How to Burn AVI File

Level of difficulty: Easy

The Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format is used to hold audio and video data in a single file. AVI files are easily burned on blank CDs or DVDs, provided the proper equipment and software are used. These can be used to create video CDs or DVDs that can be played on any compatible CD or DVD player. They can also be burned as simple data files readable on any desktop or laptop computer with a CD or DVD drive.

Materials Needed:
- Computer
- blank CD or DVD
- CD or DVD burner
- installed CD or DVD burning software
Step 1
Choose the burning suite. There are several burning programs available. A commercial or free application can be used. Check if the program is compatible with the specifications of the computer. The software must also be compatible with the burner hardware. There are some burning programs that can only burn data files while others can also create video discs that can be played on DVD or CD players.
Step 2
Check the size of the AVI file to be burned. Standard CD and DVD discs can only hold about 700Mb and 4.7Gb of data respectively. These capabilities should be considered if the AVI file is to be burned as data files. If the files are used to create video discs, the discs can only hold a certain length of video dependent. The CD can hold 80 minutes while the DVD can hold 120 minutes.
Step 3
Acquire the blank CD or DVD. CDs and DVDs come in several formats. The more popular formats are CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, and DVD-RW. These formats differ in how many times data can be written to them. Data can be written more than once on the RW (rewritable) formats while the R (recordable) discs will only receive data once.
Step 4
Choose the format for the disc. Decide if the files will be used to make data discs, a VCD, or a video DVD. This will dictate how many discs will be used and the kind of burning suite to use.
Step 5
Launch the burning suite. Click on a desktop icon or link for the application to launch it. One of the more popular programs is the Nero line of burners. This has a user-friendly interface to give users step-by-step instructions.
Step 6
Open the AVI file. The file can be clicked and dragged to the program field. The drop down menu of the application can also be used to add the file to the items to be burned. Add other AVI files if desired. Check if the project will still fit inside the disc format chosen. Most burning software will tell users if the project exceeds the size of the disc. Users can also create a title for the disc or rename the AVI file.
Step 7
Configure final settings. Most burning suites give users additional options. This may include the burning speed. Some have options for the data to be checked immediately after it is written on the disk. This makes sure the project has been burned properly. If the program being created is a DVD video, users can also add menus and title cards to the disc.
Step 8
Burn the AVI file. Make sure the disc is already in the drive. Burn the project and wait for it to finish. Most burning programs will automatically open the disc drive when the data has been written.