AVI to WTV Converter
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Supports: AVI
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Need help?Convert AVI to WTV Online
WTV (Windows Recorded TV Show) is the container Windows Media Center used for recorded TV, so the only reason to convert an AVI into it in 2026 is to fold a clip into a surviving Media Center library on a Windows 7 or 8.1 HTPC, where the Recorded TV gallery indexes .wtv files. If you just want a video that plays everywhere — phones, browsers, smart TVs — convert AVI to MP4 instead; almost nobody needs WTV anymore. This tool re-encodes AVI to H.264 video inside the WTV wrapper. No sign-up, no watermark.
How to Convert AVI to WTV
- Upload Your AVI File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to add AVI files from your computer. Batch upload is supported — every file converts with the same settings.
- Pick Video Codec and Audio Codec: The Video Codec defaults to H.264, which WTV carries natively. Under Audio Codec, choose AC-3 (Dolby Digital) or MP2 to match what Windows Media Center expects for recorded TV; AAC and MP3 also encode but are not the format's native tracks.
- Set Quality Preset, Resolution, or Trim (Optional): Expand Advanced Options. Quality Preset runs Low to Very High (Recommended); or set a Specific file size, Constant Bitrate, or Variable Bitrate. Resolution offers Keep original, preset resolutions, or Width x Height. Use Trim with a Time Range to cut a clip before encoding.
- Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared.
AVI vs WTV — Format Comparison
| Property | AVI | WTV |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Audio Video Interleave | Windows Recorded TV Show |
| Introduced by | Microsoft, 1992 (RIFF container) | Microsoft, 2008 (Media Center TV Pack) |
| Primary purpose | General-purpose video container | Windows Media Center DVR recording |
| Typical video codecs | DivX, Xvid, MPEG-4, H.264, MJPEG | MPEG-2, MPEG-4, or H.264 |
| Typical audio codecs | MP3, AC-3, PCM | MPEG-1 Layer II (MP2) or Dolby Digital AC-3 |
| Program metadata | None | Title, channel, episode, broadcast time |
| Native player | VLC, MPC-HC, almost any media player | Windows Media Center (Vista TV Pack, Win 7, 8/8.1) |
| Predecessor | None | DVR-MS (Windows XP Media Center) |
| Status in 2026 | Legacy but universally playable | Discontinued ecosystem — Media Center removed in Windows 10 |
| Best for | Maximum compatibility, archival | Feeding an existing Media Center HTPC library |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the WTV file play on Windows 10 or Windows 11?
Not in Windows Media Center, because Microsoft removed Media Center when Windows 10 shipped in 2015 and there is no official replacement. The container itself still opens in VLC, Kodi, MPC-HC, and PotPlayer on Windows 10/11, but you lose the Recorded TV interface and the program-guide integration that is the entire point of WTV. If your target is a modern PC rather than a legacy Media Center box, convert AVI to MP4 for a file that plays everywhere without extra codecs.
I have a .wtv file I want to watch normally — am I on the wrong page?
Probably, yes. This page converts into WTV, which is only useful for an old Media Center setup. If you received a .wtv recording and just want to watch or edit it on a current device, you want the reverse direction: WTV to MP4. MP4 with H.264 plays on phones, browsers, smart TVs, and every desktop OS, which is what most people searching for WTV actually need.
Does converting AVI to WTV lose quality?
Yes — once. AVI and WTV use different codecs (your AVI is usually DivX, Xvid, or MPEG-4; the WTV output is H.264), so the video is decoded and re-encoded, which is one lossy generation. In our testing, leaving Quality Preset on Very High keeps the result visually close to a standard-definition AVI source. Upscaling the resolution does not recover detail the original AVI never had — it only inflates the file — so leave Resolution on Keep original unless you have a specific reason to change it.
Can xconvert add the Windows Media Center program metadata (title, channel, episode)?
No. The converter writes the WTV container and the video/audio streams, but it does not populate the electronic-program-guide fields that Media Center recordings carry — those are normally written by the tuner at record time. The file will play in a Media Center library; it just will not arrive pre-tagged with channel and broadcast-time data. A standalone WTV metadata editor can inject those fields afterward without re-encoding, since they live in the container header.
How are my files handled, and how long do you keep them?
Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion. There is no sign-up, no watermark, and your files are never shared or made public. If you would rather keep an AVI as an AVI and just make it smaller, see compress AVI; for a Windows-native alternative that still plays in Windows Media Player without Media Center, AVI to WMV is the more practical target.