AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is the first media format that provides combined structure of audio and video data streams. Therefore it becomes de facto standard for most of online audio and video applications. This media file is flexible enough and allows you to edit and compress file easily. Even though AVI files are compatible with most of the media players, in some situations while playing AVI files you might have observed that video gets struck, but sound keeps playing or distorted colored blocks sometimes make it unplayable.
Download and install the SFWare AVI Repair tool on your Mac and follow the steps mentioned below. From the main screen, select the AVI Repair option. In the next step, Browse for the corrupted AVI file on your Mac. Click on Repair to fix the corrupted AVI file. After fixing the file browse, for a location and click on Save to save the fixed AVI.
Tips: This AVI converter for Mac supports batch conversion, you can import multiple AVI files on Mac, hold down the 'Command' or 'Shift' key and click on the AVI files one by one. You can also use your mouse to click and drag to select multiple files. Choose an output format. The next step is to choose an output format for AVI files. More useful information on Elmedia Player: Content:0:00 - Intro0:23 - What is an AVI file?0:48 - Can. Here are some of the notable free media players that can utilize to play AVI files on Mac OS. VLC media player – This is a well known media player that performs well on any OS including Mac system. Aside from playing AVI files, this player can also read almost video file format from the smallest to the largest. Play Any Popular Video Format on Mac Smoothly. As a powerful media file playing program, this free AVI video player supports you to play all popular video formats, including AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, FLV, M4V, etc. And audio formats like FLAC, AAC, AC3, MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA and more.
Do you have an AVI files that are not playing on Mac? Then this article introduces an accurate solution on how to repair your corrupted or damaged AVI files on Macintosh system. Let us consider a scenario, where a graduate was joined for e-classes. After attending classes, he normally downloads the video files of that section and those files are of .avi format. But, while accessing those files, his system freezes suddenly due to power surge. Later when he turning the system on, he was unable to play AVI files on Mac computer. Here the student is confused and thinks why my AVI files won’t play on Mac. So what are the causes behind AVI files that refuse to play on Mac system? Below are few common facts accountable for corruption of AVI files, which will not play on Mac.
Why AVI files cannot be played on Mac system?
- Virus or Trojan Attack: Too much usage of internet or third party utilities might be the reason for virus or Trojan attacks on your Mac system. If your system gets infected by dangerous viruses or other threats, then it may infect AVI files and makes them not playable on Mac
- AVI File Transfer Errors: Interruptions or errors while transferring AVI files from mac system to any external storage media or visa-versa may results in corruption of AVI video files
- Synchronization Error: If the audio and video streams of AVI file are not properly synchronized, then it tends to incompatibility issue and finally results in AVI file damage
- Codec Issues: Codec are the compression and decompression algorithms, which supports AVI file. Due to improper handling of AVI files, codec gets corrupted and makes your AVI files inaccessible
- Header Corruption: Due to virus attacks or forceful termination of AVI video due to sudden power failures, etc might affect the header of AVI files, where AVI file won’t play on Mac
Don’t worry, if Mac can’t open AVI files due to any of the above mentioned facts!!! Sit back and relax, it is not necessary to scratch your head on how do I play an AVI files on Mac. You can now fix corrupt AVI files on your Macintosh system using suitable AVI file repair software.
Glance on AVI file repair application
Yodot AVI Repair software is designed especially to fix AVI files, which are not playing on computer or any digital device. Its advanced modules and search algorithms provide great support to repair severely corrupted or damaged AVI file on Mac. Along with .avi video file, this tool can successfully mend .divx, .xvid video file types. It can sustain repairing of AVI files saved on various storage devices including system hard drive, flash memory card, USB drive, iPods, and many more. On other hand, this software is flexible with various editions of Mac operating system such as Lion (Mac OS X 10.7), Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6), and Mountain Lion (Mac OS X 10.8). In addition, Windows version of Yodot AVI Repair tool is available to help users to fix AVI files that won’t play on their Windows system.
