What is a Xvid file?
Xvid — open-source codec
Use the format XVID
A concrete example
Prepare an MP4 copy of an old XVID file.
Useful checks
Xvid also refers to a codec often placed in a AVI. Check the actual container and playback compatibility.
Choose a conversion
Keep the original and open the result in the software or on the device that will need to use it.
Your questions about this format
How to choose between MP4, WEBM, and MKV?
MP4 is suitable for many sharing purposes; WEBM is particularly intended for web playback. MKV may be better suited for content with multiple tracks. Look at the outputs offered for your file and test the result on the player you will actually use.
Can I extract only the audio from my video?
Yes, if MP3 is listed among the outputs of your source. Add the video, choose MP3, and start the conversion. The file must contain an audio track: a silent video cannot produce a sound recording.
Why am I being offered MKV for tracks and subtitles?
Not all outputs retain the same tracks. If the engine indicates that a MKV container is required, go back to the output selection and choose MKV instead of forcing a conversion that would remove elements. This output may fall under NoLimit.
How many videos can I convert for free?
The free offer allows one video per day, within the total quota of ten files and the limit of 100 MB per file. A batch of three files does not add three video rights: the video quota remains shared. A valid NoLimit access adjusts the limits according to the displayed offer.
What is it?
Xvid is an open-source video codec created as a free alternative to DivX. It compresses video using the same MPEG-4 standard and delivers comparable quality, usually packaged inside an AVI container.
Its name is actually DivX spelled backwards — a deliberate nod to its origins.
History & origin
The project began in 2001, following a dispute: a free codec had been developed collaboratively, only for a company to later close off its source code. The developers started over from scratch to build a genuinely open version.
Throughout the 2000s, Xvid stood alongside DivX as one of the go-to formats for sharing films online.
Why it is useful
Free and open-source, with quality on par with DivX in its day.
It remains widely supported by current software.
Limits & drawbacks
Its compression is now outdated compared to H.264, let alone H.265 or AV1.
It's almost always paired with an AVI container, inheriting all its limitations: no embedded subtitles, no chapter markers.
Practical tips
Convert your Xvid files to MP4: you'll gain in file size and compatibility, especially on mobile devices.
There's no longer any good reason to choose this format for a new encode.
Convert your Xvid in seconds, on our secure servers in France.
Convert a Xvid