| Extension | AVI |
| Full Name | Audio Video Interleave |
| Type | Video |
| Mime Type | video/x-msvideo |
| Format | Binary |
The AVI video file format is a general-purpose multimedia format for housing video and audio data. Created by Microsoft in the early 1990s, the format has, over the years, garnered widespread support; however, with more modern and capable formats such as MP4, AVI is now considered a legacy format, with support for it on the decline.
The format allows the storage of both audio and video tracks using a variety of different codes. This allowance for different codes means that some AVI files would not play on devices that did not have the correct codec software installed.
Despite AVI files being superseded by more efficient formats that offer improved codecs and other features, many video editing and playback software can open and play AVI files.
| Extension | GIF |
| Full Name | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Type | Image |
| Mime Type | image/gif |
| Format | Binary |
| Opens With | Paint.Net |
GIF files have been around since the dawn of the internet and are a popular choice of format for storing images and animations. Images stored within a GIF file can be stored at low bits per pixel to reduce the size of the GIF file, leading to improved download speeds. Reducing the number of bits per pixel, if done correctly, can lead to no noticeable difference in image quality.
Along with static images, GIF files are also capable of storing short video or animation sequences. This capability has proved very popular, with animated GIFs being created and used on websites and social media. GIF files are also a popular format for storing and transmitting internet memes.
With newer and more capable formats such as PNG and WEBP taking over as the default standard for images and animations on the web, the GIF format is slowly declining in popularity. Support for GIF files within image editing software is still strong and will likely continue.
