How to Convert MKV to MP4 in Windows?

MKV is a container format for multimedia files that often keeps more than one audio track and subtitle track. But because it isn’t as famous as MOV and MP4, it can be hard to play an MKV file on a Windows computer.

If your device can’t play MKV files, you can change them to MP4 files. It is a standard format for multimedia files that almost all devices can play. Here are the best online and offline tools for Windows to convert MKV to MP4.

1. Use the VLC Media Player

VLC is a free, open-source multimedia player that can play almost all music and video formats, including MKV. You don’t have to convert and play the movie if you have VLC installed. But if you still need to convert your MKV movie, you can do so with VLC’s “Convert” button. It’s one of the VLC video player’s best-hidden features.

Using the VLC media player, do the following to change an MKV file to an MP4 file:

Open the VLC media player app on your PC.
In the VLC main window, click on Media and select Convert/Save. Alternatively, press the Ctrl + R key to access Convert/Save.
Next, click the Add button. Navigate and select the MKV video you want to convert.
Once the video is selected, click on Convert/Save.
In the Convert dialog, click the drop-down for Profile and select Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4).
Next, click the Browse button and select the file destination. You may need to enter a new name for the file to prevent the VLC media player from overwriting your original MKV file if it is in the same destination.
Once done, click Start.

VLC’s timeline will show how far along the change is. When it’s done, it will save your video to the place you tell it to.

The VLC media player makes it easy to change the format of a movie, but the audio can sometimes get lost in the process. Use a specialized video converter to fix this problem.

2. CloudConvert

CloudConvert is an online video converter that can change video formats. It has both free and paid choices, and it can quickly change your MKV videos to MP4 files. You can share videos from your computer’s hard drive or from Google Drive, DropBox, or a URL.

You can do up to 25 conversions per day with the free choice. If you need more, you can sign up for its conversion minute packages, which let you convert files of any size and give each file five hours of working time.

Go to the CloudConvert website and click on Select File.
Now, select the file to upload.
After the file is selected, click the drop-down for Convert to and select MP4 from the list.
Click the Wrench icon (Settings) to customize the output settings. Here you can change the video resolution, aspect ratio, video codec, profile, preset and more.
Click the Convert button to begin the process.
CloudConvert will first upload the selected video. Depending on the file size and your Internet speed, this may take some time.
Once the video is processed, you will see the video in a preview dialog. Click the Download button to save the video to your local hard drive.

Click the small red X next to your video title to delete it from the CloudConvert server. In 24 hours, all of your movies will be gone for good.

CloudConvert is easy to use, and the fact that you can do up to 25 free changes per day makes it a great tool for converting occasionally. But if you’re worried about privacy, you could use an offline converter to keep your movies on your hard drive.

3. HandBrake

HandBrake is a free, open-source program that can convert almost all video files. It is a program that can be used on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

One of the best video converters to use is HandBrake. For quick conversions, all you have to do is drag and drop the video onto the app, and it will automatically use the most popular container settings. Then you can choose the place where you want the video to go and start encoding to change it.

HandBrake has a lot of more advanced choices if you need them. You can change the subtitles, add chapter marks, do a batch scan, use video filters, and more.

Go to the HandBrake page and download the installer. Run the setup file and install the app.
Next, go to Microsoft DotNET page and download .NET 6.0 SDK x64. Without this, HandBrake may not launch or work.
Next, open HandBrake.
Click on File to and then select the MKV file to convert. You can also drag and drop the file onto the app to open the file.
In the Summary tab, make sure the Format is set to MP4. Here, we are using the default MP4 container settings applied by the app.
Next, click the Browse button and choose a location to save your new file.
You can rename the file if you want to and click Save.
On HandBrake’s main window, click on Start Encode. HandBrake will start encoding the video, so wait till the process is complete. The processing time depends on your file size and system capability.

The only bad thing about HandBrake is that you have to download an extra set of Microsoft.NET tools. Aside from that, it is a great open-source video translator that can be used by both novices and experts. You can also use it to lower the size of video files without sacrificing quality.

Converting MKV to MP4 in Windows is Easy

If you change your MKV file to MP4, you can share it and play it on any device that can play videos. Even though you might not notice a change in the size of the output, there is no loss of quality.

You can quickly change formats with the VLC video player. HandBrake is free to use and has a lot of customization choices if you want something with a bit more to it. Then, there are a lot of online video adapters that let you convert from anywhere and on any device, with some restrictions.