“Ever since I got Plex it hasn’t played AVI files, they show up, it adds the lovely thumbnail, etc. but when I click play it just loads and loads and loads forever. I used to just convert all my AVI files to MP4 (which plays perfectly) but now I have the entire Dexter series in AVI and to convert them would just take ages. Is there any way to fix Plex not playing AVI?” These commonly asked cases could be very troublesome when they really come to you. Can Plex play AVI files? This content will help from all respects.

Part 1: Something about AVI

Before kicking off the mystery that whether Plex plays AVI files, let’s get some brief background about the AVI format.

Media files with AVI extension mean the data is wrapped by the AVI container. The full name of the AVI file is the Audio Video Interleave file. If you try to comprehend from the names, it is actually not that complicated as you think. However, the AVI format can be adapted into a huge diversity of codecs. In general, AVI videos will occupy more space compared to other media formats while it may apply less encoding procedures.

Even though once in a while, AVI is able to be created needless of compression, the AVI may have multiple codec usages regarding video and audio content respectively. Try to picture that some AVI files can play on certain devices while some others are not accessible at all. From this aspect, it is quite a codec-needy job to play all the AVI files seamlessly.

Part 2: Can Plex Play AVI Movie

Plex users are basically streaming media content on TVs. When the AVI files are inevitably popping up in our daily life, people will not stop asking can Plex play AVI files? Even though some assume Plex plays AVI files. According to the information about the AVI container format, it is hard to get an absolute conclusion. There are also lots of situations similar to this such as whether if Plex plays MKV files.

The availability of Plex play AVI files is decided by the AVI compression method and Plex supported AVI types. Either side is supposed to be tightly connected to each other. For example, the same AVI movie seems playable on PC but Plex not playing AVI at all. That could be the Plex incompatibility with AVI movies. So in this case, you should check what AVI formats Plex supports. On the other hand, the likelihood of Plex not playing AVI and nothing can play AVI movies do exist.

Part 3: Convert AVI to Plex Format

It is sad when Plex not playing AVI movies on the TV. But you can make a plot twist by to achieve happiness with this solution. You can convert AVI to Plex format in any case that Plex not playing AVI. However, this solution is intensively associated with reliable transcoding technology. Therefore, the formidable video converting software is firmly recommended.

Leawo Video Converter is equipped with progressive decoding and encoding skills to transfer AVI files to Plex formats without any quality loss. It is specialized in all kinds of media inputs such as MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, MTS, and FLV, even 4K /HD videos up to over 180 formats in total. On top of that, this app features in outputting portable device formats directly. You will experience an unprecedented facility of getting the Plex matching files automatically as it presets most of the profiles. There is also an internal video editor attached to serve as a video creator. More than that, users are enabled to make photo slideshow via this universal software. The amazing converting process can be as fast as 6 times of other normal speed.

Step 1. Download and install the top AVI converter on Windows or Mac computers.

The illustration will be taking the Windows edition. The customizable interface is divided by several frames from the menu bar, toolbar, to the file field.

   

Step 2. Launch the project and add source AVI movies.

There are two means to load AVI videos. The first way is to click on the “Add Video” circled in the red box. Alternatively, you can use the feature of “drag and drop” to move AVI files over the top of the Leawo Video Converter interface. All the AVI files will be recognized and showed immediately on the file frame.

Step 3. Navigate to the profile settings for the Plex format.

Over the file info bars, the “MP4 Video” button will be triggered after importing. Press it to activate the drop-down box. When you see the “Change” icon, just tap it to approach the next window.

Step 4. Select the corresponding Plex format.

In the “Profile” page, there are four green tabs on the top of “Favorite”, “Custom”, “Format”, and “Device”. If you cannot find the Plex format by searching around, it is easier to just utilize the searching tool from the left side. Input the keyword as Plex then hit the enter to view the results. Meantime, since Plex works on TV devices, it is probable to check the “Device” tab for further choices. Personally, I would choose the standard MP4 profile to play safe.

Step 5. Pick up a folder path to save Plex format files.

Once the output format is determined, go back to the entrance window wherein you can notice the only green button of “Convert” text. Click on this one to call out the converting menu. It will come out from the right side with a directory setting. In the blank bar of “Save to”, choose a place as the target.

Step 6. Hit the “Convert” and be patient.

When you are ready, put a single tap on the “Convert”. This great program supports batch conversion as some friends are requiring TV series conversion at one time. After a while, you can make Plex play AVI files as you wish.

Part 4: 3 Alternative AVI Player Alternatives

Top 1. Leawo Blu-ray Player

The primary place will definitely go for this best free AVI player on the PC of Windows and Mac. Leawo Blu-ray Player plays this role without a doubt with the robust support from the embodied codec base. To be precise, it offers ultimate video formats of over 180 types, including NSV, DVR-MS, WTV, and more. Besides, optical discs covering Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs, and other physical digital media files are all available within this magic player. The incredible feature that makes every user love this program is the quality-lossless playback for all videos even with 4K/HD content on Blu-rays.

In terms of disc description ability, it is an expert as it can decipher any region code. In order to optimize users’ watching experience, there are a bunch of free control settings to meet your demands. You can decide every single parameter during AVI playback. Moreover, you can make better use of this application by bonus toolkits such as screenshot snapper, power manager, remote access, multi-angles support, and fast start-up. The skins, themes, and backgrounds are open to your own preference as well. Also, it is able to multi-task the conversion from Blu-ray/DVD to MKV files after an upgrade to the premium version.

Top 2. VLC Media Player

Our second pick is popular player programm that you may have heard of. VLC Media Player is famous as an open-source player program that allow it to continue adding more codecs. It is also a cross-platform player for many systems like Windows/Mac/iOS/Android/Linux and some portable devices. Another point standing out among other applications is the tiny file size. Together with the lightweight performance that only takes trivial running sources, you can employ other programs while watching AVI movies at a corner of the screen.

If you find out Plex not playing AVI and neither VLC could, the convenience of VLC is users can easily add plug-ins to make AVI playable. However, the VLC player cannot change too many interface options like Leawo. The classic GUI may bore some individuals since a modern design would be more attractive.

Top 3. MPC-HC

If you don’t mind an outdated layout of the player program, then this extremely light-weight MPC-HC could be another wise choice for playing AVI media files. It has a very similar background as VLC that is based on the open-source foundation. At the same time, no spyware is guaranteed as well as no advertisements or toolbars. That means you would no longer be bothered by annoying ads on the banner or hidden spots. Although this project is free with many benefits, the maintenance seems to be left behind. Sometimes the issues will come across due to the lack of frequent updates.

Part 5: Conclusion

The scenarios of Plex not playing AVI are likely to occur from time to time. For now, you should know that the causes are from two sides. One is the AVI format that could be compressed using relatively unfamiliar codecs. On another hand, Plex might be not as talented as you assume. Plex mainly serves as place-holders with limited decoding technology.

For Plex users, you can totally address this concern by transcoding AVI to Plex format. The key is taking advantage of the best AVI converter - Leawo Video Converter if you don’t expect to know what disappointment seems like. A piece of small advice on playing AVI movies, it is not necessary to play on Plex all the time. There are plenty of AVI players in the market wherein we listed the top selections for you. Among them, Leawo Blu-ray Player is brought forward due to the feasibility.