Convert MKV to MOV
Settings
No file yet
Settings appear after you choose a file.
An MKV from a screen recorder or a download may need to be a MOV for a Mac editing workflow. Convert it to a MOV. Whether an app then opens it depends on what is inside the file.
MKV or MOV?
Keep MKV when
- It is the original. The encode lines make a lossy copy; only the copy line keeps every detail.
Pick MOV when
- A program or an editor asks for MOV files.
About MKV and MOV
MKV
A flexible video container that holds several audio tracks and subtitles in one file. Popular for films and screen captures.
MOV
Apple's QuickTime video format. What iPhones and Macs record and edit in; other devices often need it converted first.
Questions
Does the MOV look worse?
Not with the copy line, which keeps the picture and the sound exactly. The encode lines use lossy H.264 and AAC, so they drop a little detail; a lower CRF loses less.
What does the copy line do?
It moves the picture and the sound into the MOV as they are, without encoding them again, so nothing is lost and it takes seconds. It works when the MKV holds H.264 video and AAC sound, the pair an MOV takes; for any other codec use the first line. -c copy means that.
Which CRF should I pick?
The commands use CRF 23, a common middle ground between size and quality. Change -crf 23 to a lower number for a better picture and a larger file, or a higher one for a smaller file, 0 to 51.
Are the MKV's subtitles kept?
Not by the Terminal lines: they keep the picture and one sound track, and leave subtitles and any other sound tracks out.
Can I convert a whole folder at once?
Yes. Drop them all here. In Terminal, one line converts every MKV in the folder.