Compare Audio Video Interleave and Matroska Video formats — understand the key differences and when to use each
Audio Video Interleave
AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft in 1992 as part of Windows 3.1. AVI stores interleaved audio and video data and supports a wide range of codecs including DivX, XviD, MPEG-4, and uncompressed video. While AVI is one of the oldest video formats still in use, it has several limitations: no native support for modern codecs (H.265), subtitles require external files, and streaming capabilities are limited. AVI files tend to be larger than MP4 or MKV equivalents. However, AVI remains widely supported by media players and video editing software. Many legacy video cameras and older devices output AVI files. Converting AVI to MP4 typically reduces file size while maintaining quality and improving compatibility with modern devices.
Matroska Video
MKV (Matroska Video) is an open-source, flexible video container format created in 2002. MKV can hold virtually unlimited video, audio, subtitle, and attachment tracks in a single file, making it the most versatile video container available. It supports every major video codec (H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1), audio codec (AAC, FLAC, DTS, TrueHD, Atmos), and subtitle format (SRT, ASS, PGS). MKV is the preferred format for high-quality video collections, Blu-ray rips, and anime with multiple audio and subtitle tracks. It supports chapters, menus, metadata, and attached fonts. While MKV has excellent software support (VLC, MPV, Plex), some hardware devices and smart TVs have limited MKV compatibility. For maximum compatibility, converting MKV to MP4 is recommended.
| Feature | AVI | MKV |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Audio Video Interleave | Matroska Video |
| File Extension | .avi | .mkv |
| Category | video | video |
| Free to Convert | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Browser Support | ✓ All Browsers | ✓ All Browsers |
| Convert to Each Other | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
或将文件拖放到此处
最大文件大小：2GB