“I have downloaded several movies from the internet, and they are saved in MKV format, but my computer cannot open them, how to play MKV files?” MKV is a popular video format, partly because it is open source. However, it is not as compatible as MP4. Windows Media Player, for example, does not support MKV by default. Moreover, MKV is able to store multiple tracks and video codecs. That makes MKV playback more difficult. This guide will show you how to play MKV files on Windows and Mac easily.

1. Mkv Files For Mac
2. Wmv Files For Mac

How to Play MKV Files

Part 1: Brief Introduction of MKV

MKV is a multimedia container but not a simple video or audio format. An MKV file can contain audio, video and subtitles. As MKV stores lossless multimedia contents, many HD movies are saved in MKV files. Plus, MKV can save more than one tracks into a single file, so it is a good choice if you wish to edit it later.

Part 2: How to Play MKV Files on PC/Mac

Mkv Files For Mac

Unfortunately, users of Apple smartphones cannot open MKV files on their devices, and even Mac users can encounter difficulties opening and playing these videos. In these instances, you need to convert MKV to MP4 on Mac. The best way to do this is to use a dedicated program. Movavi Video Converter can help you transform your files extra quickly. In the separate window, drag MKV files to the specified place. Or click the “+” button to add files or folders. Click “Make” and choose a path to save your converted ISO. OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.7 or higher; Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

The biggest downside of MKV is compatibility. Chances are that you cannot play MKV files if you do not have the right media player. Here, we share two ways to play MKV files on PC and Mac easily.

Solution 1: How to Play MKV Files with Best MKV Player

Both Windows Media Player and QuickTime cannot open MKV files. In result, you have to look for another media player compatible with MKV, such as AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player.

Key Features of the Best MKV Player for PC and Mac

• 1. Open MKV files on PC and Mac without extra codec.
• 2. Support almost all video and audio codecs in MKV files.
• 3. Fully control the MKV playback and keep the original quality.

Needless to say, it is the easiest option to watch your MKV files on Windows and Mac.

How to Open and Play an MKV File on PC

Step 1: Install the best MKV player

The MKV player is compatible with Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP and Mac OS X 10.6 or later. Install the latest version to your computer and launch it when you want to open an MKV file.

Step 2: Open MKV file

There are two ways to open your MKV file. Click on the Open File button in the main interface to trigger the open-file dialog. Find the MKV file and click the Open button. Alternatively, click File menu on top ribbon choose Open File, and open the MKV file. If prompted, choose a proper subtitle.

Step 3: Control MKV playback

Then the MKV file will play in the media player. The buttons at the bottom let you control the playback quickly, such as Stop, Pause, and Play. To make a screenshot at important frame, click the Camera icon. You can play the MKV file in full screen by hitting the Fullscreen icon or adjust the volume at the bottom right side. If you need other options, like more screen size or audio channel, set then on the top menu bar.

By the way, you can also use this player to play FLV, MOV, AVI, and other popular videos effortlessly.

Solution 2: How to Play MKV Files with Windows Media Player Codec Package

Though Windows Media Player does not support MKV files, there are extra codecs can meet your need. However, this method is a bit complex since an MKV file may contains more than one codec.

Wmv Files For Mac

Step 1: Firstly, open Windows Media Player from the Start menu at the bottom left corner.Click Tools menu, choose Options. Go to the Player tab, and select either Once a day or Once a week under Automatic updates.

Step 2: If it is not enough, download Media Player Codec Pack from https://www.mediaplayercodecpack.com/. Then install it to your PC.

Step 3: Next, go to the Videos tab, drag and drop the MKV file into the main interface. Then click the video to start playing MKV file in Windows Media Player.

Here you may like: 100% Working Tutorial of Playing MKV on PS3 by Converting MKV for PS3

Part 3: Ultimate Solution to Play MKV in Any Media Player

Another way to play MKV files on Mac and PC is to convert them to MP4 or MOV. However, it is not simple to convert MKV files since it contains multiple codecs. From this point, we recommend AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate. It lets you to edit and adjust your MKV files before converting.

Main Features of the Best MKV Converter

• 1. Lossless convert MKV to other video formats, like MP4.
• 2. Support a wide range of video and audio formats.
• 3. Offer extensive custom options and bonus tools.

Briefly speaking, it is the best option to play MKV files in any media player on computer and mobile devices.

How to Convert MKV Files for Playback on Any Device

Step 1: Import MKV files

Launch the best MKV converter after you install it on your PC. There is another version for Mac. Then go to Add Files menu and choose Add File or Add folder to import the MKV files you want to play. Alternatively, open a file explorer, locate the MKV files, drag and drop them into the main interface. The MKV converter is able to process multiple files at one time.

