Video conversion
Convert FLV to AVI
Updated Jul 2026
FLV is the format Flash video sites and old web players used, and AVI is the classic Windows format that still opens in nearly any media player or video editor. To convert FLV to AVI, open the file in a converter and export it as AVI. Doing this on your own computer keeps the video off someone else's server.
- Extension
- .flv
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Legacy web video
- Compression
- Lossy
- Extension
- .avi
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Legacy Windows video
Convert FLV to AVI on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert FLV to AVI
- Open Morphjet and drag in the FLV file, or a whole folder of them, that you want to convert.
- Choose AVI as the output format.
- Convert. The AVI files are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
FLV vs AVI: what actually changes
| FLV | AVI | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Smaller, built for streaming over slow connections | Larger, since AVI doesn't compress as efficiently |
| Quality | Lossy, compressed for web delivery | Lossless container, but can't undo quality already lost in the FLV |
| Plays in modern browsers | No, needed Flash, which browsers dropped years ago | No, AVI isn't a web format either, but it opens in desktop media players |
| Opens in video editors | Rarely supported anymore | Yes, widely supported, including many older Windows editing programs |
| Built for | Streaming over the early web | Local playback and editing on Windows |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert FLV to AVI when you have old Flash-era video files you want to actually watch or edit again, since AVI opens in far more players and editing software than FLV does today.
Keep the FLV original if you're just archiving old files and never plan to open them, since converting to AVI won't add back any quality the original compression already lost.
Why not just use an online converter?
Old FLV files often come from downloaded lectures, home videos, or archived web content you'd rather not hand to a stranger's server. When you convert FLV to AVI through an online tool, the video has to be uploaded somewhere before you get a file back. Converting on your own computer means the video never leaves your machine, whatever it happens to contain.
Questions
Does converting FLV to AVI improve the quality?
No. FLV video was already compressed when it was created, so converting to AVI just repackages that same picture into a format more players can open. It won't look sharper than the original.
Will an AVI file play on more devices than FLV?
Yes. FLV needed Flash or a specific player, and Flash is gone from every major browser now. AVI is much older and more widely supported by media players and editing software, especially on Windows.
Can I still open FLV files at all in 2026?
Not easily. Most browsers dropped Flash support years ago, and few current media players open FLV directly, which is exactly why converting it to something like AVI is worth doing.
Does the FLV to AVI conversion keep metadata?
Basic details like duration and resolution carry over. FLV files rarely carry much metadata beyond that, so there isn't much to lose either way.
Can I convert FLV to AVI without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so it never travels over the internet, even with your wifi off.
Morphjet converts FLV, AVI, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.