AVI vs MKV
We perceive any video as a single stream, although the demonstration consists of video data, audio data, subtitles, and ancillary technical information. All of this is packaged in one file: a media container, which stands for the concept of “format.” The most popular formats for storing and playing videos are avi and mkv.
Avi and mkv
AVI is a container video format developed by Microsoft for universal video playback on hardware and software players. Avi video files can contain video and audio data compressed by various combinations of codecs.
MKV is a containerized video format that can contain video with audio and subtitles. Video files have the mkv extension and are intended for universal playback by newer hardware and software players. Created under the auspices of Matroska, a project aimed at developing open, flexible and multiplatform formats for multimedia containers.
Difference between avi and mkv
The avi format is older and therefore can be played smoothly on all consumer players today. The mkv container contains the H.264 / AVC codec inside it, which uses a lot of hardware resources. Therefore, until recently, it was not practical to embed it in home video players. Consequently, only modern models support it, but even then not all. For most manufacturers, there is still a problem with the implementation of this “bad” codec. Complications can also be felt on computers. For avi to work, a standard set of codecs is sufficient, and for mkv you need to install additional programs for video editing.
When playing videos, mkv shows advantages over avi. First, this container can hold multiple audio tracks at the same time. Second, since the subtitles are not embedded, they can be turned on, off, and toggle between each other. This allows us to solve the problem of introducing multilingual translations into the movie. Third, “heavy” mkv files play without crashing, slowdowns, or errors, as is the case with avi.
The rest of the differences are more technical. The mkv video container can contain compressed files with a higher number of codecs than avi, and the service information is more easily recorded and retrieved. The container unpacking process is also faster. Also, avi is considered a commercial project, while mkv is its direct open source alternative.
