AVI and MOV explained
AVI is a Microsoft container from 1992. It predates modern video compression and lacks features taken for granted today, such as proper support for variable frame rates and modern codec metadata.
MOV is Apple's QuickTime container. Structurally it is very close to MP4 — the two share an ancestor — but MOV files often use codecs like ProRes that general-purpose players cannot decode.
- Where AVI files come from
- Old camcorders, legacy Windows software and archived downloads.
- Where MOV is used
- iPhone and Mac screen recordings, and professional video editing.