Simple steps to repair unplayable AVI files on Mac OS X:
- Download Yodot AVI Repair tool and install it to your Macintosh machine
- Run the software and track the main screen instructions
- Browse for the corrupted AVI file, which is not playing
- After click on “Repair” button to start with the repair process
- Monitor the AVI file repair process by noticing the progress bar
- Once repair process got completed the software displays the AVI file along with its description
- Later you can preview the repaired video file by using “Preview repaired file” button
- Finally save your repaired AVI file by using “Save repaired file” option to your desired location
Precautionary Steps:
- Do not transfer or play AVI files, when your system is running on low battery because it leads to force system shout down
- Have a patient, don’t terminate the AVI videos abnormally when it is not reacting for your instructions
- Always make use of updated anti-virus application to keep your Mac system free from viruses
My QuickTime player is not playing .avi files and says I need a codec. I am not able to play any .avi files on QuickTime. How could I fix this because I want to play these files with QuickTime?
Playing AVI files is one of the biggest worries for a Mac user. None of the four major Indeo codecs that are required to decode AVI files have been integrated into QuickTime. In some cases, even if the required codecs are available, the AVI video file does not play due to corruption. So, before we get to know how to play AVI files on Mac or how to fix AVI files that are not playing on Mac, let’s get a quick look at Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format.
Image Source: support.apple.com
Why AVI Files don’t Play on Mac?
Just like any other media player, QuickTime on Mac also examines both the audio and video codecs within the video file whenever you open any file on Mac. If the codecs are not used by the media player it won’t play the video. QuickTime media player does not recognize the Cinepak and ALaw 2:1 codecs used in the AVI video file format. And as a result, when you try to play AVI files in QuickTime, the player doesn’t play the video.
What is an AVI file?
The full form of AVI is Audio Video Interleave. Like any video file format, AVI is a container format that defines how video data is packed into a file. Unlike other video formats, it does not predefine or specify the protocol or procedure involved while recording or creating a file. As an AVI file structure has the organizational format of streams and stream data, it is defined by two lists namely List Chunk and Index Chunk.
List Chunk: The list chunk has metadata, the size of the file, frame rates, and audio/video information.
Index Chunk: The index chunk is responsible for saving the locations of data within the container.
Note: If any of these crucial chunks are missing in your AVI video file, then your AVI file will not play.
What is a Codec?
A codec that is short for compressor and decompressor is responsible for decoding the video and audio tracks that have been encoded or packed in the .avi file.
It is to be noted that an AVI file or any video file does not come with codecs. Codecs are a part of the video player package like QuickTime.
However, if the codec used to encode the AVI file is not available in the QuickTime player, then your AVI file will not play. Thus, you can expand the codec library of the player by downloading the specific codec required to play the AVI video file.
Problems Associated With Running AVI on Mac Using QuickTime
When an AVI file is opened using QuickTime player, it scans the file to see which codecs have been used to encode the data in the container/AVI file.
The AVI format video will play as expected if the video and audio in the codec are compressed using a codec that exists in the QuickTime package. Nevertheless, problems arise while playing AVI files on Mac when the codec does not exist in the library and leads to an unplayable AVI file on Mac. The file may also refuse to play if the AVI file is corrupt. Fix corrupt AVI files on Mac before trying any workaround.
Unplayable AVI Files Return The Following Errors:
- “QuickTime is missing the software needed to perform this operation. Unfortunately, it is not available on the QuickTime server”
- 'You may experience problems playing a video track in 'file.avi' because the required compressor could not be found”
Additionally, the latest version QuickTime X does not have a few major codecs like Indeo or native DivX support and you might end up with the question “How to play unplayable AVI file on Mac?”.
Now that you have understood the complications associated with AVI files that are unplayable on Mac, the following workarounds mentioned below have been provided to help you fix if Mac or MacBook not playing a video.
