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11 March 2019  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
Although MP4 and MKV are welcomed online video formats, both of them have merits and demerits. In this essay, we will talk about the differences between MP4 and MKV and the conversion from MP4 to MKV.



mp4 to mkv

Part 1. MP4 and MKV Formats

① MP4

MP4 or MPEG-4 Part 14 is a digital multimedia container format most commonly used to store video, audio and subtitles, but it can also be used to store other data such as 3D shapes and menus.

② MKV

MKV is also a multimedia container in which video, audio, image and unlimited subtitle tracks can be saved. MKV file supports file encryption and various decoders, which is widely used in our daily life. SRT, SSA, USF (general subtitle format) and VobSub (DVD subtitle format) are supported by MKV files.

Differences between MP4 and MKV:

File format

MKV

MP4

Video qualityHigh quality and high definition; hold HD videos or Blu-ray videos.Well quality
Supported media playerSome mainstream media playersAlmost all media players
Supported portable devicesOnly some mobile devicesAlmost all mobile devices, such as mobile phone, tablet PC.
Supported video codingAlmost all video codingMPEG-2 Part 2, MPEG-4 ASP, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.263, VC-1, Dirac and others
Supported audio codingAlmost all audio codingMPEG-2/4 (HE)-AAC, MPEG-1/2 Layers I, II, III (MP3),  AC-3, Apple Lossless, ALS, SLS, Vorbis and others
Reasons of Converting MP4 to MKV File?
Although MKV file is not as universal as MP4 file, it is welcomed by anime fans. They usually output videos into MKV files when translating foreign videos or TV shows. MKV can not only support unlimited audios and subtitle tracks but also support more audio and video encodings than MP4.
Next, we will tell you how to convert MP4 to MKV.

Part 2. How to Convert MP4 to MKV

If you want to convert MP4 to MKV, you can realize it via FFmpeg and Renee Video Editor Pro.

Method 1: FFmpeg

FFmpeg is a open-source software for video editing. You should download the software first, then you can convert video and audio files via the command lines. This method fits those who know command line operation well. If you are not, please view Method 2.
How to convert via FFmpeg:
Step 1. Download FFmpeg. If you don’t know how to do, click here to learn about it.
Step 2. Press [Win + R] to open the [Run] box. Enter [cmd].
press the keys win+r
press win and r to run cmd
Step 3. In the command prompt, enter [C:\Windows\System32\ffmpeg.exe –i D:2019.mp4 D:\MKV\2019.mkv]. Then press [Enter] to convert it to MP4.
ffmpg mp4 to mkv
ffmpg mp4 to mkv outputing
TipsC:\Windows\System32\ffmpeg.exe: the position of ffmpeg.exe;
D:2019.mp4: the saved position and the file name before video file conversion;
D:\MKV\2019.mkv: the output path, file name and output format after conversion;
The above commands can be modified by yourself. It is noticed that you have checked to show file extension before the operation if the file extension is set to be hidden in default.

Method 2: Renee Video Editor Pro

TipsRenee Video Editor Pro can easily convert between different video and audio formats.

download button win5

Step 1: Download and install Renee Video Editor. Open the software and select [Video Toolbox].
click video toolbox in renee video editor pro
Step 2. Click [Add Files] to select the target video file.
add files in Renee Video Editor Pro
Step 3. Select [MKV] in the [Output Format] selectbox; output position in [Output Folder]. Then, click [Start] to convert and save the file.
output MP4 video and save

Part 3. How to Edit MP4 Video

If you want to further edit the video, you can use Renee Video Editor Pro to realize it. Here are its functions.
Tips Renee Video Editor Pro can help you edit videos in many aspects, such as adding special effect, cutting, merge, removing watermarks, adding logos and subtitles. What’s more, it can realize automatic re-encoding and ensure audio and video synchronization, but not slow down the playback speed.
download button win

1. Cut. You can set the start and end time to crop some clips.
cut video with Renee Video Editor Pro
2. Rotate & Crop. You can rotate or cut the video screen.
rotate and crop with Renee Video Editor Pro
3. Effect. You can add filters, zoom effects and audio effects to your video.
add video effect with Renee Video Editor Pro
4. Watermark. You can use text, image, video and sharp as watermarks. In addition, you can remove unnecessary watermarks.
use watermark and watermark remover in renee video editor pro
5. Music. You can add background music to your video. Local music and dubbing are supported.
add music with Renee Video Editor Pro
6. Subtitle. You can add subtitles and text explanations to your video.
add subtitle with Renee Video Editor Pro