Convert M4V to MKV
This makes an MKV out of the M4V you already have. MKV keeps a whole release in one file: the picture, several audio languages, subtitles and chapters. Your file never leaves your computer.
Need the other direction? Convert MKV to M4V
How to convert M4V to MKV
- 1 Drop your M4V .m4v file onto the page, or click to browse for it.
- 2 Set the quality, or leave the default, which keeps the file small without anything showing.
- 3 Convert. The work happens on your own machine, so how long it takes depends on your computer and the file.
- 4 Download the MKV, or add more files and do the whole set in one go.
Why convert M4V to MKV
- Holds unlimited audio, subtitle, chapter and attachment tracks.
- Holds almost anything, and it is an open format still being maintained.
- Home media servers and set-top players.
- M4V: non-Apple players may refuse the extension even when the file is fine.
M4V compared with MKV
How the two formats differ on the things that decide whether a conversion is worth making.
| Property | M4V | MKV |
|---|---|---|
| File extension | .m4v | .mkv |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy or lossless |
| Typical file size | Smaller | Depends on mode |
| Browser support | Some browsers | No browser support |
| Introduced | 2005 | 2002 |
| Developed by | Apple | Matroska community |
| Standard | Proprietary | Open |
Quality and what changes
MKV stores the same content under a different set of rules, so what matters here is compatibility rather than picture quality. Convert once from the best source you have rather than through a chain of intermediate files.
- Files protected with DRM cannot be decoded and will fail rather than convert.
- One MKV limitation to keep in mind: large multi-track files are unwieldy to share.
Questions about M4V to MKV
Can I open an MKV in a browser?
No. No mainstream browser renders MKV natively, so it will download rather than display. That is fine when the file is heading into desktop software or an archive, and a problem if it is going on a web page.
Is my M4V file uploaded anywhere?
No. The whole thing runs inside the browser tab you already have open. Your M4V is read straight from your own disk, converted on your machine and handed back as an MKV. Nothing is sent anywhere, nothing is stored and there is no account.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no server-side limit because no server sees the file. The real ceiling is your device memory, since the input and the output both have to fit in the tab. A few hundred megabytes is usually fine on a desktop machine and considerably less on a phone.
Can I convert several M4V files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are processed one after another, then offered as separate MKV downloads or as a single ZIP. Speed depends on your own processor rather than on a queue.
Does the converter work offline?
Yes, after the page has loaded once. The engine is cached by the browser, so you can disconnect, reload and keep converting. That falls out of doing the work locally rather than being a separate mode you switch on.