- Converting videos to AVI online prevents your having to download programs that may contain malware and take up valuable hard drive space. However, conversion sites typically impose size limits---for instance, there's 100 MB limit at Zamzar.com. A link to the converted file is sent to you via email, allowing access from any Internet-connected system.
- Downloading a free converter like Any Video Converter helps you to avoid file limits and allows conversions without an Internet connection. The program lets you control such video options as sampling rates and number of audio channels. It also features a built-in player, so you can play a video both before and after conversion.
- A commercial converter like Blaze Media Pro converts the most types of videos and includes a built-in player and editor so you can trim unwanted frames, crop images, apply special effects or add text overlays. You can also burn AVIs directly to DVD and CD discs. You can even extract video frames from the AVI and turn them into image files. A free trial is available at the Blaze Media Pro website.