AVC generally means H.264/AVC video compression, which is how the video is squeezed down, while the actual file format is usually a container like MP4, MKV, MOV, or TS that can hold AVC video along with audio tracks such as AAC, so people sometimes mix things up and label an MP4 as “an AVC file” despite the container defining the type; files ending in .avc or .h264/.264 usually contain raw AVC streams or custom exports that VLC may handle but often with weak seeking, incorrect duration, or no audio due to missing container-level indexing.
Some CCTV/DVR cameras save standard video under unusual file types even though the inner format is normal, so simply renaming to .mp4 may solve playback, but some recordings require the vendor’s player to convert; the quickest check is VLC playback plus codec info or a MediaInfo scan to confirm a standard container (MP4/MKV/TS), and if it appears as a raw AVC stream the common fix is to wrap into an MP4 container for compatibility without re-encoding.
A `.mp4` file is almost always a true MP4 *container* holding compressed video plus audio, subtitle tracks, metadata, and seek/timing structure, whereas a `.avc` file is often merely a raw H.264/AVC stream or vendor-specific output; although playable, it commonly leads to poor timeline navigation because container elements aren’t present.
This is also why `.avc` files often end up with video-only content: audio may be separate or never embedded, unlike MP4 which usually carries both video and audio; on top of that, many CCTV/DVR exporters use odd extensions, so a mislabeled `.avc` might actually be MP4/TS and start working once renamed, while truly proprietary ones need the vendor’s app to convert; basically, `.mp4` means complete indexing, whereas `.avc` often means nonstandard format, resulting in missing audio and unreliable seeking.
Once you’ve determined whether the “AVC file” is mislabeled, raw H. If you have any questions pertaining to where and how to make use of AVC file viewer, you could call us at our web-page. 264, or proprietary, you can pick the right fix; when VLC/MediaInfo shows a standard container—look for “Format: MPEG-4” or normal seek behavior—just renaming the `.avc` to `.mp4` often restores compatibility (after copying it), but if the file is a raw H.264 stream indicated by “Format: AVC” with sparse container details and erratic seeking, then the usual remedy is to repackage it into an MP4 container without re-encoding, adding essential timing and indexing data for proper playback.
If the recording was produced by a CCTV/DVR or any system with a unique wrapper, the dependable approach is running it through the vendor’s playback/export utility to produce an MP4 or AVI, because many proprietary formats won’t convert correctly unless exported through their own tools; that’s a real conversion rather than a rename, and if the file continues to show corruption, refuses to open, or retains an incorrect duration after remuxing, it usually signals an incomplete clip or missing index/metadata files, meaning you need to re-export or locate the associated data.
