RaahUPSC · Video Tools
MKV to AVI
Re-encode a Matroska video into the AVI format older DVD players, set-top boxes and car screens can read. One video track and one audio track are written as MPEG-4 Part 2 with MP3.
✓ No upload · ✓ No sign-up · ✓ No watermark
How to use MKV to AVI
- Choose one or more .mkv files.
- Press Convert to AVI.
- Wait while each file is decoded and re-encoded; the status line shows the percentage.
- Download the AVI, or all of them zipped.
Fitting a modern MKV into an old format
MKV files often carry H.264 or HEVC, multichannel AC-3 or DTS audio, and several subtitle and language tracks. AVI can hold only a simpler set of streams, so FFmpeg keeps one video stream and the audio track it ranks highest, then encodes them as MPEG-4 Part 2 (quantiser 5) and MP3 (LAME VBR 4).
MP3 is limited to two channels, so a 5.1 soundtrack is folded down to stereo, which suits TV speakers anyway. The resulting file is generally larger than the MKV because the old codec is less efficient, but it plays on hardware that has never heard of Matroska.
Limitations
- Subtitles are not burned in or carried over; AVI players that need subtitles usually expect a separate .srt file.
- If the MKV has several audio languages, you cannot pick which one is kept.
- Full-length HD films may be too large for browser memory.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my subtitles?
Not inside the AVI. Many DivX players will load an .srt file placed next to the AVI with the same name.
Why is the converted AVI bigger?
MPEG-4 Part 2 is an older, less efficient codec than the H.264 or HEVC typical of MKV files.
Does it keep surround sound?
No. The audio is encoded as MP3, which supports at most stereo, so surround tracks are downmixed.
Is anything uploaded during conversion?
No. The Matroska file is processed in your browser memory only.