How to Convert MKV to MP4 Without Losing Quality

Have you ever downloaded a video file only to find out that it won’t play on your phone or computer? It often happens because of the file format. MKV is a popular video container… Think of it as a box that can hold video, audio, subtitles and more but not all your devices or apps can open it. Also, you know it is common knowledge that the MP4 format is the most universally compatible format for videos and audios. In this post, we’ll go ahead and explain why you might need to convert MKV to MP4. You will also be exploring the differences between these two formats and we’ll be walking through some of those easy ways to do the conversion without losing quality.

What’s the Difference Between MKV and MP4?

Both of these formats MKV and MP4 are container formats which basically means that they can contain multiple tracks i.e. video, audio, subtitles, etc. within them. But they have their own different strengths and weaknesses as well. MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is a very common container format for video and audio. It’s in fact the most commonly used video format these days and can store video, audio, subtitles, text, and still images as well.

MP4 is mostly known for its wide compatibility as it works on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, smart TVs, and you name it… pretty much any device. MP4 files are using compression to keep file sizes small, which means you only get a slight loss in the actual quality.

MKV (Matroska) on the other side of things is an open-source container format that, with time, has become popular for keeping that high-quality content. Matroska format is designed to hold multiple video/audio/subtitle tracks inside it in one file. An MKV file can contain different language audio tracks and subtitles all together housed in it.

Importantly, MKV supports lossless codecs… so it can deliver truly high-quality video. But such a richness comes with bit of trade-offs as well. MKV files are much larger than those other formats and all of those devices or players or yours cannot open MKV by default.

If we have to say this whole thing in one line, it can be stated that this MP4 is the universal workhorse that has great compatibility and that too with a small size but on the other side MKV is a flexible but a high-fidelity container, which has multiple streams and are often bigger files by nature. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14): A widely used container for video/audio.
  • Pros:
    • It is universally supported by most of those devices and apps.
    • It produces small files as compared to others and that too with good visual quality.
  • Cons:
    • It uses lossy compression which means that there is some loss of quality when we are encoding.
    • Limited to one video and usually one audio track per file.
• MKV (Matroska): An open-source, feature-rich container.
  • Pros:
    • It can hold multiple audio tracks, subtitles, chapters and menus in single file.
    • It is used for high-definition content because it has the property of preserving quality, which in technical terms is called lossless support.
  • Cons:
    • It produces larger file sizes since it does less compression.
    • It is not universally playable and some phones, tablets, and older players do not support it.

When we actually understand these pros and cons, they help us with explaining the reasons why people often have to convert MKV to MP4. MP4 is simply  and without a doubt more convenient for everyday use. We’ll cover those reasons next.

Why Convert MKV to MP4?

There are several scenarios where it makes sense for you to convert an MKV file to MP4:

• Device Compatibility: Many devices such as smartphones, tablets, game consoles, TVs can easily play MP4 natively but they might get choked when it comes to MKV format. For example, these iPhones and iPads don’t support MKV on their own. So, using these MP4 formatted files definitely ensures that you can watch your videos anywhere.
• Social Media and Streaming: There are several online platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook that choose to side with MP4 as compared to those other container formats. YouTube even recommends that if you can’t upload MPEG-2 videos (which were popular back in the day as they were DVD compliant), the next best format is MP4/H.264 for uploads. And Instagram too is in favor of MP4 because it keeps file sizes smaller and the quality loss in such videos is too small.
• Editing and Sharing: Most of those video editing apps and online services that are available today in the market work with MP4. Converting an MKV file to MP4 can save you those headaches of editing or playing in software like iMovie, Adobe Premiere, or web-based editors for that matter.

Now let’s move ahead and look at some of those easy ways to do that without sacrificing quality.

