Step 1: Transfer your M4V 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 AVI files.
M4V to AVI Conversion FAQ
How do I re-encode M4V to AVI without losing video quality?
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Upload your M4V file and set Quality to High Quality in the conversion options. That re-encodes the video at the highest quality setting (CRF 18 for H.264 and VP9 output), which keeps the most detail at the cost of a larger file. The default, Balanced, uses the standard setting. The AVI output gets a codec its container supports: H.264 for MP4, MOV and MKV, VP9 for WebM. Structurally an M4V is an MP4 — H.264 or HEVC with AAC — with optional Apple FairPlay DRM and iTunes chapter metadata. AVI files predate modern codecs: expect MPEG-4 Part 2 (DivX/Xvid), Motion JPEG or raw uncompressed frames rather than H.264.
What happens to the subtitle tracks in my M4V file?
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They are dropped. AVI has no soft-subtitle stream to hold them, and the converter neither burns them into the picture nor exports them as a separate file. If you need them, extract the subtitles to an .srt file with a desktop tool such as ffmpeg or MKVToolNix before converting, and load that file alongside the AVI in your player. 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.
Why does my M4V file fail to convert to AVI?
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Almost always DRM. Some M4V files are encrypted at the bitstream level by the store or software that issued them, and an encrypted stream cannot be decoded by us or by anything else without the licence key. Files you recorded, exported or downloaded unprotected convert normally; a licensed purchase will not, and no converter can honestly promise otherwise. DRM-protected M4V purchases cannot be converted by anything; only unprotected M4V files are convertible, and non-Apple players often need the extension renamed.
Will the AVI still play smoothly on a phone or a TV?
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It may not. M4V is decoded by dedicated silicon on phones, tablets and TVs, which is why it plays without flattening the battery. AVI typically falls back to software decoding on the same hardware — higher CPU load, a warmer device, and dropped frames on 4K material. For a device target, M4V is the safer container to stay in.
Why would I convert M4V to an older format like AVI?
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Because a lot of hardware never learned anything newer and never will. DVD players, in-car head units, camcorder playback modes, industrial displays and plenty of broadcast ingest equipment accept AVI and nothing else. The conversion is a deliberate step down in efficiency, bought in exchange for working on a device that has no other option. AVI is trivially simple, which is exactly why ancient camcorders, capture cards, DVD ripping tools and Windows-era software all still emit it.
Which video codec does the AVI output use?
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It depends on the AVI container. MP4, MOV and MKV output use H.264, which plays on practically every phone, browser and TV. WebM output uses VP9. AVI, WMV and MPEG output use the older codecs those formats were designed for. 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.
Will my audio track survive M4V to AVI conversion?
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Yes, the main audio track comes through, re-encoded to a codec the AVI container plays, for example AAC in MP4 and MOV or Opus in WebM. Most conversions keep only that one track (the one with the most channels), so alternate languages and commentary are dropped. MP4 to MOV, and AVI, WMV, MPEG, FLV, VOB or M4V to MKV, keep every audio track.
Can I keep the original framerate when converting M4V to AVI?
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Yes. The frame rate is kept unless you change it: a 24 fps M4V stays 24 fps in the AVI. The Frame Rate setting can also convert to 60, 30 or 24 fps. It changes the rate only; it does not deinterlace the video or remove 3:2 pulldown.
How much will the file size change going from M4V to AVI?
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It depends on what happens to the video. MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings copies the video stream unchanged, so the size stays close to the source. Most other pairs re-encode it: a high-bitrate M4V usually comes out smaller, while an already heavily compressed one can grow. Smaller File under Quality gives the smallest output, and H.265 in the Codec setting (MP4, MOV and MKV) is usually smaller than H.264 at similar quality but plays on fewer devices.
Will the AVI file play on iPhone, Android, and Smart TVs?
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MP4 with H.264 plays on practically every phone, browser and TV. MOV with H.264 plays on Apple devices and most TVs but not on every older Android phone. MKV needs an app such as VLC on iOS, and WebM is at home in browsers. There is no device preset on this page, so choose the target format your device supports.
How long does converting a 1-hour M4V video to AVI take?
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There is no fixed time: it depends on the length, the resolution and the target format. Conversions run on our servers' CPUs with software encoders; there is no GPU acceleration. MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings copies the video stream and is the quickest. A re-encode to H.264 takes longer, and WebM (VP9) is the slowest target, several times slower than H.264 in our tests.
What is the maximum resolution supported for M4V to AVI?
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The converter has no resolution cap of its own; the limit is the upload size allowed on your plan, and the resolution stays as it is unless you choose 1080p, 720p or 480p. There is no HDR processing or tone mapping. When the video stream is copied (MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings), HDR10 passes through untouched. A re-encode drops the HDR10 mastering metadata, and with a Quality, Resolution or Frame Rate setting some pairs also reduce the video to 8-bit colour, so an HDR M4V can look washed out.
