MOVIE File

What are MOVIE files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a MOVIE file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your MOVIE files.

What is a MOVIE file?

A .MOVIE file is a Silicon Graphics Movie Video file.

A Silicon Graphics Movie Video File is a video-container format developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) for use on IRIX workstations in the early 1990s. It stores video - either uncompressed frames or frames compressed by SGI-specific codecs - along with metadata such as dimensions, frame rate, and optionally an audio track. These files are created with SGI's Movie Library tools like Capture or Movieplayer and are typically used for workstation-based video editing and playback on IRIX systems.

The format evolved through SGI versions 1.0, 2.0, to its final version 3.0. Version 3.0 is the one currently written by SGI software; earlier versions remain readable but are not produced by SGI tools any more. Movies in this format usually contain a single video (image) track and sometimes one audio track. Video compression options include MVC1, MVC2, JPEG, RLE24, and uncompressed RGB, depending on hardware and user settings. The audio track, if present, is always uncompressed.

These files begin with the ASCII signature "MOVI" at the start of the file to identify the container. Data is stored in big-endian order, matching SGI workstation architecture.

How to open MOVIE files

We have identified one MOVIE opener that is compatible with this specific type of MOVIE file.

Programs that open Silicon Graphics Movie Video files

Last updated: August 10, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of MOVIE files. Remember, different programs may use MOVIE files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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