Mac because the default player on your Mac – QuickTime doesn’t have the ability to do that. Your default player on Mac doesn’t have the audio and video codecs the AVI requires to open.
So, when you try to watch AVI files on your Mac, the QuickTime player is unable to play, and it will show you an error message.
Do not worry, I will tell you how you can watch any AVI files on your Mac for free.
How to Play AVI Files on Mac in 2022
So you are interested to watch AVI files on Mac, but you can’t? Well, not anymore. You can play the AVI files on Mac if you use any AVI supported media player on your Mac.
Either you can convert the files to a QuickTime supported format. Just follow the process as I will show you, and you surely can watch AVI files on your Mac.
Watch AVI on Mac Using Third-Party Video Players:
As I explained earlier, you can’t really watch AVI on Mac using the QuickTime player. However, it doesn’t mean you can never play AVI on your Mac. You just have to need a third-party video player that will allow you to play AVI on the Mac.
The only thing you must keep in mind is that the video players you use are safe and contain a lot of features. I will show you some of the most popular and incredible third-party video players to watch AVI on your Mac.
#1. Elmedia Player:
Elmedia Player is one of the best and most popular video players that allow you to watch AVI on your Mac. Elmedia is an all-in-one solution that can play a wide range of file formats like AVI, MP4, FLV, SWF, WMV, MKV, MP3, M4V, etc.
Not just this, but Elmedia Video player also provides you incredible features like playback features such as picture-in-picture mode and an audio equalizer for fine-tuning the sounds, and whatnot.
Elmedia player will give you smooth HD and UHD content, you can add subtitles, and also create your own playlist. Increase or decrease the audio to match your picture perfectly. You can even choose a variety of themes to customize the apps.
The best part is that the Elmedia player always gets updated and maintained, so no glitches or bugs, all with the help of the Elmedia Player.
#2. IINA Player:
Another great video player to watch .avi on the Mac is the IINA video player. What makes IINA players unique? Its modern design and framework to the user interface.
Just like Elmedia, IINA also supports Picture-in-Picture mode by enabling you to watch online videos. It even comes with a Dark mode feature. You can adjust to the dark mode for a more present look.
This IINA player also offers you many incredible features like a touch bar, music mode, mouse and trackpad, gestures, online subtitles, thumbnail, and many more by providing you with one of the best video players.
#3. Omni Player:
The last incredible video player that will help you to watch AVI on Mac is the Omni player. Omni player is the best application for auto subtitles for Mac.
With Omni player, you can make also make adjustments, and change the color and size of subtitles if you want to. Omni player comes with the ability to play video formats with resolutions of up to 4K/ 1080P/ 720P HD.
They also include pause, resume, fast forward, rewind, and jump to a specific progress time. You can easily search any files, delete them, or change the repeat mode. This many functionalities in one incredible player which is Omni video player.
Watch AVI on Mac by Converting to a QuickTime MOV format
Now what if you not want to play AVI on Mac using third-party apps? Well, there is another way to do so. You can convert AVI files to the QuickTime MOV or MP4. Just download a video converter program, or you can also use an online AVI file converter.
In my recommendation, the desktop conversion software works best for converting to a QuickTime MOV format. It also allows you to convert multiple AVI files which is great.
While some of the other converting formats only allow you to convert 1 or 2 files at the same time. So, you can use a Desktop Video Converter app like Movavi.
Movavi:
As I said, Movavi is the best video converter software that can convert multiple AVI files which is excellent. It allows you to convert the AVI files to the QuickTime MOV format, which means you can now easily view the AVI file on your Mac.
Movavi is an incredible choice as it is easy to learn and use. What’s more? this incredible Movavi app not only converts the files but also offers many amazing functionalities like compressing media, and editing videos by trimming and tweaking colors.
If you need to add subtitles, just search online or add local subtitles and you are good to go. This is a totally free app and safe to use. It does not contain any harmful and protects your privacy.
Search for the Right Codec to Watch AVI on QuickTime:
As I explained, Why QuickTime won’t be able to watch AVI on Mac is because of the codecs. QuickTime requires additional components like codecs to play video player files like AVI on your Mac.
But, you can use QuickTime to watch AVI files by downloading the codecs for your QuickTime. There are many AVI codecs available to download for a Mac, but one of the best options you can use is 3ivx MPEG-4 to play AVI on QuickTime.
This codec not only supports AVI but also other many file formats which you can play on QuickTime Player. Want to use this Codec player? you can easily download it from the official website.
However, if you try to use any other codec to play AVI, please make sure that the codec is supported with QuickTime. If the codec you choose is unsupported, then the AVI video wouldn’t play. If it is, then you can download it from its official website.
Watch AVI Using a Plugin or Add-On for your Player:
An incredible and free QuickTime component, Perian allows you to play popular video formats that are not supported by macOS. It is a free, open-source QuickTime component that supports many media types like AVI, DivX, and XviD.
Downloading this add-on software like Perian can allow QuickTime players to play AVI files easily without any problem. However, the Perian software is discontinued, which means it does not support QuickTime anymore on macOS.
Although, the team Perian recommended using NicePlayer instead to open AVI on QuickTime. NicePlayer is yet another incredible open-source platform that allows you to watch AVI on Mac QuickTime.
It is a simple software for QuickTime and is only available for Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AVI compatible with iPhone?
Same as Mac, AVI is not really compatible with iPhone, Although, there are some mobile apps like VLC for mobile and KMPlayer for mobile which allow you to watch AVI on your iPhone. In addition to that, if the AVI file is converted to the MOV or MP4, then it can be also playable on iPhone.
Can VLC convert AVI to MP4?
Of course, the VLC player has the ability to convert AVI to MP4. If you are interested to watch AVI on Mac, then you can convert AVI to MP4 using VLC convert. So that you can easily do that with help of a VLC converter.
Can I play AVI files on my Mac for free?
Yes, you can play AVI files on your Mac using many video players like Elmedia player, and that is also for free. This player not only just plays AVI files on the Mac, but also provides you with a number of additional useful options, such as video adjustment, subtitle download & settings, and whatnot which is a great deal.
How can you fix corrupt AVI files?
If your AVI files are corrupted means you can’t open the corrupted files, but instead, you can fix it. To fix the corrupted AVI files you need repair software like the Remo AVI repair tool. This tool helps you to fix the corrupted AVI files on your Mac, so you can easily open it to fix any little issue with the Remo AVI repair tool.
Is QuickTime play AVI files?
No QuickTime doesn’t support playing AVI files, at least not for now. QuickTime is the native app of the macOS that doesn’t require the codec that is required to watch AVI on the Mac. However, QuickTime doesn’t require that, but you can still follow the given methods in this article to play AVI files on the Mac.
The bottom line:
I hope now you understand how to watch AVI files on the Mac. The Mac QuickTime player doesn’t have to ability to play AVI files, but that doesn’t mean you can never open AVI files.
I have provided some incredible troubleshooting methods that help you to watch AVI files on the Mac.
Either use third-party free media apps to play AVI files or just convert the QuickTime into a MOV or MP4 format to play AVI files. Still, everything is the same, and won’t be able to play AVI files on mac? Then the AVI files might be corrupted.
Try a repair tool like Remo AVI repair that helps easily fix the corrupted files, so you can easily watch AVI files on Mac. Hopefully, from the above-given methods in this article, you have found one method and now you can watch AVI files on Mac.
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