Convert raw H264 camera and DVR streams to AVI online for older players and editors. Upload files up to 20GB and download the converted result in a few clicks.
Drag & Drop your H264 file here
H264 files, up to 20GB
Files stay private.
Automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Link
20GB upload limit.
4.8/5
Trusted for 1,827,796+ conversions
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps, no account, nothing to install.
01
Upload your H264 file
Drag in the .h264 file from your DVR, NVR or camera. The recording type is detected from its contents, not its name.
02
Convert to AVI
Start the conversion. The video is copied into the AVI at the recorder's frame rate, and the sound is written as 16-bit PCM.
03
Download the AVI
Download one AVI per file and open it in VLC, Windows Media Player or an editor that imports AVI.
H264
An .h264 file is usually a raw H.264 video stream with no container, or a recording in a DVR maker's own wrapping. Security DVRs, NVRs and IP cameras export footage this way, and most players cannot open it directly.
AVI
AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is Microsoft's long-established video container. It plays in VLC and in Windows 10/11 Media Player and Films & TV, and editors that import AVI open it. AVI holds one constant frame rate and cannot store frame reordering.
FILE FORMATS
SOURCE
.h264 is the usual extension for a raw H.264 elementary stream: just the compressed picture, with no container around it. Webcams, Raspberry Pi cameras, FFmpeg exports and many CCTV recorders write it. With no timing information, players have to guess the frame rate, often 25 fps, and seeking barely works.
TARGET
Audio Video Interleave was Windows' standard video container through the 1990s and 2000s. AVI files from that era usually hold DivX or Xvid video with MP3 sound, while cameras and webcams wrote Motion JPEG. AVI has no proper support for subtitles or modern codecs, and browsers and phones don't play it.
| Feature | H264 | AVI |
|---|---|---|
| Developed by | ITU-T / MPEG (codec) | Microsoft |
| File extension | .h264 | .avi |
| Usual video codec | H.264 (raw stream) | DivX, Xvid, MJPEG, H.264 |
| Usual audio codec | Usually none | MP3, AC-3, PCM |
| Subtitles | No | No (external files) |
| Best for | Camera and encoder output | Older PCs and DVD players |
| Plays on phones and browsers | VLC, FFmpeg; few others | Desktop players; not browsers |
USE CASES
Practical workflows where H264 to AVI conversion is useful.
Play footage in Windows Media Player
Windows players cannot open a raw .h264 export. The AVI plays in Windows 10/11 Media Player and Films & TV.
Import CCTV clips into an editor
Editors and tools that expect AVI get a file with the original H.264 picture and plain PCM sound.
Meet a request for AVI footage
When an insurer, a police department or a case system asks for AVI, you can deliver the whole recording in that format, with the camera's H.264 picture normally copied unchanged.
Keep the real timeline of a recording
Where the recorder paused or dropped frames, the AVI holds empty drop frames that keep the last picture on screen, so the clip keeps its real length and the sound stays in sync.
Examine the sound in an audio tool
The sound is stored as uncompressed 16-bit PCM, which audio and editing tools read directly, with no extra lossy step added.
Convert Hikvision exports
Hikvision IMKH/MPEG-PS exports are read with their real timestamps and come out as an AVI with the H.264 video copied.
Open vehicle DVR (MDVR) recordings
Recordings from HiSilicon-based vehicle DVRs are laid out at the rate of the recorder's clock, for example 29.97 fps, with the ADPCM sound decoded to PCM.
Use footage from an older MPEG-4 DVR
Old DVR recordings in MPEG-4 video are copied into the AVI with the XVID FourCC, which players map to their MPEG-4 decoder.
Turn SD-card camera files into AVI
IP-camera SD-card files (HXVS) keep the camera's timing, and stalls become drop frames, so the clip plays at its real length.
Archive in a format legacy systems read
Older playback and archive systems that only take AVI get the whole recording at the quality it was recorded in.
SUPPORTED FILES
Recordings from DVRs, NVRs, IP cameras and dashcams are supported.
From DVRs, NVRs, IP cameras and webcams.
Vendor-framed files are recognized.
Recognized from their contents.
Camera sound is kept where AVI supports it.
Upload a batch and download the AVIs as a ZIP.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Most problems come from how the recorder exported the clip.
01
Some recorders encrypt exports. Export the clip again with encryption turned off.
02
The export may be empty, all zeros or audio-only. Export the clip again from the recorder.
03
Damaged spots lose frames up to the next key frame. The rest of the recording is kept.
04
CCTV footage often has a variable frame rate, which some editors handle less well. VLC and browsers play it smoothly.
05
Phones and browsers don't play AVI. Use our H264 to MP4 converter instead.
06
Some old players lack an H.264 decoder. Try VLC, which plays every AVI.
Dahua SmartPlayer, XMeye VMS, Hikvision VSPlayer and similar programs play their own brand's files on Windows. dragdropdo turns H264 into AVI so the footage plays in ordinary players and editors.
| What matters | dragdropdo | The Recorder Maker's Player |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to install | ✓Yes. Runs in any modern browser. | ~Yes, a Windows download for each recorder brand. |
| Works on phones and tablets | ✓Yes. Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad. | ~No. Desktop players only. |
| Batch conversion | ✓Yes. Add many files and download one ZIP. | ~Clips are exported one at a time. |
| Share finished files | ✓Yes. Send a unique link from the result page. | ~You upload and share the files yourself. |
| Pricing | ✓Free with daily limits. $2.99 or $6.99 passes for unlimited use, no monthly plan. | ~Free. |
| Plays on phones and in editors | ✓Yes. The AVI opens in browsers, phones, VLC and editors. | ~No. The H264 still needs the maker's player. |
Other tools use different pricing, limits and workflows. This comparison describes dragdropdo's own features without assuming every other tool works the same way.
1.8M+
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4.8
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Avg. conversion
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Files kept
Auto-delete in 24h
WHY DRAGDROPDO
Convert H264 to AVI in your browser, with nothing to install and nothing kept after 24 hours.
Private by default
Files are encrypted in transit and deleted from our servers automatically after 24 hours.
No install required
Convert in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone or iPad. No app and no sign-up wall.
Big files and batches
Upload files up to 20GB each, add several at once, and download the results one by one or as a ZIP.
Share & download
Save finished files to your device or pass them on with a share link from the result page.
MORE H264 TOOLS
An .h264 file holds H.264 (AVC) video as a raw stream with no container, typically exported by security DVRs, NVRs and IP cameras. Some recorders wrap the stream in their own proprietary headers.
Explore all tools
FAQ
Answers to common questions about dragdropdo's H264 to AVI converter.
