can an .avi file be converted to a .mpg file?

not being a technical person myself (i.e. no clue what the term container really meant) this worked great
QT Kirk was pointing out that you were asking about how to convert one outmoded file container (which often contains compression formats no longer in common use) to another which has, for the most part, been replaced by MPEG-2 which in turn has been replaced by MPEG-4 for many uses and which is now, in its own turn, being replaced by H.264 -- especially where HD content is concerned.