VID File

What are VID files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a VID 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 VID files.

What is a VID file?

VID files have multiple uses, and Access Video is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Access Video

We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

How to open VID files

Important: Different programs may use files with the VID file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your VID file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different VID openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 14, 2026

All known file formats using extension .VID

While Access Video is a popular type of VID-file, we know of 8 different uses of the .VID file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Bethesda Softworks Video

Bethesda Softworks Video (.VID) is a video file format used for cutscenes and animations in older Bethesda Softworks games, including The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall and Terminator: Skynet. It holds both video frames and sometimes audio data for in-game cinematics or demo sequences.

The format is written by Bethesda Softworks' game engines (e.g. the Daggerfall engine) and is read by those same engines during gameplay. Fans and mod tools have created utilities like VIDDump and DFVid2AVI to extract or convert the content for playback outside the game environment.

Internally the script uses run-length encoding (RLE) for compressing frame data, a palette, and optional audio. Every file starts with a header which includes the ASCII identifier "VID" followed by specific bytes for format versioning. The sample code in FFmpeg (bethsoftvid.c) recognizes this signature for demuxing.

VID opener for Windows

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

Microsoft Video Driver

We know that one VID format is Microsoft Video Driver. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Psygnosis Video

We know that one VID format is Psygnosis Video. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Soul Hunt Video/cutscenes

We know that one VID format is Soul Hunt Video/cutscenes. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

SplashID VID

We know that one VID format is SplashID VID. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

SymbOS VID Video

We know that one VID format is SymbOS VID Video. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Video Creator CD32 Project

We know that one VID format is Video Creator CD32 Project. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Various apps that use files with this extension

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

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about VID file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.