# How to I view avi files? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227 "2004-01-07T16:28:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/1 "2004-01-07T16:28:53Z")
I spend too much time on the internet. In all my time, I have never been able to play an .avi video. I’ve used quickplayer, realplayer, and windows media player. What am I doing wrong? Do those require a certain player that I haven’t used? ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/2 "2004-01-07T16:34:22Z")
WMP shoud do it, IIRC. Need more info. What happens when you try to play something? An error of some sort? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Matrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Red\_Matrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Matrix)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/3 "2004-01-07T16:38:36Z")
Windows Media Player 7 and above should play it… if there’s nothing else wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/4 "2004-01-07T16:41:47Z")
You might need one of the DiVX codecs. I’ve seen lots of DiVX-encoded AVIs floating around out there. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/5 "2004-01-07T16:41:57Z")
The thing with .avi files is they can use a variety of codecs. You’re probably trying .avi files encoded with DivX, so you’ll have to download the appropriate codec and/or player application. [[http://www.divx-digest.com/software/divxcodec.htmlhttp://www.divx-digest.com/software/divxcodec.html](http://www.divx-digest.com/software/divxcodec.htmlhttp://www.divx-digest.com/software/divxcodec.html)](Try [url)]here for a player app. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/6 "2004-01-08T02:24:20Z")
It’s not the player probably but the missing codec which is probably DivX. I play AVIs all the time with Media Player 2 but you hva to understand AVIs can be encoded using any number of codecs and you need to have the codec to play it. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/7 "2004-01-08T05:25:29Z")
Yeah, I got my codecs at [divx.com](http://www.divx.com/). Though I do agree that of all the formats out there, .avi seems to be the dodgiest one. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/8 "2004-01-08T12:17:31Z")
If you want a whole mess of codecs. Do a search for “ace codecs pack playerxp”. I’m told having too many codecs can lead to problems. I have not observed any though. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-i-view-avi-files/223227/9 "2004-01-08T13:21:18Z")
I got the DivX thingie from the site **Cleophus** gave and now they work. Evidently I already had that stuff, and a newer copy, but I said okay to replacing existing files and now WMP plays the .avi. Go figure. Thanks!