Free online TREC to AVI converter

A legacy video editor, media player, or device may require AVI and reject Camtasia’s proprietary TREC recordings. Convert the recording to a rendered video first, then encode that video in an AVI-compatible codec.

What the TREC format is

TREC is TechSmith’s proprietary recording format used by Camtasia Recorder and Camtasia. It is primarily used for desktop tutorials, software demonstrations, technical support recordings, and training videos. A recording can include screen video, microphone audio, system audio, webcam footage, cursor information, and other data that Camtasia can edit.

TREC is intended to be opened by Camtasia, not by general-purpose media players. Renaming recording.trec to recording.avi does not convert it because the internal streams and metadata remain unchanged.

What the AVI format is

AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a Microsoft multimedia container that can hold video and audio streams. AVI remains useful with legacy Windows applications, older editing systems, industrial equipment, and media players that do not support newer containers.

AVI does not specify a single video codec. Compatibility depends on the codecs inside the file; common requirements include MPEG-4 Part 2, Xvid, or Motion JPEG video with MP3 audio. AVI files are often larger than H.264/AAC MP4 files at similar visual quality, and modern software generally provides better support for MP4.

How to convert TREC to AVI

Use Camtasia to decode the TREC file. Current Camtasia versions generally export standard video formats such as MP4 rather than AVI. Older versions may include direct AVI output through their production wizard.

1. Open Camtasia and import the .trec file through the media-import command, or open the recording from Camtasia’s start screen. The exact menu name varies by version.
2. Place the recording on the timeline and check the screen, webcam, microphone, and system-audio tracks. Trim unwanted sections and apply any required cursor, zoom, caption, or audio edits before exporting.
3. For an older Camtasia release that offers AVI, open the production or export wizard, choose AVI, select the required codec and audio settings, and render the file. The available codecs depend on the operating system and installed codec components.
4. For current Camtasia releases, export a high-quality intermediate file through Export → Local File or the equivalent local-export command. Preserve the original frame size and frame rate, and use H.264 video with AAC audio for the intermediate MP4.
5. Encode that MP4 as AVI with FFmpeg. A broadly compatible MPEG-4 Part 2/MP3 example is:

ffmpeg -i recording.mp4 -vf "scale=trunc(iw/2)*2:trunc(ih/2)*2" -c:v mpeg4 -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k recording.avi

The scale expression makes both dimensions even, which avoids errors with codecs that reject odd frame sizes. With FFmpeg’s MPEG-4 encoder, a lower -q:v value generally produces higher quality and a larger file. If the destination specifically requires Xvid, replace the video options with -c:v libxvid -vtag XVID when the installed FFmpeg build includes that encoder. For a device that requires Motion JPEG, use the device’s specified codec, pixel format, frame rate, and audio format instead of assuming that any AVI will work.

For a no-install option, the conversion can be attempted for free on 101convert.com by selecting AVI as the output. Availability may depend on the TREC version and the service’s decoder; uploading a screen recording can also disclose private desktop or microphone content.

Quality and compatibility limits

The Camtasia export followed by AVI encoding normally involves two video encodes. Keep the original TREC file, export the intermediate MP4 at high quality, and use the least-compressed AVI settings that the target application can accept. The final AVI contains rendered video and audio, not an editable Camtasia timeline.

Editing controls, separate source tracks, cursor effects, captions as editable objects, zoom animations, and other Camtasia project features are flattened or omitted during export. If the receiving application accepts MP4, use Camtasia’s MP4 directly; it will usually provide a smaller file and better support for current codecs.