Requirements: OS X 10.12+
, 89.21MB free space
Version 8.12(3287) (9 Jan, 2023) Release notes
A lot of people have wondered "can QuickTime play AVI", and all of them have wound up disappointed. You might know that AVI files weren’t always called that - they were originally VFW files or Video for Windows. As such, these files have no problems running on PCs but don’t get along well with QuickTime Player, the default multimedia player for Mac, where an AVI codec for QuickTime hasn’t existed for years.
While it is a decent application for basic media playback, QuickTime doesn't support AVI file format. So today, we want to show you the best ways to get you playing AVI files on macOS.
There’s been nothing like Elmedia Player when it comes to playing AVI files (and any other files, really) on macOS-powered devices. When it comes time for playback, you can also customize pretty much any part of the files you’re watching, from picture quality to filters to volume mixing, to subtitle support.
But if you do want to spend a little, just $19.95 will get Elmedia Player PRO, which gives you the streaming compatibility to DLNA- and AirPlay-enabled devices like Smart TVs, Chromecast, and Apple TV. You also unlock the advanced video and audio tuning options, and many more features with Elmedia Player PRO.
One of the massive pros of this AVI Player Mac application is how easy it is to play AVI. With just a couple of clicks you’re going to be playing all the videos you love.
1.Download Elmedia Player - It’s free!
2. Run Elmedia Player. You can do this one of three ways:
3. Enjoy!
In case you don't want to download another QuickTime Player AVI alternative you can change the file itself!
The best and easiest file converter program for AVI out there Movavi. With multiple converting capabilities, you can change formats from not just AVI to a format QuickTime can use like .MOV files, but also formats like FLV, MPEG, MOV, and so much more.
You can convert the file online if you want. We recommend https://convert-video-online.com/ - the only thing you’ll need to download is the converted file.
Follow these steps:
So say you want to have QuickTime Player AVI working without downloading another file or converting. You’re going to need to get your hands on a codec. Short for Coder/Decoder, a codec allows a program to handle the code for a particular format, enabling playback. In this case, we’re looking for an AVI codec for QuickTime Player.
This can be done in two simple steps:
This will get you all the information on the formats and codecs that QuickTime Player supports. If the current QuickTime version on your Mac doesn’t use that codec, you can check QuickTime’s official website to see if that codec was ever supported. If it’s not, your videos won’t play.
The first thing you can try is to head over to Apple’s website to find the codec you need. DivX is the most well-known and most trusted codec for playing AVI in QuickTime. Once you download it, you won’t need any other QuickTime AVI plugins to play AVI files with QuickTime. But even that can get annoying because it’s a bit of a scavenger hunt to find what you’re looking for on Apple’s website. That’s why so many people go for an easier solution - just downloading a third-party multimedia player that supports all media files, including AVI.
We’re essentially talking about removing your current, upgraded version of QuickTime for a version that’s several years old. Every version of QuickTime supports a unique selection of video and audio codecs - a lot of them stay the same, but support for some are added and removed for compatibility to meet the demands of the OS. With newer versions of macOS, like macOS Catalina, you can’t use the codecs that will play AVI with QuickTime.
In this case, you want to try and download QuickTime 7, which has a QuickTime AVI codec to play your AVI files on QuickTime. If your macOS is earlier than Mojave, you can download QuickTime 7 from Apple and you’ll be playing AVI in QuickTime in next to no time.