How do I Convert AVI to WMV?

One of the most popular media conversions that is carried out is AVI to WMV. The AVI and WMV formats were introduced by Microsoft in the 1990s and have been a staple of computer users all over the world. Both file formats are popular for two reasons, the first being that they are easily played in media players such as Windows Media Player that come bundled with the Windows operating system. Secondly, they are easily compressed and can be uploaded, downloaded and streamed via the internet.

Converting AVI to WMV is a fairly easy process and requires only conversion software. However, before we discuss how to convert these files, a short summary about each file is helpful.

What is AVI?

AVI stands for Audio Video Interleave. It is technically known as a container format and was introduced in 1992. Being a container format, AVI can include both video and audio, allowing synchronous playback. AVI files can be found online as music videos, TV shows, streaming video and can even be downloaded as a full length motion picture.

What is WMV?

WMV stand for Windows Media Video. This file type was developed by Microsoft specifically for streaming, however, it can also be saved to a hard drive or disc media for playback with Windows Media Player and other types of players such as Winamp, DivX and VLC player. The current version of WMV is WMV9 which includes the feature of a high compression rate in order to fit large videos into a small amount of storage space, making it a great format for transferring over the internet.

Converting AVI to WMV

Converting AVI to WMV or vice versa is quite simple to accomplish. All you need is conversion software. There are many types of conversion software online; some are freeware, others shareware and others are commercial products. However, if you do not require all the bells and whistles and would just like a simple conversion of one format to another, a freeware or shareware software title will more than suffice. Some of the popular AVI to WMV software conversion tools are listed in the next section.

Most conversion software are similar and so are the instructions. Here are the basic instructions to convert AVI to WMV.

Launch software: Once you have installed your conversion software on your computer, you can launch it to convert an AVI file to WMV. Usually, when the product launches, you can choose to begin a new conversion.
Choose the type of conversion: Since most conversion software titles can convert a variety of formats, you must first choose the type of conversion that you would like to take place.
Load your source file: First, you will load the AVI source file that you would like to convert to WMV. Usually, the software will prompt you to browse or quickly select the file from a folder. Most applications also allow you to drag and drop source files into the application window.
Select the destination file name: Once you have selected the source file, you will have the opportunity to name the destination file and ensure that it is saved in a specific directory.
Choose special features: Once you have chosen the source and destination parameters, you can usually choose between several features. Since each software has its own features, before using the software, quickly look at the bells and whistles that your software offers. Be careful to select the correct audio and video codecs (WMA for audio and WMV8/9 for video are ideal), video size (usually left the original size), and bit rate (for decent quality, use at least 128 kbit/s for audio and 768 kbit/s for video). Keep the fps (frames per second) the same as the source file.
Begin the conversion process: Once everything has been selected, you can begin the conversion process, usually by clicking on a button. The conversion process can take anything between a minute to over an hour depending on the file size, the conversion specifics and your computer configuration.
Confirm the conversion process: Once the conversion process is completed, you will be notified by the software. If there was a problem with the conversion, you will usually receive an error message at the moment the error took place. Once the conversion is complete, open up your media player of choice and confirm that the file has been converted correctly.

Free Tools for Converting AVI to WMV

The following is a list of popular freeware tools that will help you convert AVI to WMV. All of these are less than 17 MB in size.

FormatFactory 1.65: A very good application for multiple audio/video file conversion. Easy to use and fast!
Any Video Converter 2.6.7: Convert between multiple video formats. You will get a hang of the interface in a very short time and will be amazed by its simplicity, speed and conversion quality.
WM Converter 2: Convert between multiple media formats using the simple, intuitive interface. Also supports split and merge options.
Koyote Soft Free Video Converter: A tiny application (just 3.4 MB) for converting between multiple formats. Be careful not to install the toolbars which you may not like. The interface isn't as great as it could have been.

These tools are for Windows. If you're using a Mac, you could use the shareware application AddMovie from LimitPointSoftware, which comes with a limited time trial.