Y4M to AVI converter
Convert Y4M to AVI in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your video never leaves your device.
Last updated
Quick answer: To convert Y4M to AVI, add the Y4M file to the iHateFiles Y4M to AVI converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. Y4M is a format most software has stopped opening. AVI is not.
Should you convert Y4M to AVI?
Yes. Y4M is a format most current software no longer opens, so converting it is the reliable way to keep watching it. AVI is a reasonable target; MP4 is the safest.
The picture is re-encoded
A Y4M usually holds completely uncompressed frames with no sound. This writes MPEG-4 Part 2 (Xvid) video with MP3 sound into the AVI. The source is uncompressed, so this is the first and only round of loss.
There is no sound to carry
A Y4M carries no audio track, so the AVI comes out silent. If the sound exists as a separate file, add it afterwards with the Replace Audio tool.
Expect a smaller AVI
MPEG-4 Part 2 (Xvid) video is a much more efficient codec than what a Y4M holds, so at the same visual quality the AVI is usually a third to a half of the size.
Where the AVI will play
AVI plays on Windows Media Player, VLC and old DVD players with DivX support.
Y4M and AVI side by side
| Y4M | AVI | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the file | completely uncompressed frames with no sound | MPEG-4 Part 2 (Xvid) video with MP3 sound |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Carries sound | No | Yes |
| Plays on | Needs converting first | Windows Media Player, VLC and old DVD players with DivX support |
| Here | Read only | Read and write |
What usually goes wrong
About the Y4M. A few seconds of Y4M can be larger than a whole film in MP4. That is the format doing its job.
About the AVI. Audio drifting out of sync partway through an AVI is common, because the container assumes a fixed frame rate that the source did not actually have. Re-encoding to MP4 corrects the timing.
How to convert Y4M to AVI
- Add your Y4M file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to AVI.
- Press convert and the AVI file is saved back to your device.
Questions
How do I convert Y4M to AVI?
Open this page, add your Y4M file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Is this Y4M to AVI converter free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.
Will converting to AVI lose quality?
AVI is a lossy format, so some detail is discarded. The quality control on this page decides how much. The default is set high enough that most people cannot see the difference.
Can I convert several Y4M files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.