Playing AVI and DivX files

This chapter from our book Troubleshooting Mac® OS X discusses why some Audio Video Interleaved (AVI) multimedia files do not play in QuickTime and provides methods for playing AVIs on Mac OS X.

About AVIs

There has been confusion over AVI files since QuickTime® added support for such. AVI is a media container very similar to QuickTime, but with a unique data format. AVI was originally called Video for Windows® (VFW) and QuickTime supports the VFW format.

However, most, if not all AVI playback issues arise with movies that have been compressed using CODECs (Compressor - Decompressor) that are unavailable for QuickTime in Mac OS X. In particular, the Indeo® CODEC, popular for video compression on PCs, has not been ported to Mac OS X.

To further confuse the issue, many DivX®-encoded files carry the .avi extension. QuickTime does not include native DivX support, even though QuickTime 6 and later support the ISO Standard MPEG-4 media compression format and DivX is based on the MPEG-4 standard.

QuickTime X and AVIs

Under Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard®, QuickTime Player — aka QuickTime X — does not support third-party components, i.e. QuickTime plug-ins. Nevertheless, Snow Leopard includes QuickTime Player 7 as an optional install: QuickTime X will invoke QuickTime Player 7 to play videos supported by the latter or by QuickTime Player 7 components.

If you have an existing QuickTime Pro key, QuickTime Player 7 is installed automatically and Pro functionality is available in QuickTime Player 7. If you elect not to install QuickTime Player 7, it can be installed later. Likewise, if you attempt to open a media file that requires QuickTime Player 7, you are offered the opportunity to install it. QuickTime Player 7 is installed in the Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities folder.

Playing AVIs on Mac OS X

Since QuickTime doesn’t play.avi on Mac, a third-party solution is required to play AVI on Mac.Elmedia Player by Eltima can help to open AVI on Mac.It’s a great video player overall, with many codecs and features such as streaming local files to smart TV, taking screenshots and saving playlists. So you need to know how the AVI file is coded and download the right codec for QuickTime to decode it on Mac. To figure out the codec used to encode AVI, you can open the file with QuickTime and choose Show Movie Info from the Window menu. Then you should be able to find codec information after format properties. Note that the installation instructions specify numerous additional downloads you can get, but we have found them unnecessary in Mac OS X 10.2 or later. Drag and drop.avi files onto DivX Doctor II. They will be converted into.mov files and stored on your hard drive at the location you specify. Use Perian, an open source QuickTime plugin to play AVI files on Mac. It is easy to install and would open AVI files on Mac’s QuickTime automatically. Perian is only available for QuickTime 7.6.6. The latest version, Perian 1.2.3 supports macOS X 10.4.7 and above. A very easy & simple way to convert.avi files(or any file) to be able to watch on your Mac computer or other devices. A very easy & simple way to convert.avi files(or any file) to be able to.

We have found that the following four methods will enable viewing most AVI files that do not play in QuickTime. While none of these methods are foolproof and some AVI files still refuse to play, one of these methods will usually work.

Use VLC

Probably the easiest way to play AVI and DivX files on Mac OS X is to download and install the freeware VLC Media Player for OS X. VLC is also often referred to by its original name, VideoLAN Client.

Install Perian

Perian is an excellent, free, and open source QuickTime component.

Install the 3ivx® D4 CODEC

Download and install the 3ivx MPEG-4 CODEC per the installation instructions in the associated ReadMe file. This CODEC adds support for a variety of DivX and other formats which often carry the .avi extension.

Convert AVIs to QuickTime movies

If all else fails and you are running Mac OS X 10.6 or earlier, it may be possibles to convert the .avi files to QuickTime .mov files using tools from 3ivx.

You will need...

• QuickTime 6 or later.
• 3ivx MPEG-4 CODEC.
• 3ivx DivX Doctor II.

Procedure

1. Download and install 3ivx MPEG-4 CODEC per the installation instructions in the ReadMe file.
2. Download and install 3ivx DivX Doctor II, again per its included instructions. Note that the installation instructions specify numerous additional downloads you can get, but we have found them unnecessary in Mac OS X 10.2 or later.
3. Drag and drop .avi files onto DivX Doctor II. They will be converted into .mov files and stored on your hard drive at the location you specify.
4. While some .avi files fail to convert — again, none of these methods are foolproof — the resulting .mov files generally play flawlessly in QuickTime. This method may also fix problems with the soundtrack on AVIs that do not play properly using only the DivX for Mac CODEC.

Try the DivX for Mac CODEC

Many AVIs can be played in QuickTime by installing the freeware DivX for Mac CODEC. While this plug-in has been continuously improved, the sound in some AVIs will sometimes be either missing or distorted. [1]

Related links

• VideoHelp is an excellent site offering a plethora of information on video formats.

Notes

[1] Both the 3ivx D4 and DivX for Mac CODECs must be installed in the Macintosh HD > Library > QuickTime folder. However, both CODECs can not be in this folder simultaneously and work with QuickTime as they conflict. If you decide to keep both CODECs , you must temporarily disable one while using the other. To do this:

1. Quit QuickTime Player.
2. Open the Macintosh HD > Library > QuickTime folder.
3. Move — click and drag while pressing the Command key — the CODEC you do not want to use to a temporary folder or to your Desktop.
4. Open QuickTime Player.

How to Play AVI File on Mac?

• Go to Finder and select the AVI file
• Drag it onto the QuickTime Player icon

How Can I Open Avi Files On Mac Keyboard

Else,

• Open Mac dock
• Launch QuickTime Player
• Go to menu
• Click on New Finder Window
• Browse the location of AVI file
• Double-click on the AVI video

This is what a typical Mac user do, to play a AVI file on Mac. But, we can’t ensure that this method always works in playing AVI files on Mac. Since QuickTime only plays native AVI files with MJPEG video.

So, when you want to play a AVI file on Mac and QuickTime fails to play the AVI video, then you can employ below techniques.

1. VLC Player: VLC is an effective AVI player for Mac. It the easiest and free-way of playing AVI file on Mac. So, you must give it a try.

• Download VLC player on your Mac
• Install it using its .dmg file
• Select the AVI file, which you want to play
• Right-click on it and opt Info
• Choose Open with and select VLC from list

How Can I Open Avi Files On Mac Drive

2. Old QuickTime Edition: If you have the latest version of QuickTime and it fails to play any AVI file present on your Mac then go for an older version of QuickTime and try to play your videos. (QuickTime 7 plays AVI videos without any additional plug-ins or codecs)

3. Convert AVI to QuickTime video: Convert your AVI files into QuickTime videos and then play them. To convert AVI into QuickTime compatible file format,

• Launch QuickTime player
• Use export to QuickTime option in the file menu
• Browse and select the AVI file
• Ensure that destination file format is MOV
• Finish the process

You can also make use of an efficient video converter tool to convert the AVI file.

How Can I Open An Avi File On My Mac

4. Use Perian Plugin: Perian is an open-source QuickTime element, which allows you to play different video formats that you are unable to play on your Mac. If you are using QuickTime as your prime player, then you can download Perian because it offers necessary codecs that help you to play AVI files on Mac.

5. Third Party AVI Players: If none of the above methods help you to play AVI files on Mac then use third party media players, which are available online.

If your AVI file fails to play even in third party AVI players, then it seems the file is corrupted. So, first your repair AVI file on Mac and then try to play it using any of the above methods.