Step 2: Set the output format

Click the format icon at the right side to open the profile dialog, go to the Video tab, choose the proper video format and preset. You can adjust the parameters, such as resolution, bitrate, and more by hitting the Gear icon. If you want to play the MKV files on mobile device, go to the Device tab and select your device model on the list. Go back to the main interface, and you can edit the video file, by hitting the Edit and Cut buttons next to the thumbnail.

Step 3: Set the output format

Select audio track and subtitle in the Subtitle and Audio options to each title. Next, locate the bottom area, and click the Folder icon to set a specific folder for saving the output. Finally, click on the Convert All button to start converting MKV files. A few seconds later, you can play the MKV files on Mac, PC, iPhone or Android.

Part 4: FAQs about How to Play MKV Files

Why is my MKV file not playing in VLC?

This is because MKV may contain the video or audio codec that VLC does not support. To solve this problem, you can install MKV codec package in VLC or convert MKV to MP4.

What apps can play MKV files on PC?

The media players support MKV files include:
1. VLC Media Player
2. KM Player
3. DAPlayer
4. FreeSmith Video Player
5. SMPlayer
Bear in mind that MKV is a multimedia container and stores multiple video and audio codecs. If any codec is not supported by your media player, you cannot open MKV files.

Does converting MKV to MP4 lose quality?

The answer is depending on how you convert MKV to MP4. Most video converter software only supports lossy conversion. If you are afraid of quality loss, you’d better look for a powerful video converter.

Conclusion

This guide has talked about how to open and play MKV files on PC and Mac. As a multimedia container, MKV is widely used for storing high quality movies. However, many people find it difficult to open it. In such situation, forget the default media player, and use AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player directly. Another solution is to convert your MKV files with AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate. If you have other questions, please leave a message.

Summary :

MKV is a great file format for storing videos, while it cannot be played by most DVD players in the market. Therefore, here introduce 2 methods to convert MKV to DVD. If you want to convert MKV to other file formats, try MiniTool Video Converter.

Are you looking for a way to burn MKV to DVD for playing it on your DVD player? Converting videos to DVDs in good quality needs professional software. Fortunately, here introduce 2 professional and free MKV to DVD converters and the specific steps on converting MKV to DVD.

Can You Burn MKV to DVD

Videos in all popular formats including MKV can be burned to a DVD in high quality as long as you have a professional tool. What’s more, burning videos to DVDs can help you create a physical backup and collection of your videos.

Related article: 16 Best Free MKV Players for Windows/Mac/iOS/Android

How to Convert MKV to DVD

1. Freemake Video Converter – Windows

Freemake Video Converter is a free MKV to DVD converter that allows burning videos in MKV and other formats to high-quality DVDs. Using the software, you can burn videos of up to 40 hours to a single disc and save the files in the ISO image format.

Steps on how to convert MKV to DVD with Freemake Video Converter

1. Download and run Freemake Video Converter on your PC.
2. Click File > Video to import the MKV file of any length or quality. You can also simply drag and drop it into the program.
3. Choose to DVD at the bottom to open the settings.
4. Set DVD parameters and click OK to apply all changes.
5. Insert your blank disc into a PC burner when everything is ready.
6. Click the Burn button to launch the conversion process.

2. iDVD – Mac

Developed by Apple, iDVD is a popular MKV to DVD converter and QuickTime movies, digital photos, and MP3 music files can be burned to a disc that can be played on a DVD player.

Steps on how to convert MKV to DVD with iDVD

1. Launch the iDVD app on your Mac.
2. Click File > Import to add the MKV video that you want to burn or simply drag and drop it to the software.
3. Insert a blank DVD into your Mac drive.
4. Click the Burn button to start the process.

Tips on Converting MKV to Other Formats

If you want to convert MKV to other formats, MiniTool MovieMaker might be your best choice, because it supports conversions between various file formats, such as FLAC to MP3, GIF to MP4, 3GP to MP3, etc.

1. Launch MiniTool MovieMaker on your PC and enter its main interface.
2. Click Import Media Files to import the MKV file and add it to the timeline.
3. Double-click on the MKV clip to open the editing window, then you can edit it, such as splitting, trimming, rotation, color correction, etc.
4. Click Export, select a file format, give a name, choose a destination folder and select a suitable resolution for this converted file.
5. Tap on the Export button to start the conversion.

Recommend: Extract Subtitles from MKV

Bottom Line

Have you mastered how to convert MKV to DVD for playing on a DVD player after reading this post? If you have any questions or suggestions about it, please let us know via [email protected] or share them in the comments section below.