Step 1: Transfer your AVI files using the button above or by slide and deposit.
Step 2: Click the 'Convert' button to start the conversion.
Step 3: Retrieve your converted M4V files.
AVI to M4V Conversion FAQ
How do I re-encode AVI to M4V without losing video quality?
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Upload your AVI file and the converter runs a CRF-based re-encode targeting visually-lossless M4V output (CRF 18 by default, lower values = larger file / higher quality). The codec is chosen to match the M4V container — H.264 for broad-compat MP4, H.265 for size-efficient MKV, VP9 for WebM, AV1 for newer pipelines. AVI files predate modern codecs: expect MPEG-4 Part 2 (DivX/Xvid), Motion JPEG or raw uncompressed frames rather than H.264. Structurally an M4V is an MP4 — H.264 or HEVC with AAC — with optional Apple FairPlay DRM and iTunes chapter metadata.
My AVI footage shows comb lines on movement — will that carry into the M4V?
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It will unless you deinterlace, and AVI content very often is interlaced because the format comes from the broadcast and DVD era. Interlaced frames store two half-height fields captured a fiftieth of a second apart; on a progressive-scan phone or monitor that reads as horizontal combing on anything that moves. Turn on the deinterlace option and the encoder weaves the fields into whole progressive frames before writing the M4V. AVI is Microsoft’s Audio Video Interleave, introduced in 1992 on top of the RIFF chunk format — one of the oldest containers still in circulation.
My AVI recordings are split into numbered parts — does M4V have the same limit?
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No, and that is one of the better reasons to move. The AVI container has a practical single-file ceiling that long or high-bitrate recordings run straight into, which is exactly why old captures arrive as part1, part2, part3. M4V has no equivalent limit, so the pieces can be rejoined into one continuous file. AVI has no native support for modern codecs, variable frame rate, soft subtitles or files over 4 GB without hacks, and its per-chunk overhead bloats the file.
Can I add selectable subtitles once the file is M4V?
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Yes. AVI has no usable soft-subtitle track, so subtitles for AVI content had to be burned into the picture or shipped as a separate sidecar file. M4V carries subtitles as their own selectable stream, so after conversion you can attach an SRT track the viewer can switch on, switch off or restyle.
Does M4V support chapter markers that AVI did not?
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It does. M4V stores chapters as container metadata, so a long recording can be navigated by section instead of by scrubbing a progress bar. AVI has nowhere to put that information, so if the source shipped with a chapter list it was in a sidecar file — hand that to the converter and it gets written into the M4V. M4V keeps chapter markers, artwork and subtitle tracks in the shape the Apple TV app expects, which plain MP4 often loses.
Is it worth converting old AVI recordings to M4V at all?
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For anything you intend to keep, yes. AVI belongs to an earlier generation of video tooling and the software that reads it is steadily disappearing from phones, browsers and operating systems. Moving the footage to M4V now, while a clean decoder still exists, is the difference between an archive you can open in ten years and one you cannot.
Which video codec does the M4V output use?
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It depends on the M4V container. MP4 defaults to H.264 for the broadest playback support across phones, browsers, and Smart TVs. MKV defaults to H.265 / HEVC for roughly half the file size at equivalent quality. WebM defaults to VP9. The advanced options expose explicit codec choice if you need to override. M4V is Apple’s variant of MP4, used by iTunes and the Apple TV app for films and TV episodes.
Will my audio track survive AVI to M4V conversion?
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Yes. When AVI and M4V share an audio codec (e.g. both carry AAC), audio is re-muxed with no re-encode — bit-identical. When the codecs differ, audio is transcoded to AAC / Opus / Vorbis depending on what the M4V container supports. Multi-track audio (commentary, alternate languages) is preserved.
Can I keep the original framerate when converting AVI to M4V?
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By default yes — a 24fps AVI stays 24fps in M4V; a 60fps AVI stays 60fps. If you need to change rate (e.g. interlaced 29.97 → progressive 30, or 60 → 30 for upload limits), the framerate option handles 3:2 pulldown, deinterlacing, and frame-blending in the same encode pass.
How much will the file size change going from AVI to M4V?
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Same-codec re-mux (AVI H.264 → M4V H.264 just changing container): nearly identical size. Codec change can swing dramatically: H.264 → H.265 typically halves the file at the same visual quality; VP9 is roughly comparable; AV1 cuts another 20-30% but is slower to encode.
Will the M4V file play on iPhone, Android, and Smart TVs?
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MP4 / H.264 plays natively on every modern device. MOV / H.264 plays on Apple devices and most TVs but not always on older Android. MKV needs VLC on iOS. WebM is browser-first. The advanced options include a "device compatibility" preset that picks the safest M4V codec / container for your target. DRM-protected M4V purchases cannot be converted by anything; only unprotected M4V files are convertible, and non-Apple players often need the extension renamed.
How long does converting a 1-hour AVI video to M4V take?
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Same-codec re-mux is near-instant — 30 to 60 seconds for a 1-hour file. A full codec re-encode runs at roughly 0.3-0.7x source duration on our GPU pipeline, so a 1-hour AVI → M4V finishes in 18-40 minutes depending on resolution and target codec.
