AVI vs SWF

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.