15 Comments

Forget Google GVI files, download AVI files

January 16, 2006 by in AV,Entertainment,Tech with 15 Comments

As great a news as it is to hear Google’s recent decision to offer free downloads for video content, the proprietary file format GVI is near worthless. Sure, Google offers video compatible with the PSP and iPod Video, but what about users who wish to download “real” video file formats?

Download Google Videos offers direct AVI downloads of video content. No need to download and install the Google video player.

Try It


  • Michael

    How do you download the GVI files as AVi?

  • MikeyW

    Yeah, how the hell do you change it to avi or mpeg or something?

  • GeoNorth

    The GVI files play normally in VLC, which has a streaming function (alothugh how well that works I have no idea) VLC sees the free GVIs as plain vanilla AVIs so streaming it out as another AVI might work…

    …Nope, of a 3:44 video, VLC gets as far as 1:45 and screws up :(

  • http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/ John S.

    I have found a vergood program which converts gvi to avi with great success, it takes depending your computer processor and the size of the file anything from a minute to a couple of hours, but works great. You must select the compression option though. I find changing to avi using the microsoft mpeg 4 v2 the best so far. The program is called virtual dub and is freeware with no spyware baggage at all.

    http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/

    give it a try ……………….

  • javier

    VirtuadDub generate a giant .avi file. I found a better solution, because I descover something: .gvi is a .divx file! But, with a secret: When you download a gvi file from Google Video, REALLY you download the file EMPTY, even if appear a size like 95.000 K. It’s empty!

    The solution is this: Open the .gvi file with Google Video Player, press play and inmediately stop. Let the file download (You will see a gray line)

    When process finish, close Google Player, go to the file and simple change the extension from .gvi to .divx, and you can play the file with BSPlayer, or native Divx Player. It’s works!!!!

    :-)

  • alex

    yes it is working but there is something with sound. i downloaded the cors video clip and video after rename .gvi to .divx is correct except the sound.

  • Simon
  • http://www.pablitoelpreceptor.com JuliaN91

    Simon, that’s really appreciated. Thx!

  • Grizzly

    But how can you change the extensions then Javier???

  • Pulsar
  • http://none cool_dimens

    Naevius GVI Converter is the program that allows you to convert Google Video Files (GVI) to AVI format.
    Add GVI files, click Start button and You will get AVI files.
    Useful, easy and conveniently!

    How work it?

    1. Run Naevius GVI Converter.
    2. Select Output Folder (“D:\” for example).
    3. Click “Add…” button and add GVI-file (“C:\video\test.gvi” for example).
    4. Click “Start” button.
    5. As result will be file in output folder (“D:\test.avi” for
    example).

    Screenshot:
    http://naevius.com/files/gvi_converter.jpg

    Download:
    http://naevius.com/files/gvi_converter.exe

  • AntiCommerz

    Forget about commercial gvi to avi converters! All Bulls..t!

    Naevius^^ and GVideoFix v2.0 are big programs for such a small task like removing the header information from the AVI files (more precisely a list of type “goog”). Naevius with 37.6 Mb and 20$ isn´t even worth thinking about, GVideoFix 2 – ok, 4.19MB and donation-ware.

    A very nice and small tool converts it for free. Daelin´s free GVI2AVI http://www.kultiras.net/programs/Gvi2Avi.zip does the job perfect. Just 96 KByte and voila. .NET Framework (2.x) necessary.

  • Anjanesh

    Thanks AntiCommerz – thats a very useful tool – esp for a .NET 2.0 fx based.

    Anyway, Media Player
    Classic     seems to play gvi files withno issues so far.

  • http://dvdsoft.us/gvi-converter.htm dvdsoft

    convert Google Video File (*.GVI) to AVI format?
    convert Google Playlist File (*.GVP) to AVI format?
    convert Google Video File (*.GVI) to DVD?

    http://www.dvdsoft.us/gvi-converter.htm

  • Cdub

    When I found out that gvi files are divX encoded, I just renamed the gvi extension to avino fuss, no muss- all my apps mpeg’d it and authored it to dvd just like a native avi file :D

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