What is AVI? AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a multimedia container format used by Microsoft's Video for Windows multimedia framework. AVI files can contain both audio and video data in a file container that allows synchronous audio-with-video playback. Like the DVD video format, AVI files support multiple streaming audio and video, although these features are seldom used.

The VLC Media Player for Android is a free application and is a cross-platform media player that plays any formats and also discs, devices, network streaming protocols, DVD ISOs, like the desktop version of VLC.

An AVI file is a sound and motion picture file that conforms to the Microsoft Windows Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) specification. AVI files (which end with an .avi extension) require a special player that may be included with your Web browser or may require downloading. Here's the best AVI Players for playing .avi files on Mac.

VLC Media Player for Mac

VLC Media Player for Mac is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats for Mac OS X, including DVD AVI MPEG MPEG2 MPEG4 DivX MP3 OGG, VLC Media Player for Mac is also VCD & DVD Player for Mac, and various streaming protocols.
VLC Media Player for Mac can also function as a streaming media server. VLC Media Player is based on an open-source foundation, therefore, Updates, fixes, and addons are released frequently.

VLC Media Player for Mac is a must-have Mac media player and Mac DVD player for its ability to open just about any type of video file you throw at it. VLC Media Player for Mac Download

MacVCD Player for Mac

MacVCD Player for Mac OS is the easy way to play VCD, and almost everything else with this easy to use media player for Mac OS 8/9.

MacVCD Player for Mac OS 8/9 can play VCD, AVI, DivX, MPEG, video, Quicktime movies and more. It offers all the playback features you need and the ease of use you really want from a video player. With Video CD Format recognition, you can play VCDs in just one step. Using MacVCD Player for Mac OS 8/9, You can also play all your other movies - XVCD, AVI, DivX, MPEG, video, Quicktime movies and more. Use the screen display you prefer - full screen display, or small screen display, or show on your TV. MacVCD Player for Mac Download

Chroma Player for Mac

Chroma is a movie player for Mac optimized for playing feature movies.
It plays DVD, QuickTime, DivX AVI's, XviD, Matroska and Windows Media files.

Full support for playing AVI movies. DivX, 3ivX, XviD and MPEG4 are all codecs commonly found in AVI movies, as well as some QuickTime movies. Chroma has built-in support to play these common formats, as well as several codecs found in older AVIs. External codecs can be installed to for example support Ogg files, Windows Media (WMV and ASF) files, Matroska .MKV, WMV3 codecs or AC3 audio.

Chroma was made to fill the void of a simple and reliable player that plays most of the movie files that you might come across. It was designed to be very capable but easy and fun to use. Chroma Player for Mac Download

MacVCD X

MacVCD X is easy to use video media player for Mac OS X. MacVCD X plays VCD, SVCD, XVCD, SXVCD, AVI, DivX, xVID, MPEG, WMV, iMovie, video, Quicktime movies (.mov) and DV. Use the screen display you prefer - full screen display, small screen display (floating or regular window), or show on your TV.

Get the features you want - movie saving, track selection and repeat track features, Photo VCD, multi-language and karaoke VCD support with this easy to use video player. MacVCD X also features advanced features such as Hands Free speech activated controls, fast-motion, slow-motion and backwards playback. MacVCD X Download

djoPlayer for Mac

djoPlayer is a simple and easy to use GUI to MPlayer.

djoPlayer for Mac can read the following formats: AVI (DivX 3, 4, 5, Xvid), VOB, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, ASF, WMV, AC3, MOV... and even DVDs or movies on the Web. It also can read subtitles.

djoPlayer for Mac allows you to activate the PostProcessing very simply, in order to see less of those ugly squares in your video... You can set up some options like the level of PostProcessing or the size and aspect of the subtitles. djoPlayer for Mac Download

As an acronym for Audio Video Interleave, AVI is a type of multimedia file format introduced by Microsoft. It can contain audio or video files or both together in an appropriate timing sequence to produce a digital movie. AVI files can also be sent as streaming files. Streaming files are sent in chunks and are downloaded in the background while the media begins playing even though the entire media file is not present.

VLC is a free multimedia player that is able to understand the AVI file container format and either play the audio data, display the video data, or do both at the same time without the need for additional CODECS. Playing AVI files on VLC literally is as easy as opening a file. The following part will show you a step by step guide to play AVI files with VLC media player on either Windows or Mac platform.

Part 1: Play AVI with VLC Media Player on Windows
Part 2: Play AVI with VLC Media Player on Mac

Part 1: Play AVI with VLC Media Player on Windows

For Windows users, you can download VLC on all versions of Windows OS from Windows XP to the latest version of Windows 10. Make sure to download and install the latest version.

1) After you have downloaded and installed the VLC player, open the VLC media player.
2) The VLC media player will display on your screen. On the menu bar, click on 'Media.'
3) A drop-down window appears. Click on 'Open File' and navigate to the location of the AVI file.
4) Click on the file in the 'Select one or more files to open' window or once you are in the folder that the file is located in, type the name of the file in the 'File name' window.
5) Click on the 'Open' button. The file will load and the VLC media player will begin playing it automatically.

Part 2: Play AVI with VLC Media Player on Mac

For Mac users you can still play AVI files on VLC media player for Mac. This player is reliable since you can manage your playlist and make adjustments on volume and contrast. To play any .avi video file you need to do the following.

1) Download VLC media player for Mac.

You can download and install the latest version of VLC media player on Mac OS X 10.6 or later.

2) Open the AVI file with VLC media player.

After downloading the VLC media player, open it on your computer. At the main menu click on File, a drop down menu will pop up. From there navigate the cursor and click on Open.

It will direct you to location of stored videos and files. Search and click on the avi video you want to play. You can also drag the AVI video to the VLC to play it.

Step 3: Play the AVI video.

Now click on Open after choosing the AVI video. This will automatically play the video on the VLC media player.