How to Convert MKV to H.264 Effortlessly?

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Solution 1: Using Free HD Video Converter Factory

MKV is probably a video type you either love or hate because it's always unrecognizable on some devices somehow, even though you can find MKV is officially supported in the user manual or specification.

As a matter of fact, MKV is just a container format (wrapper) that can theoretically hold an unlimited number of video, audio, picture, or subtitle tracks in one file. The vital factor is the encapsulated video compression format. The device will refuse to play the MKV file once the certain video compression format is unsupported. The most common examples of video compression format stored in MKV container are MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, H.265, VP8, VP9, AV1, etc.

Good news is, H.264 is supposed to be a universal video compression format, with the best compatibility, which can be recognized and played on almost any device. That's the reason why people tend to convert MKV encoded by other codecs to H.264.

Now, let's jump into the solutions.

Solution 1: Using Free HD Video Converter

WonderFox Free HD Video Converter Factory is a 100% free and simple video and audio processor that provides a shortcut to MKV to H.264 conversion. Without those indigestible command scripts or abstruse interface, all the operations are fairly accessible and self-explanatory.

DownloadDownload and install this free application, then follow the steps.

Step 1. Run Free HD Video Converter Factory and open "Converter".

Step 2. Click on "Add Files" button or execute a simple drag-and-drop to import all your MKV files that encapsulate different video compression formats.

Step 3. Press "Format Profile" image on the right side to open the full list of 500+ predefined presets. Select "H.264" profile under "Video" category.

Step 4. Choose an output folder below and hit the big "Run" button to convert MKV to H.264 MP4.

Tips: If you insist on the original .mkv extension, just select "MKV" profile under "Video" category. Then open "Parameter settings" window, select "H.264" option in the "Encoder" drop-down menu to change the video codec within the .mkv container.

Also Read: Convert MKV to HEVC | H.264 Converter | MJPEG to H.264

Solution 2: Using HandBrake

HandBrake is definitely a very big name when it comes to video transcoding. There's nothing difficult to take the intractable MKV files you already have and transcode to H.264 for the best compatibility with nearly all common devices. Benefited from a variety of native options and settings, advanced users can do well in the video processing. For beginners, follow the steps below to implement MKV to H.264 conversion.

Step 1. Run HandBrake, load a single MKV file or a folder with multiple files.

Step 2. HandBrake will scan the MKV file and display all video information. Click "Presets" button on the top toolbar and select any option from all available HandBrake presets on the right side.

Step 3. Select either "MP4" or "MKV" container in the drop-down list of "Format" under "Summary" tab.

Step 4. Navigate to "Video" tab, select "H.264 (x264)", "H.264 10-bit (x264)" or "H.264 (Nvidia NVEnc)" option as you wish in the drop-down list of "Video Codec" section. And you have to configure each MKV file and click "Add to Queue" button for later batch conversion.

Step 5. Click "Browse" button to specify a destination to output the H.264 videos.

Step 6. Lastly, hit "Start Encode" button to start MKV to H.264 conversion process.