Methods to Convert MKV to MP4

Fortunately, converting video formats today is much simpler than it used to be. There are specialized converters for this purpose. You have several options: online tools, media players like VLC, or dedicated desktop apps. Here are three user-friendly methods:

Method 1: Use an Online Video Converter (recommended)

Online video converters work entirely in your web browser – no software download or installation needed. They’re great for quick jobs or when you don’t want to clutter your computer with extra apps. One such tool is Stellar’s free online video converter. It is an advanced video converter tool that gets the job done for you without any hassle and in easy-to-do steps, all while maintaining your privacy. It supports multiple file formats and doesn’t show unnecessary ads or affiliate links thereby keeping the whole experience clean and smooth. Here’s how it typically works:

1. Go to the Online Video Converter page: Launch Stellar Online Video Converter page on your browser.

2. Upload your MKV file: Click the upload button (or drag and drop) and select the MKV video from your computer. The tool will show a progress bar on the to show the upload progress.

3. Choose MP4 as the output format: Once done with the upload, the site will let you pick MP4 from the list of several video formats to choose from.

4. Convert: Hit the Convert button. The web tool will take some time to analyse that mkv file of yours and convert it. It shows you the progress in a progress bar here as well.

5. Download: After a short time, the tool will give you a download link for the new MP4 file.

Stellar actually lays this out as “3 Easy Steps: Upload, Choose Format, Save”. Because it’s browser-based, it works on Windows, Mac, Linux, or even mobile devices – anywhere you have a web connection. Key advantages of using a good online converter include:

• No installation required: You don’t have to download software; just use the browser. This keeps things simple.
• Supports all major formats: Stellar’s tool, for example, handles MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, FLV, WMV, and even older formats.
• High-quality output: The converter claims to keep your video “crisp, clear, and professional-grade”. In practice, if your input MKV is high-quality, you can get an MP4 that looks just as good.
• Free and unlimited use: Many online converters like this are completely free and place no hidden watermarks or costs on your files. Plus, for typical videos (say a few gigabytes or less), you shouldn’t hit any file-size limits.

Using an online converter is generally the simplest way – no tech skills needed. Just pick the format and let the website do the work.

Method 2: Convert Using VLC Media Player

If you already have VLC Media Player, which is pretty common as it is free of cost and has cross-platform compatibility, you can definitely use it as your video converter too. Else, you can also download it from their website… Its a free tool. Here’s a quick guide:

1. Open VLC and go ahead to Convert/Save. Launch the VLC player and navigate as File  > Convert / Stream.

2. Add your MKV file: In the Convert & Stream window that appears, click Open Media which is listed in the Drop media here section and select the MKV you want to convert.

3. Choose the MP4 profile. In the Choose Profile section, just go and pick a profile like “Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4)” in which the output will be MP4.

4. Select Destination and Name: In the Choose Destination section, click that Browse button then go ahead and give a name to the file. After that just select the location where to save that converted new MP4 of yours.

5. Save the file: Once you are done with all these steps, just go ahead and verify everything once and click the Save button. The tool shall convert that MKV file into an MP4 file and save it at the chosen location.

That’s it. VLC has now simply created an MP4 version of your MKV without any rocket science involved. This method is free and works offline, but can be a bit slower or technical if you’re not used to it.

Method 3: Use a Desktop Converter App

For very large files, even with batch conversions or if you are at a far flung area and working without internet, you can go ahead and ideally use a desktop video converter app. Examples include HandBrake (free, open-source) or other converter software.

Desktop converters can definitely give you more control like you can adjust the quality or file size of that MP4 file of yours and of course they handle very large videos better. The trade-off in this whole situation is that you must install that desktop software and its sometimes actually too much to do. But tools like HandBrake are ver user-friendly and beginners can just go ahead, pick a preset and hit “Start.”

The easiest route is often a good online converter. Stellar’s free online video converter is browser-based only and this definitely allows it to work on any device (PC, Mac, even mobile). And it supports all the common formats (MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, etc.) all while keeping your videos’ quality high. There’s no software install involved with it, there are absolutely no hidden fees or watermarks in those converted videos of yours and it’s simply ready to use in just a few clicks.

Final Thoughts

Converting those MKV files to MP4 is now simpler than ever. Whether you are using a handy online converter or its your favorite media player that you are using… The process takes just a few steps. Now that you’ve got this guide in those browser bookmarks, you can switch your videos over to MP4 anytime and that too without a hassle. Go ahead and try it – getting your video into a friendly format today is a breeze, and it makes watching or sharing your clips so much smoother. Happy converting!