Play your videos anywhere
Many videos are stored in proprietary formats that only work with certain apps or devices. MKVCreator repackages them into MKV — a free, open standard supported by players like VLC and Kodi on Windows, Mac, Linux, and more.
MKVCreator
Your one-click solution to convert videos you own into a free, open format
that plays on virtually any device — without changing picture or sound quality.
Nothing important is lost
MKVCreator is a transcoder — it converts the container format without re-encoding your video. Every video and audio track is preserved, including high-definition audio, plus chapter markers and metadata such as language labels.
Built for disc-quality sources
MKVCreator reads the file formats and codecs commonly found in DVD, Blu-ray, and UHD Blu-ray rips — the kind of files already on your computer. It is designed for content you legally own and have already copied to disk.
Transcoding
Same video and audio — different packaging.
A video file is really two things stuck together.
First, there's the actual picture and sound, squeezed down by codecs — the methods used to store video and audio efficiently. Codecs are why a full movie can fit on your hard drive instead of taking up terabytes of raw data.
Second, there's the container — the file format that bundles those streams into one package. Containers hold the video track, audio tracks, subtitles, chapter breaks, and little labels like which language a track is. People sometimes call this muxing (mixing several streams into one file). MP4, MKV, and AVI are all containers — they can carry similar underlying video and audio, but they package and describe it differently.
Transcoding is the general term for converting media from one form to another. That can mean re-compressing the video or audio (which takes time and can affect quality), or it can mean something lighter: remuxing — pulling the existing encoded streams out of one container and placing them into another, without re-encoding them. The pixels and sound samples stay the same; only the wrapping changes.
That's what MKVCreator does. It reads video and audio that are already encoded inside a proprietary or less portable container, and writes them into MKV — an open container that preserves multiple tracks, chapters, and metadata. Your content doesn't get "re-filmed" or re-compressed; it gets repackaged so it's easier to play, archive, and use elsewhere.
Codec
The method used to compress picture and sound so a movie fits on disk. H.264, HEVC, AAC, and DTS are all codecs — they define the actual video and audio data, separate from the file format that holds them.
Container
The file format that bundles everything into one package: video tracks, audio tracks, subtitles, chapters, and labels like language. MP4, MKV, and AVI are containers — they can carry the same underlying streams, but organize and describe them differently.
Remuxing
Pulling existing encoded video and audio out of one container and placing them into another — without re-compressing. The picture and sound stay the same; only the wrapper changes. That's what MKVCreator does.
What MKVCreator does
MKV (Matroska) is a flexible, patents-unencumbered format that can hold multiple video and audio tracks with all their metadata and chapter markers. MKVCreator makes it easy to get your existing video files into this universal format.
One-click conversion
Select your source files and convert. No complicated settings required for everyday use.
Universal MKV output
MKV files play in many free players and can be converted to other formats — including DVD and Blu-ray authoring — when you need them.
All tracks included
Video, audio (including HD audio such as DTS-HD and TrueHD), subtitles, and chapter breaks are all kept intact.
Metadata preserved
Track languages, audio types, and other embedded information stay with your files.
Multi-track support
Store multiple video and audio tracks in a single MKV file — ideal for discs with multiple language options.
Windows and macOS
Native desktop apps for both platforms. Convert your library on the computer you already use.
Good to know
MKVCreator works with video files on your computer. There are a few limitations worth understanding before you get started.
Files, not discs
MKVCreator cannot open DVDs or Blu-ray discs directly from your drive. It converts files you have already copied to your computer.
Copy protection (DRM)
Most commercial DVDs and Blu-ray discs use copy protection. MKVCreator cannot process protected discs — or files copied from them. There are no plugins or other methods to bypass disc DRM.
What it is — and isn't
MKVCreator is a file transcoder. It repackages video you already own into MKV. It does not rip discs, crack encryption, or circumvent copy protection of any kind.