Free AVI test files and sample generator
Microsoft's RIFF video container, playable almost everywhere. Generate valid .avi sample files with real uncompressed frames to test players, converters, uploads and media pipelines.
What is a .avi file?
AVI: Audio Video Interleave. AVI is Microsoft's long-standing RIFF-based video container. Because the format permits uncompressed frames, an AVI can be a genuinely playable video without any codec involved, which also makes it the one video format that can be produced at small sizes.
Why generate a test AVI file?
- Test a media pipeline against a legacy container that is still widely supported.
- Verify playback of uncompressed video, where every frame is a raw bitmap.
- Generate a small video file, other video formats have a much larger minimum.
What you can put inside a .avi file
You get 3 content options for AVI, so the file holds something meaningful rather than random padding: Color bars, Timer / counter, Logo motion. For AVI these are alternatives, so choose the one that matches what you need to test.
How a .avi file is identified
Every .avi file begins with 52 49 46 46 … 41 56 49 20, "RIFF", then the length, then "AVI " at offset 8. That is what a validator inspecting content rather than the file name looks for.
How the size lands on the exact byte
The frame count sets most of the size and a JUNK chunk absorbs the remainder. RIFF pads chunks to an even length, so an odd target leaves one byte after the RIFF chunk, which readers ignore because they size the file from its header.
Negative testing with broken AVI files
- Invalid. Identifiable, but wrong inside, so it fails during parsing.
- Corrupted. The leading bytes are destroyed, so the
52 49 46 46 … 41 56 49 20identifying a .avi is gone. Same length as the valid file. - Incomplete. Truncated part-way, so it is genuinely shorter.
- Empty. Chosen under Content rather than File Condition: valid structure, no data.
Which failure to reach for, and what to assert for each, is covered in how to make a corrupted file for testing. For upload limits and type checks see testing file upload validation.
Sample AVI content
[AVI], RIFF/AVI: hdrl (avih + strh + strf) + movi (uncompressed 00db frames) + idx1.
This shows the shape of the file. Your download is generated fresh at the size you choose, so the values will differ.
How to open and verify the file
Play in VLC, Windows Media Player or MPC-HC; inspect with `ffprobe file.avi`.
Media type video/x-msvideo · extension .avi · category Video
Generate a .avi file → · questions about sizes, privacy or cost are answered on the site FAQ.
Frequently asked questions about AVI files
What identifies a .avi file?
A .avi file begins with the bytes 52 49 46 46 … 41 56 49 20, "RIFF", then the length, then "AVI " at offset 8. Those bytes are what a content-sniffing validator looks for, and what the Corrupted condition destroys.
How can a .avi file be an exact number of bytes?
The frame count sets most of the size and a JUNK chunk absorbs the remainder. RIFF pads chunks to an even length, so an odd target leaves one byte after the RIFF chunk, which readers ignore because they size the file from its header.
What can go inside the AVI file?
There are 3 content options for .avi: Color bars, Timer / counter, Logo motion. For AVI these are alternatives, so pick the one matching what you need to test.
Can I download several broken AVI files at once?
Yes, select more than one File Condition and you get one ZIP containing a .avi per condition, each named after its condition.
Can the AVI file use UTF-16 or a byte-order mark?
No, and deliberately. A .avi file is a container rather than plain text, so rewriting its bytes as UTF-16 would not produce a UTF-16 document. It would produce a broken file. Use a text format such as CSV, JSON or XML for encoding tests.
How do I open or verify the AVI file?
Play in VLC, Windows Media Player or MPC-HC; inspect with ffprobe file.avi.