Can Plex Play MKV? How to Solve Plex MKV Playback Issue Easily?

Updated on Apr 26, 2024

"Does Plex play MKV? I can play MP4 but I can't play MKV on my TV via Plex. What am I doing wrong?" If you are experiencing the same issue, follow this guide to get the best solution to fix the "MKV not showing up" or "MKV not playing" on Plex.

Typically, this error results from unsupported codecs and can be easily fixed with a converter by transcoding.

https://www.videoconverterfactory.com/download/hd-video-converter-pro.exe hd-video-converter-pro.exe

Does Plex Support MKV?

Q: I am new to Plex and I've barely figured out how everything works. When I access files from NAS, MP4 files play well on my Apple TV. However, it fails to play my MKV files. It loads them just fine with meta-info and all, but when I hit "Play", it just loads for a while before returning to the main screen of the movie. So, can Plex play MKV? What should I do to solve Plex MKV playback issue?

A: According to Plex officially issued "What media formats are supported?", The MKV file with the following codecs are natively supported by Plex:
Video encoding: H.264, hevc (H.265), mpeg4, msmpeg4v2, msmpeg4v3, vc1, vp9, wmv3
Audio encoding: aac, ac3, alac, e-ac3,flac, mp3.

If your MKV videos are encoded with these codecs, they should play on Plex without error. However, there are still times when you come across some issues like Plex not detecting or playing the MKV. You may wonder why and whether you can fix it. Read on to get to know the possible causes and solutions.

How to Solve the Plex Not Playing MKV Error?

The playback issues can stem from the following two reasons:

Your MKV filename is incorrect: Plex has its own naming convention. If you run into the Plex not detecting MKV error, it is most likely due to naming. You can check the full guideline for naming to match content on its official website.
Your MKV contain incompatible codecs: Frequently, this is turned to be the culprit of the MKV not playing on Plex issue. The playback process of your file involves two parts: the Plex server and the device installed with Plex. Even the MKV is supported by Plex, it may not be compatible with the device. Therefore, converting MKV to a more widely supporetd format like MP4(Video Encoding: H.264, MPEG4; Audio Encoding: AAC, AC3, EAC3, MP3) is a popular option. Then a decent video converter is a must. Here, WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is sincerely recommended for solving this format incompatibility issue with ease.

Convert MKV to MP4 to Fix the MKV Not Playing on Plex

In order to solve Plex not playing MKV issue, an MKV Converter is needed to convert MKV to both Plex and TV compatible format. With WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro, you can achieve your goal with no effort. This is a very professional and versatile video converter. First of all, it can change video format completely without quality loss, 500+ output video and audio formats are for your selection. In addition, it can directly convert MKV video to TV devices such as convert MKV to Apple TV. Apart from that, it is also equipped with features for adjusting settings and editing videos, like changing codecs, removing subtitles from MKV, split MKV files, etc.

Now, free downloadfree download this software to deal with Plex won't play MKV issue.

Free download Free download, install and launch the MKV Converter on your PC.

Step 1: Load MKV Videos into the Program

Open the Converter workplace. Click the "Add files" button to load your unrecognized MKV files or drag and drop them to the software. The software supports batch conversion so that you can add several MKV files and convert them together in one go.

Step 2: Select Desired Output Format

Now, click on the "Click to change output format" section on the right side and choose a Plex-compatible format, such as MP4 or AVI under the Video tab. You can also choose a TV profile as the output format. Click the corresponding brands to choose your TV model.

Under the format image, you can go further with Parameter settings to modify other settings. For example, adjust the video and audio codecs to H.264 and AAC(MP4).

Step 3: Start to Convert MKV Videos

Switch back to the main interface and click on the inverted triangle icon to define the output path. Finally, click on the Run button and start converting MKV videos to fix Plex not playing MKV files.

Join Further: Play MKV on Samsung Smart TV | Can PS4 Play MKV | Play MKV on LG TV | Play MKV on Sony TV

At last...

The above is the whole process of solving Plex .mkv video playback issue. Get the converted MKV video files for transferring to TV via Plex. In this way, you can play MKV files with Plex on TV without problems. Feel free to share this article to help more people deal with Plex MKV playback issue.

How to & Tips

Can Plex Play MKV? How to Solve Plex MKV Playback Issue Easily?

Does Plex Support MKV?

How to Solve the Plex Not Playing MKV Error?

Convert MKV to MP4 to Fix the MKV Not Playing on Plex