AVC typically means H.264/AVC compression, which is how video is encoded, not how it’s packaged, and most real-world videos live inside MP4, MKV, MOV, or TS containers that can hold AVC video plus audio streams, leading people to call an MP4 “an AVC file” even though MP4 is the real file format; when a file literally ends in .avc or .h264/.264, it often represents a raw stream or special-device export that might open in VLC but may have poor seeking, bad duration data, or missing audio because only containers provide indexing and multi-track structure.
Some CCTV/DVR setups save recordings under odd extensions even when the data is perfectly normal, so simply renaming to .mp4 may fix playback, while other clips are proprietary and need the vendor tool to convert; the simplest way to identify the format is to load it in VLC, view codec info, or check with MediaInfo to see if it’s a true container (MP4/MKV/TS), and if it shows a raw AVC stream the typical solution is to recontainerize it into MP4 to get better compatibility and seeking.
A `.mp4` file usually functions as a proper MP4 *container*, meaning it includes video, audio, timing information, seek indexes, and metadata, whereas a `.avc` file commonly represents a raw AVC/H.264 stream or a special export format without full container “plumbing”; it may play but often shows issues like odd starting behavior because much of the structural guidance isn’t there.
This is also why `.avc` recordings often have video-only streams: audio wasn’t packaged or lives separately, whereas MP4 generally combines video and audio; plus, many CCTV/DVR systems output bizarre extensions, so a file might actually be MP4/TS but mislabeled and fixed by renaming, while others rely on proprietary wrappers needing vendor software; put simply, `.mp4` means a real container with indexing, and `.avc` usually means raw H. If you liked this information and you would certainly such as to get more facts regarding AVC file application kindly see our own webpage. 264 video, which explains missing audio, limited seeking, and compatibility problems.
Once you figure out what your “AVC file” actually is, the next move depends on whether it’s mislabeled, a raw H.264 stream, or a proprietary CCTV/DVR export; if MediaInfo or VLC reveals it’s in a normal container (e.g., showing “Format: MPEG-4” or behaving like a standard video), the easiest fix is usually renaming the extension—many devices save MP4s but call them `.avc`, and switching `clip.avc` to `clip.mp4` often makes it universally playable (always duplicate the file first); if it turns out to be a raw H.264 stream, usually identified by “Format: AVC” with minimal container details and odd seeking, the typical remedy is to remux it into MP4 without re-encoding so it gains proper indexing and timing for smooth playback.
If the footage originates from a CCTV/DVR or similar device using a custom container, the surest route is using the vendor tool to export to MP4 or AVI, since some proprietary formats won’t wrap into MP4 reliably without an official export; in those cases you’re transforming a proprietary structure into a standard container, and if the file still fails—corrupted playback, no opening, wrong duration post-remux—it typically means incomplete data or missing index files, so the remedy is re-exporting or finding the required companion metadata.
