MKV to AVI Converter
How to Convert MKV to AVI Online
Drag & drop or click Browse. Max 2 GB.
Choose bitrate for output quality.
Click Convert, wait for FFmpeg, then download. Auto-deleted within 4 hours.
MKV to AVI: what to expect
MKV files from cameras, recorders and downloads can carry several audio tracks and subtitles. AVI is older and simpler: it is used for TVs, DVD players and programs that do not read MKV.
What the AVI contains
| File | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Video | H.264 | 2.5 Mbit/s by default |
| Sound | MP3, 192 kbps | one audio track |
| Subtitles | not included | AVI cannot carry MKV subtitle tracks |
| Size at default | about 19 MB per minute | High (5 Mbit/s): about 38 MB |
Best settings
- Medium (2.5 Mbit/s) is fine for 720p and most 1080p videos on a TV.
- Choose High or Max for 1080p films with a lot of motion.
- Need a smaller file for a phone? Low (0.8 Mbit/s) is about 6 MB per minute.
Common problems
- An old DVD player shows no picture. Very old players only decode Xvid/DivX AVI. Our VAG converter has an Audi MMI 3G profile that makes Xvid AVI at 720×576.
- Subtitles are missing. AVI cannot carry the MKV subtitle tracks. Keep the MKV, or use MKV to MP4 on a player that supports subtitles.
- Wrong language. Only one audio track of the MKV is kept — the main one, usually the first.
Quick answers
Is MKV to AVI lossless?
No. The video is encoded again. At 2.5 Mbit/s and above most people see no difference on a TV.
How big can the MKV be?
Up to 2 GB per file.
Why Convert MKV to AVI?
Converting MKV to AVI provides compatibility with legacy systems and older media players that support AVI but not the newer MKV container.
About the MKV Format
MKV is a flexible, open-source video container that can hold virtually unlimited video, audio, and subtitle tracks in a single file. It supports nearly every video and audio codec available, making it the preferred format for high-quality video archival, Blu-ray rips, and media libraries.
The Matroska format was launched in 2002 as an open-source alternative to proprietary containers. Named after Russian nesting dolls (Matryoshka), it was designed to be a universal container for multimedia content.
Advantages
- Supports virtually any video/audio codec
- Multiple audio tracks and subtitle streams in one file
- Chapter support and rich metadata
- Open-source and royalty-free
- Excellent for high-quality archival
Disadvantages
- Not natively supported by many mobile devices
- Poor browser support for web playback
- Not accepted by most social media platforms
- Slightly larger overhead than MP4
About the AVI Format
AVI is one of the oldest video container formats, introduced by Microsoft. It can hold video and audio data compressed with various codecs, or even uncompressed video. AVI files tend to be large but maintain high quality, making them common in video editing and legacy media libraries.
AVI was introduced by Microsoft in 1992 as part of Windows 3.1. Despite its age, it remains widely used due to its simplicity and broad codec support, though modern formats like MP4 and MKV have largely replaced it for distribution.
Advantages
- Simple, widely recognized container format
- Supports many different video and audio codecs
- High compatibility with Windows-based software
- Good for archival of uncompressed video
Disadvantages
- Large file sizes compared to modern formats
- No native support for subtitles or chapters
- Limited streaming capability
- Outdated metadata and indexing features
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose features converting MKV to AVI?
Yes — AVI doesn't support multiple audio tracks, subtitle streams, or chapters. Only the primary video and audio streams are preserved.