Step 1: Share your MOV files using the button above or by drag and drop.
Step 2: Click the 'Transform' button to start the transformation.
Step 3: Grab your converted MKV files.
MOV to MKV Transformation FAQ
How do I re-encode MOV to MKV without losing video quality?
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Upload your MOV file and set Quality to High Quality in the conversion options. That re-encodes the video at the highest quality setting (CRF 18 for H.264 and VP9 output), which keeps the most detail at the cost of a larger file. The default, Balanced, uses the standard setting. The MKV output gets a codec its container supports: H.264 for MP4, MOV and MKV, VP9 for WebM. A MOV normally carries H.264 or HEVC for delivery, or ProRes when it is an editing master, alongside AAC or uncompressed PCM audio. MKV is codec-agnostic: H.264, HEVC, VP9 and AV1 video sit happily beside AAC, FLAC, Opus, DTS or Dolby audio in the same file.
Will the MKV still play smoothly on a phone or a TV?
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It may not. MOV is decoded by dedicated silicon on phones, tablets and TVs, which is why it plays without flattening the battery. MKV typically falls back to software decoding on the same hardware — higher CPU load, a warmer device, and dropped frames on 4K material. For a device target, MOV is the safer container to stay in. MKV has almost no native hardware support — phones, browsers and TVs usually need VLC or a remux before they will play it.
Both MOV and MKV are modern containers — which should I actually keep?
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Keep whichever matches where the file is going, because neither is better in the abstract. One of these two is built for playback compatibility and the other for holding everything a file might contain, and they trade against each other exactly along that line. The pragmatic answer for most libraries is to archive in the feature-rich container and export to the compatible one on demand. MOV is the QuickTime container, which Final Cut Pro, Premiere and DaVinci Resolve all open natively. MKV is the archival container of choice because it stores unlimited audio tracks, soft subtitles, chapter markers and cover art in one file.
Which video codec does the MKV output use?
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It depends on the MKV container. MP4, MOV and MKV output use H.264, which plays on practically every phone, browser and TV. WebM output uses VP9. AVI, WMV and MPEG output use the older codecs those formats were designed for. MKV is Matroska, an open container designed in 2002 with no licensing restrictions and no ceiling on what it can hold.
Will my audio track survive MOV to MKV conversion?
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Yes, the main audio track comes through, re-encoded to a codec the MKV container plays, for example AAC in MP4 and MOV or Opus in WebM. Most conversions keep only that one track (the one with the most channels), so alternate languages and commentary are dropped. MP4 to MOV, and AVI, WMV, MPEG, FLV, VOB or M4V to MKV, keep every audio track.
Can I keep the original framerate when converting MOV to MKV?
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Yes. The frame rate is kept unless you change it: a 24 fps MOV stays 24 fps in the MKV. The Frame Rate setting can also convert to 60, 30 or 24 fps. It changes the rate only; it does not deinterlace the video or remove 3:2 pulldown.
How much will the file size change going from MOV to MKV?
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It depends on what happens to the video. MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings copies the video stream unchanged, so the size stays close to the source. Most other pairs re-encode it: a high-bitrate MOV usually comes out smaller, while an already heavily compressed one can grow. Smaller File under Quality gives the smallest output, and H.265 in the Codec setting (MP4, MOV and MKV) is usually smaller than H.264 at similar quality but plays on fewer devices.
Will the MKV file play on iPhone, Android, and Smart TVs?
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MP4 with H.264 plays on practically every phone, browser and TV. MOV with H.264 plays on Apple devices and most TVs but not on every older Android phone. MKV needs an app such as VLC on iOS, and WebM is at home in browsers. There is no device preset on this page, so choose the target format your device supports.
How long does converting a 1-hour MOV video to MKV take?
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There is no fixed time: it depends on the length, the resolution and the target format. Conversions run on our servers' CPUs with software encoders; there is no GPU acceleration. MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings copies the video stream and is the quickest. A re-encode to H.264 takes longer, and WebM (VP9) is the slowest target, several times slower than H.264 in our tests.
What is the maximum resolution supported for MOV to MKV?
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The converter has no resolution cap of its own; the limit is the upload size allowed on your plan, and the resolution stays as it is unless you choose 1080p, 720p or 480p. There is no HDR processing or tone mapping. When the video stream is copied (MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings), HDR10 passes through untouched. A re-encode drops the HDR10 mastering metadata, and with a Quality, Resolution or Frame Rate setting some pairs also reduce the video to 8-bit colour, so an HDR MOV can look washed out.
Is my MOV video private during conversion to MKV?
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Yes. Uploaded MOV files are processed on our own conversion servers, no person reviews them, and they are never shared. The upload and the converted MKV are both deleted automatically about 24 hours after the conversion, which leaves time to download the result. See /privacy/ for the full policy.
Can I crop, trim, or rotate during the MOV to MKV conversion?
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Not in the same step. Use /trim-video/ or /video-cutter/ to clip the MOV first, or /rotate-video/ to turn it, then run the MOV to MKV conversion. Trimming first is faster than re-encoding the whole MOV just to drop unused footage.