Methods to Fix Unplayable AVI files on Mac
1. Find the Right Codec to Play the AVI File on QuickTime:
Find the codec used to encode the file using QuickTime by opening the file using QuickTime and select the Show Movie Info option from the Window menu.
The video file information is listed, and you will be able to find codec information after format properties. Check if the QuickTime version supports the codec that is listed in the video properties.
Check on the QuickTime support site if the codec is supported by the player if you don’t find the codec preinstalled with QuickTime. If you don’t find the respective codec or if it is an unsupportive codec, then your AVI video won’t play. In case it is supported then you can go ahead and install the codec after downloading it from the author or the publisher’s site.
Note: Download the codec from genuine and trusted sources to avoid compromising your system security.
2. Download and Install Standardized Video Encoders
There are two major industry-standard codecs for Mac that can extend the playback capabilities. The following codecs have been referred to as the most preferred codecs that enable you to open .avi files on Mac:
- Install 3ivx D4 codec:
This codec enables greater video quality at lower file size values up to fifty percent when compared to the MPEG-4 standard designed by Apple. This decoder increases the efficiency of the video storage and transmission of files that are rendered too large. It is an integration of a huge set of video and audio codecs that allow playback of almost all the AVI files with AAC audio and video of MPEG-4. You can fix your unplayable AVI file by installing 3ivx D4 on your Mac. Further, there is no need to download any other components like plug-ins to play the AVI file unless a proprietary codec is used to encode the file.
Avi Files On Mac After Effects
- Install DivX for Mac free codec to fix AVI files in Quick time:
While you can play the majority of AVI files after you install this free codec for Mac, its major disadvantage is that the audio sometimes might be distorted or only the video is played. For this reason, the DivX codec for Mac is a secondary option when compared to 3ivx D4 codec.
Put Avi Files On Mac
Note: Only one among the above two codecs are to be used at once as they share the same set of library files to decode the video. Hence it is recommended to install only one codec to avoid malfunction of the QuickTime player.
Avi Files On Macbook
3. Use an Alternate player to Play AVI files on Mac:
VLC or Video LAN Client is a cross-platform media player that supports a wide variety of AVI video and audio codecs. Therefore, choosing VLC as an alternative media player to play the unplayable AVI file on Quick Time is one of the easiest ways.
Because of its large library of free encoding and decoding libraries, you will no longer need any additional codec download or proprietary plug-ins.
4. Play AVI Files By Converting Into QuickTime Supported MOV Files:
Another workaround to fix the unplayable AVI video on Mac is to convert the AVI file into a QuickTime supported file format like MOV.
Post conversion, the file will be playable on Mac. However, most of the converters break the index of the AVI file while conversion, this method is least recommended. Lastly, if the converted video file stops playing halfway try AVI index repair on Mac.
Note: Have a copy of your AVI file before converting them to any other compatible format as your AVI file might get corrupt due to improper conversion and leads to permanent inaccessible AVI files.
AVI Still Not Playing In Mac?
If the AVI video file remains unplayable even after getting the correct codecs, using the compatible player, or converting to MOV, it is probably because the video file is corrupt. The only solution to this is to try an AVI video repair software. Choose a professional AVI video repair tool like Remo AVI Repair.
Remo Repair AVI fixes and works on a duplicate version of your original AVI file to prevent modification on the original file. The self-explanatory interface helps you to fix the video in just 3 clicks. Download the Remo Repair AVI tool now to fix your unplayable video and preview it for free before saving.
What Opens Avi Files On Mac
Remo Repair AVI Can Also:
- Repair AVI files that are corrupted
- Repair AVI files if their index is corrupted
- Repairs AVI files if there is no audio or playing only audio in the video file
Conclusion:
With the mentioned free workarounds or by using the above-mentioned AVI repair tool, you must have fixed your unplayable AVI videos on Mac. However, you can always make use of Remo Software’s technical assistance team as they will guide you with the repairing process of the software if needed.