AVI to M2V Converter

Convert AVI to M2V: Read This First

This tool re-encodes the video from an AVI file into a raw .m2v — an MPEG-2 video elementary stream. The single most important thing to know up front: the audio is dropped. An .m2v has no place to put a soundtrack, so the output is silent video-only by design. That is the right format for DVD-authoring and MPEG-2 editing pipelines that want a bare elementary stream — but if you just want a playable AVI replacement, you almost certainly want AVI to MPG (audio included) or AVI to MP4 instead.

Why the M2V Output Has No Sound

M2V is the video half of an MPEG-2 stream, defined by ITU-T H.262 | ISO/IEC 13818-2 (first edition approved 1995). That standard specifies a video codec and says nothing about audio. A file saved with a plain .m2v extension is an elementary stream: a single media type — a sequence of coded MPEG-2 frames — with no container wrapped around it to hold a parallel audio track. So there is nowhere for your AVI's audio to go, and the converter discards it.

In DVD authoring and broadcast workflows this is exactly what you want. The video is mastered as .m2v and the audio is mastered as a separate file — usually .ac3 (Dolby Digital), .mp2 / .mpa, or LPCM .wav. Tools from that era such as DVDAuthor and TMPGEnc deliberately keep the two apart and only join ("mux") them later into a combined container like VOB or MPG. If you need the audio kept, extract it on its own with AVI to MP3 or, for the Dolby Digital track DVD tools expect, AVI to AC3.

M2V vs MPG vs MP4 — Which Target You Actually Want

Almost everyone who lands on this page is choosing between three MPEG-family outputs without realising how differently they behave. The decisive column is the second one: only M2V drops your audio, and it does so because the format has nowhere to put it.

If your goal is "make this AVI more compatible", the answer is one of the right-hand columns. Choose .m2v only when a tool has explicitly asked you for an elementary stream.

How to Convert AVI to M2V

1. Upload Your AVI File: Drag and drop your .avi onto the page, or click "+ Add Files" to choose it from your computer. You can queue several files to process with the same settings.
2. Pick a Quality Preset: Open "Show All Options" and set File Compression to Quality Preset, then choose a level from the Preset dropdown (Very High is the recommended default). The output is encoded with the MPEG-2 video codec — the only codec a .m2v elementary stream can carry.
3. Set Resolution or Trim (Optional): Use Video resolution to keep the original or pick a preset, and use Trim → Time Range to export just part of the timeline. For DVD targets, keep the frame size to a standard such as 720×480 (NTSC) or 720×576 (PAL).
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your silent .m2v. No sign-up, no watermark.

Walk-through: Choosing Bitrate and Resolution for a DVD Master

Because the M2V is destined for a DVD or an MPEG-2 timeline rather than direct playback, the settings that matter are the ones a DVD spec cares about — bitrate ceiling and frame size — not codec choice (it is always MPEG-2 here).

• If you are authoring a standard DVD: set Video resolution to Width x Height and type 720 × 480 for NTSC or 720 × 576 for PAL. The Preset Resolutions list sets height only and lets the width follow your source's aspect ratio, so it cannot produce a DVD-legal frame; DVD-Video only accepts those exact frame sizes, and an off-spec resolution will be rejected by the authoring tool.
• If you want to control file size: switch File Compression to Specific file size or Constant Bitrate. DVD-Video caps video alone at 9.8 Mbps and allows up to 10.08 Mbps to be shared across video and audio, so keep the video well under the ceiling (most authoring guides use 6–8 Mbps for video) to leave headroom for the separate audio stream.
• If you just need an editable intermediate: leave Quality Preset on Very High and Video resolution on Keep original. You get a high-quality MPEG-2 elementary stream your editor can import without re-scaling.

Whatever you pick, remember the result is mute — pair it with the matching audio file at the muxing stage.

DVD-Video MPEG-2 Targets at a Glance

DVD-Video is a strict specification, and an authoring tool will reject an elementary stream that falls outside it. These are the numbers to encode against:

Set Video resolution to the full D1 size for your region unless the authoring tool specifically asked for a half-D1 or SIF frame, and leave enough bitrate headroom for the audio track you will mux in later.

