Xvid was created as a competitor to DivX (Xvid is DivX read backwards). Unlike commercial DivX, Xvid is free software based on the GNU license. Xvid is a lossy format (based on MPEG-4 ASP), so you should expect a deterioration in video quality, but of course, the algorithm tries to make the loss concern less important elements of the image – with better or worse effects. As of today, the effects of his actions are definitely not impressive (to put it mildly).

Xvid is now an outdated codec and the only reason it can be used is to use it on “aged” devices that can’t handle newer coding standards. Newer codecs will provide not only higher image quality but also a higher degree of compression.

However, it may happen that we find somewhere a forgotten collection of old movies just saved in Xvid format. How do I play or convert them to a newer format?

How to play Xvid files and convert them to another format?

If videos encoded with Xvid do not want to play on your computer, then with a high degree of probability the system simply lacks the appropriate codec. After installing it, the videos should play with any software.

The most obvious way is to go to the official Xvid website and download the codecs to the system. During installation, we can decide whether we want to play other exotic (currently – because they used to be popular) formats. Along with the codec, it will also install a “flea” through which we can convert videos,

You can also solve the problem of playing movies globally and install a popular codec pack like K-Lite Codec Pack, which practically takes care of playing any video file.

If you want to convert Xvid encoded files to a more modern format, you can use the above-mentioned Xvid MiniConvert, but it seems more sensible to install a specialized program to convert video files, such as Handbrake. This program gives us full control over the video conversion process and uses modern hardware solutions to speed up the operation.

You can also use online converters, such as Convertio, but in the free version, they usually have limitations on the size of the files transferred.