Video conversion
Convert AVI to FLV
Updated Jul 2026
AVI is an older Windows video container, and FLV is the Flash Video format many older websites and playback systems still expect. To convert AVI to FLV, open the file in a converter and export it as FLV. Doing it on your own computer means the video never has to travel to someone else's server first.
- Extension
- .avi
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Legacy Windows video
- Extension
- .flv
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Legacy web video
- Compression
- Lossy
Convert AVI to FLV on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert AVI to FLV
- Open Morphjet and drag in the AVI file, or a whole folder of them, to convert several at once.
- Choose FLV as the output format.
- Convert. The FLV is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
AVI vs FLV: what actually changes
| AVI | FLV | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Larger, especially with uncompressed or lightly compressed audio and video | Smaller, built for the low bandwidth of early web video |
| Quality | Can be lossless depending on how it was encoded | Lossy, and re-encoding an AVI into FLV adds a further quality loss |
| Compatibility today | Plays natively on Windows, needs extra software elsewhere | Requires Flash Player, which browsers and modern devices no longer support |
| Streaming or web use | Not designed for streaming | Was the standard for streaming web video before Flash was retired |
| Typical use now | Older Windows recordings, camcorder footage, legacy archives | Legacy systems, old media servers, and Flash-based software still in use |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert AVI to FLV when you're feeding a legacy system, an old media server, or Flash-based software that specifically still requires it. Outside of that kind of legacy setup, this conversion is rarely the right move anymore.
Keep the AVI, or convert to a more current format instead, if you just want to watch or share the video today, since Flash Player has been discontinued and most browsers and devices can no longer play FLV at all.
Why not just use an online converter?
Old home videos and camcorder footage saved as AVI often sit untouched for years, and uploading them to convert is handing a stranger's server a copy of something personal. Converting on your own computer keeps that footage local the whole time. You can even do it with your wifi off.
Questions
Does converting AVI to FLV lose quality?
Yes, in most cases. FLV uses lossy compression, so re-encoding an AVI file into FLV adds a further, one-time quality loss on top of whatever the AVI already had. Keep the AVI if quality matters more than compatibility.
Will FLV files play on modern devices?
Not easily. FLV depended on Flash Player, which was discontinued in 2020, so most current browsers, phones, and streaming devices can't open it without extra software. It mainly makes sense if you're dealing with an older system that still requires it.
Why would anyone convert to FLV in 2026?
Mostly for legacy reasons, such as an old media server, embedded device, or Flash-based application that was never updated to accept newer formats. For everyday playback or sharing, a more current format serves you better.
Can I convert AVI to FLV without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so the video never leaves your machine or passes through anyone else's server.
Does the audio track carry over correctly?
Yes, the audio converts along with the video, though it's re-encoded to fit FLV's format, so it goes through the same lossy compression as the video does.
Morphjet converts AVI, FLV, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.