Common Errors and How to Fix Them

• "The M2V plays but there is no sound" — Expected behavior. A raw .m2v is video-only; there is no audio track to play. Extract the sound separately with AVI to MP3 or AVI to AC3.
• "My media player won't open the .m2v" — A bare elementary stream has no container or index, so many players refuse it or scrub poorly. Convert to AVI to MP4 for normal playback instead.
• "My DVD-authoring tool rejected the resolution" — DVD-Video only allows 720×480 (NTSC) or 720×576 (PAL). Re-run with Video resolution set to one of those fixed presets.
• "The file is huge" — Raw MPEG-2 is far less efficient than modern codecs. Lower the bitrate with Constant Bitrate, or if you do not actually need MPEG-2, use AVI to MP4 (H.264) for a much smaller file.

When This Doesn't Work

M2V is the right target only for DVD authoring and MPEG-2 editing pipelines that expect a demuxed elementary stream. If you are reaching for it because you want a smaller, more compatible, or playable video, it is the wrong tool — the result is silent, uses an old codec, and will not open cleanly in most players. For everyday use, convert your AVI to a real container instead: AVI to MPG gives you an MPEG program stream that carries the audio, and AVI to MP4 gives you a modern, widely playable file. Reach for .m2v only when an authoring tool specifically asks for an MPEG-2 video elementary stream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my AVI to M2V file have no audio?

Because .m2v is an MPEG-2 video elementary stream and holds picture only. The format, defined by ITU-T H.262 / ISO/IEC 13818-2, specifies a video codec with no provision for an audio track, and a bare elementary stream has no container to hold one. So the AVI's audio is dropped during conversion and the output is silent by design. If you need the sound, extract it separately with AVI to MP3 or AVI to AC3.

Where did my AVI's audio go after converting to M2V?

Nowhere — it is discarded, not stored anywhere on the side. M2V can only carry video, so there is no companion audio file produced. In a DVD-authoring workflow you would create the audio as its own file in a separate pass (typically .ac3 or .wav) and mux it with the .m2v later. To get that audio file, run a second conversion: AVI to AC3 for the Dolby Digital track DVD tools expect, or AVI to MP3 for a general-purpose copy.

Should I convert my AVI to M2V or to MPG?

Choose M2V only if an authoring or editing tool specifically asks for a raw MPEG-2 video elementary stream — it is silent and not meant for direct playback. For almost everything else, use AVI to MPG: an MPEG program stream wraps the video and audio together into one playable file, so you keep your soundtrack and the result opens in normal media players.

Can I play an M2V file directly?

Often not cleanly. A .m2v is a demuxed elementary stream with no container, no audio, and no seek index, so many players either refuse it or scrub poorly. VLC and some authoring-oriented players can open one, but you will hear nothing because there is no audio track. To get a normally playable file, convert to AVI to MP4 instead.

What resolution should the M2V be for DVD authoring?

Full D1 is 720×480 for NTSC or 720×576 for PAL, so set Video resolution to Width x Height and type those numbers before converting — the Preset Resolutions list is height-only and lets the width follow the source aspect, which will not give you a D1 frame. The spec also permits a few smaller frame sizes such as 704×480 and 352×240 (NTSC), but full D1 is the standard target. On bitrate, DVD-Video allows video alone up to 9.8 Mbps with 10.08 Mbps shared across video and audio, and most guides keep the video at roughly 6–8 Mbps to leave room for the separate audio stream. An off-spec frame size is a common reason a DVD-authoring tool rejects an imported .m2v.

What frame rate should the M2V use for DVD authoring?

Match the television standard your disc targets: 29.97 fps for NTSC (North America, Japan) or 25 fps for PAL (most of Europe, Australia, and much of Asia). Those are the rates DVD-Video defines, and an authoring tool will reject or silently resample anything else. The wrinkle with an AVI source is that it may already be at neither — 23.976 fps film-sourced content and 30 fps screen captures are both common — so the encoder has to conform it, which can introduce judder on panning shots. If your AVI is 23.976 fps and destined for an NTSC disc, that is the one case where the original rate is genuinely DVD-legal, since NTSC players handle it via 3:2 pulldown at playback time.

Can I turn an M2V back into a normal video file later?

Yes. An .m2v is still a valid MPEG-2 stream, so it re-imports cleanly — use the M2V converter to move it into a container that players understand. What you cannot get back is the audio: it was never stored in the .m2v, so a conversion out of M2V produces a silent file unless you separately mux in the audio you exported alongside it. That is why the cleanest path, if you also want a watchable copy, is to run a second conversion straight from the original AVI — AVI to MP4 for everyday playback or AVI to MPG for an MPEG program stream — rather than round-tripping through the elementary stream.

What happens to my files after I convert them?

Your AVI is uploaded over an encrypted connection, converted on our servers, and the files are deleted automatically a few hours after conversion. There is no sign-up and no watermark, and your files are never shared or made public.