How do AVI and MKVcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
Audio Video Interleave
AVI is one of the oldest and most recognized video formats. While it has been largely superseded by MP4 and MKV, AVI files are still commonly found in legacy video libraries and older applications.
Matroska Video
MKV is the most flexible video container format available. It can hold virtually any codec and supports unlimited audio tracks, subtitles, and chapters. It's the format of choice for high-quality video enthusiasts.
| Specification | AVI | MKV |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Audio Video Interleave | Matroska Video |
| Extension | .avi | .mkv |
| MIME type | video/x-msvideo | video/x-matroska |
| Category | Video | Video |
| Developer | Microsoft | Matroska.org |
| Year introduced | 1992 | 2002 |
AVI and MKV target different use cases. AVI is ideal for legacy video archives, while MKV works best for movie collections and media servers.
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