What is MIME type "video/gvi"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

The MIME type video/gvi marks a file as a Google Video File. This tells a web browser or media player that the file holds video data in a format specific to Google. It uses the GVI extension to identify it.

When a system sees video/gvi, it knows to load a viewer or plugin that can decode and display digital video. The MIME type guides proper video streaming and playback.

Main use-case: Supports video streaming and playback in applications that know how to handle Google’s video format.
Enables systems to quickly recognize the file’s content type.
Assists in delivering the right codecs for smooth video performance.

This format is tailored for digital video content through Google’s platforms and specific software tools.

Associated file extensions

.gvi

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:


    Content-Type: video/gvi

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:


    <a href="file.dat" type="video/gvi">Download file</a>

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:


    const http = require('http');    
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {    
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'video/gvi');    
      res.end('Content here');    
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.gvi

FAQs

How do I open a file with the video/gvi MIME type?

Files served as video/gvi were originally designed for the now-defunct Google Video Player. Today, the best way to open these .gvi files is using a universal media player like VLC Media Player or MPlayer, which handle the underlying codec without requiring the original software.

Is video/gvi supported in modern web browsers like Chrome or Firefox?

No, modern browsers do not natively support the video/gvi format. If you try to embed this file type using the HTML5 <video> tag, it will likely fail to load. For web compatibility, you should convert the content to video/mp4 or video/webm.

How do I configure Apache to serve .gvi files correctly?

To ensure your Apache server sends the correct headers, add the line AddType video/gvi .gvi to your .htaccess or main configuration file. This prevents the server from sending the binary video data as text/plain, which causes the browser to display garbage text.

What is the relationship between GVI and AVI files?

The video/gvi format is essentially a modified Audio Video Interleave (AVI) container. Because the internal structure is very similar to video/x-msvideo, users can sometimes rename the file extension from .gvi to .avi to make it playable in older media players.

Why does Nginx download .gvi files as generic data?

This happens if Nginx does not have a mapping for the extension in its mime.types file. To fix this, add video/gvi gvi; to your Nginx configuration. This ensures the browser receives the correct Content-Type and handles the file as video rather than a generic download.

Should I use video/gvi for streaming video on my website?

No, video/gvi is a legacy format that is no longer standard for web streaming. Using it will result in poor user experience as most users will be forced to download the file rather than watch it in-browser. Stick to standard formats like H.264 (MP4) or VP9 (WebM).

General FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.