How to convert FLV to AVI
- Click Choose files or drop your FLV video into the box above.
- Keep the default quality, or choose a target size, resolution or frame rate.
- Click Convert and download the AVI when it is ready.
FLV vs AVI
| FLV | AVI | |
|---|---|---|
| Usual codecs | Sorenson Spark, VP6 or H.264 video with MP3 or AAC audio | Usually DivX/Xvid (MPEG-4 Part 2) or MJPEG video with MP3 audio |
| Plays on | Only VLC and similar players — Adobe Flash Player was discontinued in 2020 | Windows and VLC; poorly supported on phones, Macs and websites |
| Best for | Nothing today: convert old Flash videos to MP4 | Old camcorders, DVD players and legacy Windows software |
| Introduced | early 2000s by Macromedia / Adobe | 1992 by Microsoft |
About FLV and AVI
What is FLV?
FLV was the format behind early YouTube and most web video of the 2000s, played through Adobe Flash Player. Flash was shut down at the end of 2020, so FLV files no longer play in browsers. Converting them to MP4 keeps old videos watchable everywhere.
- Small files
- Obsolete: Flash Player is gone
- Plays only in a few desktop players
What is AVI?
AVI is one of the oldest video formats still around. Files from older cameras, DVD rips and legacy software are often AVI with DivX/Xvid video. It lacks modern features and produces large files, and phones and websites rarely accept it — but some DVD players, car screens and old editing tools still want AVI.
- Plays on older Windows PCs and DVD players
- Simple, widely recognized
- Large files
- Poor support on phones, Macs and the web
Why GlideConvert?
- Private by design. Your files are converted on your own device by your browser — they are never uploaded to a server. That keeps them private, avoids upload waits and means there is no queue.
- Fast. Images convert in a fraction of a second; video uses your device’s hardware encoder and is often simply repackaged without re-encoding.
- Free. No sign-up, no watermark. 10 images, 5 audio files or one video at a time — Pro lifts the limits and removes ads.
Frequently asked questions
Will converting FLV to AVI lose quality?
Often not at all. If the FLV file already contains video and audio that AVI supports (H.264 video and AAC audio are the most common), they are copied as-is: no quality loss, and even a large file converts in seconds. Otherwise the video is re-encoded at high quality — choose a quality level or a target file size in the options.
How long does converting FLV to AVI take?
Usually much less than the length of the video: modern browsers encode video with your device’s hardware. FLV needs a universal decoder (FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, a one-time ~32 MB download) which is slower — expect roughly real-time speed for HD video.
Is FLV still worth keeping?
FLV is obsolete — Flash Player was discontinued in 2020. Converting to MP4 keeps your videos watchable on any device for years to come.
Which codec does the AVI file use?
MPEG-4 Part 2 video (compatible with DivX/Xvid players) with MP3 audio — the combination most DVD players, car screens and older software expect.
Is there a file size limit?
On the free plan each video or audio file can be up to 500 MB and each image up to 100 MB. With Pro the limit is 4 GB per file. Because everything happens on your device, the practical limit for very large files is your device’s memory.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. GlideConvert runs entirely in your browser: images are processed with the browser’s built-in codecs and WebAssembly, video and audio with hardware-accelerated WebCodecs (or a WebAssembly build of FFmpeg for older formats). Nothing is sent anywhere — you can even disconnect from the internet once the page has loaded.
Does it work on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows?
Yes. It works in any up-to-date browser — Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox or Samsung Internet — on phones, tablets and computers, with nothing to install. Long or 4K videos convert faster on a computer than on a phone.