Free online DAV to XVID converter

What the DAV format is

DAV is a proprietary video container used mainly by Dahua DVRs, NVRs, and compatible OEM surveillance systems; some DVR365-branded equipment also creates it. The file commonly contains H.264 or H.265 surveillance video, recorder-specific timestamps, and sometimes proprietary audio or metadata.

DAV files are usually opened with the recorder manufacturer’s Smart Player or playback software. A standard media player may show an error because DAV can use a proprietary demuxer, encryption, or a modified stream structure. Changing .dav to .avi does not convert the video.

What the Xvid format is

Xvid is an MPEG-4 Part 2 video codec rather than a complete container format. Xvid video is most commonly stored in an AVI file, so the practical target is usually AVI with Xvid video and MP3 audio.

Xvid produces relatively small files and works with many older Windows applications, DVD players, televisions, and media devices. It is less efficient than H.264 or H.265 at comparable quality, so it is mainly useful for legacy compatibility rather than maximum compression.

How to convert DAV to Xvid

Export the DAV recording first

1. Open the recording in the DVR manufacturer’s Smart Player or export utility.
2. Use Export, Convert, or a similar command and select AVI if the program offers a standard-video export. Save the result as camera-export.avi.
3. If the utility offers only DAV, export the clip anyway and test whether FFmpeg can read it. Many DAV files require the manufacturer’s software before normal conversion is possible.

Encode the exported video with FFmpeg

Install an FFmpeg build that includes the libxvid encoder, then run:

ffmpeg -i camera-export.avi -c:v libxvid -qscale:v 4 -tag:v XVID -vf format=yuv420p -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k camera-xvid.avi

-qscale:v 4 gives good general-purpose quality; lower values increase quality and file size, while higher values reduce both. The format=yuv420p setting improves compatibility with older AVI players. If the source has no audio, use -an instead of the audio options.

Some DAV files can be read directly by FFmpeg. Test with:

ffmpeg -i camera.dav -c:v libxvid -qscale:v 4 -tag:v XVID -vf format=yuv420p -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k camera-xvid.avi

If FFmpeg reports an invalid input, missing decoder, or unsupported format, open the file in the recorder’s player and create a standard AVI or another intermediate file first. Do not bypass a password or encryption mechanism; use the recorder’s authorized export function.

Convert without installing software

You can use the free converter on 101convert.com without installing software, provided the service accepts the particular DAV variant. Proprietary or encrypted surveillance files may still require export through the original DVR software before uploading.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Transcoding cannot restore detail already lost in the DVR recording. The Xvid conversion decodes the source and encodes it again, so use the original DAV as the archival master and keep the converted AVI as a compatibility copy.

Exporting a long recording directly to Xvid can produce a large file and may remove recorder-specific metadata, event indexes, camera authentication data, or embedded timestamps. Preserve the original filename, recording time, camera identifier, and time zone separately when evidence or auditability matters.

For a smaller modern file, H.264 or H.265 is generally more efficient than Xvid, but Xvid remains appropriate when the receiving application specifically requires an MPEG-4 Part 2 video stream in an AVI container.