Upload your AVI file to Potok in Telegram and wait for the reply with SRT and VTT subtitles made from its sound. Older AVI clips often have no usual caption track, so the subtitles are separate files to load next to the video. Play 1 minute with them on to confirm the timing.
Send a file, get the text
Drop an audio or video file, or a voice message, into the chat with @potok_now_bot; the recognized text is sent back there.
Go to @potok_now_bot in Telegram
Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages
In short
- AVI files are identified by the FOURCC 'AVI ' in a RIFF header.
- OpenDML extensions specify multiple RIFF chunks that bring capacity to whatever the filesystem supports.
- The AVI stream header defines a text stream type with the FOURCC 'txts', though AVI has no standard subtitle track.
- Potok accepts .avi files up to 2 GB and reads them without a conversion step.
AVI at a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind | Container (RIFF) |
| Media types | video/vnd.avi, video/x-msvideo |
| What it holds | A RIFF file with the form type "AVI " that holds streams of different data types, usually audio and video |
How to make subtitles from AVI files
- Open the bot and send the file. Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram and send the .avi file. Files up to 2 GB are accepted; for a long recording use the Upload button of the bot's mini app.
- Mind this about the format. The AVI stream header defines a text stream type with the FOURCC 'txts', though AVI has no standard subtitle track.
- Get the subtitle file. Press the SRT or VTT export button; each caption carries a start and an end time. Then attach the file to the video and check how it lines up.
- Worth knowing. OpenDML extensions specify multiple RIFF chunks that bring capacity to whatever the filesystem supports.
What the subtitle file looks like
[00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,400] Caption 1: Look, she is blowing out all the candles!
[00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,100] Caption 2: Make a wish before you cut the cake.
[00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:09,000] Caption 3: Everyone sing happy birthday one more time.
[00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,800] Caption 4: The football match starts this evening, and the stadium opens earlier.
Captions written by us to show the layout. They are not output from a real AVI file.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Spoken languages | Around 30 languages have good published results; a few more come with warnings |
| Digest | A summary button under the transcript gives a short digest |
| Speakers and time | You can turn on speaker labels and timestamps |
| Output formats | TXT, MD, DOCX and PDF for text; SRT and VTT for subtitles |
| Desktop app | A separate Potok desktop app lets you dictate text into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
Common mistakes with AVI files
| Slip | Result | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Expecting a standard subtitle track inside the AVI | AVI has none, so the player shows no captions | Place the SRT next to the AVI with the same name |
| Sending an old AVI with out-of-sync sound | Caption times follow the audio and drift against the picture | Fix the audio sync in the AVI before requesting subtitles |
| Using VTT with an old AVI player | The player may ignore the VTT file completely | Choose SRT for older AVI players |
| Using the SRT with an edited, shortened AVI | Captions drift away from the speech after every cut | Generate fresh subtitles from the final edited version |
Next steps
The tools section has converters and calculators, the glossary explains the terms, and the download page covers the apps.
Questions and answers
Does Potok accept AVI files?
Yes. The bot accepts .avi files up to 2 GB, so no conversion is needed first.
What is the difference between SRT and VTT?
SRT is a plain list of numbered captions with start and end times. VTT starts with a WEBVTT header and is the format web video players read.
Which apps and devices create AVI files?
The DirectShow AVI Mux filter lets capture applications save AVI files (DirectShow AVI Mux).
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- AVI RIFF file reference, Microsoft Learn · checked
- OpenDML AVI extensions (Library of Congress), Library of Congress · checked
- AVI stream header (AVISTREAMHEADER), Microsoft Learn · checked
Try it on your own recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram