Convert MSDVD to AVI

An older editor or playback device may accept AVI but reject a DVD project or its source clips. Conversion requires the original video files or a rendered DVD; the .msdvd file itself is not video footage.

What an .msdvd file contains

.msdvd is a Windows DVD Maker project file, not a Windows Movie Maker project or a video file. Windows DVD Maker, included with some editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, used it to store DVD authoring details and references to source media. The project does not embed the finished movie, so its referenced clips must still be available. Windows DVD Maker is not included with current Windows releases.

What AVI provides

AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a Microsoft video container that can hold different audio and video codecs. Older software and devices may require AVI, but compatibility depends on the codecs inside the file, not just its extension. AVI can also be larger than a modern H.264 MP4 at similar quality.

Conversion workflows

1. Convert the source clips: Find the media paths in the project, which can be inspected in a text editor, or reopen the project in Windows DVD Maker. Convert each required clip with FFmpeg, for example: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v mpeg4 -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 4 output.avi. This encodes MPEG-4 Part 2 video and MP3 audio; change the input filename and check that the target device supports both codecs. Converting clips individually does not reproduce the project's sequence, transitions, or DVD menus.
2. Keep the DVD Maker edits: On a computer with Windows DVD Maker, open the project and burn it as DVD-Video. For a DVD you are authorized to copy, use HandBrake to encode the relevant title to MP4, then use FFmpeg with the command above to create AVI. This preserves the rendered video edits but not DVD menus. HandBrake may not read copy-protected discs.

FFmpeg handles the AVI encoding; Windows DVD Maker is needed only to render the project as DVD-Video. If the original clips are available, reputable services such as CloudConvert or Convertio can convert supported video files to AVI, but they cannot convert an .msdvd project. Uploading footage sends it to a third party, and service limits may restrict file size or codecs.

Quality and compatibility

Encoding the original clips avoids the DVD's standard-definition MPEG-2 limit. Rendering to DVD first limits the result to DVD resolution and adds another lossy encode when converting to AVI. Lower -q:v values in the FFmpeg example increase video quality and file size; the example's codecs are not supported by every legacy device, so match its stated AVI codec requirements.