FormatDrop
How-To Guide

How to Convert MOV to AVI

MOV is Apple's QuickTime container — common output from Macs and iPhones. AVI is the universal container of the Windows era, still required by some legacy non-linear editors, surveillance systems, and video capture cards. Converting MOV to AVI re-wraps or re-encodes the content for environments that don't accept MOV.

Open MOV to AVI Converter

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 1

    Upload your MOV file

    Select your .mov file. iPhone screen recordings, Final Cut exports, and QuickTime captures all use the MOV container.

    Go to converter
  2. 2

    Choose AVI as output format

    Select AVI. The converter typically uses H.264 or DivX/Xvid as the video codec inside the AVI container, with MP3 or AAC audio.

  3. 3

    Set codec preferences

    For best Windows compatibility, choose Xvid + MP3 — these codecs are universally decodable. For higher quality, use H.264 + AAC inside AVI.

  4. 4

    Download and use in your tool

    The AVI file works in Windows Movie Maker (legacy), older Premiere versions, surveillance recorders, and any Windows-era video tool that requires AVI.

Why convert MOV to AVI?

MOV is QuickTime's home; AVI is Windows' home. Converting between them is how you move video between Apple and Microsoft worlds when modern formats like MP4 aren't an option.

Your files never leave your device

FormatDrop runs the conversion engine entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly. No file upload. No server. Nothing stored. You can verify this by opening DevTools → Network tab and watching: zero upload requests.

Frequently asked questions

FFmpeg command for MOV to AVI?
`ffmpeg -i input.mov -c:v libxvid -q:v 3 -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 2 output.avi` for Xvid+MP3. For H.264 inside AVI: `ffmpeg -i input.mov -c:v libx264 -c:a libmp3lame output.avi`.
Why is the AVI larger than the MOV?
MOV often uses H.264 with efficient settings; AVI typically wraps less efficient codecs (Xvid) and may use higher bitrates. If file size matters, transcode with `-crf 22` to control quality vs size.
Will AVI preserve subtitles from a MOV?
AVI does not natively support soft subtitles. If your MOV has embedded subtitles, they're either burned into the video (lossy and permanent) or extracted to a separate .srt file alongside the AVI.
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Related guides

How to Convert HEIC to JPGHow to Convert PNG to PDFHow to Convert MOV to MP4How to Convert WebP to JPG