mvk file than to open. MKV extension: how to open such files. Software to open MKV files

The familiar AVI video format has been on the market long enough to gain cult status. The guys from Microsoft were engaged in its development, pursuing a purely commercial interest. Things were going great until they announced blu-ray with outrageous picture quality and more.

Attempts to compress the original data from the "blue" to AVI were made repeatedly, only the output was not a high-quality BD-rip, but a mediocre fake:

• terrible resolution;
• Can't add subtitles
• the ability to sew only 1 language.

In an attempt to develop a universal container for video files, domestic developers came up with the well-known Matryoshka (Matroska video - mkv) today. The capabilities of the product are head and shoulders above those of AVI, but the distribution is much smaller, so some users may have problems opening it.

How to open mkv file?

Modern players under Windows 7 and Windows 10 are capable of playing almost any format. Most consumer HD players have Matryoshka support by default. But let's dwell on the ways of viewing on a computer:

• GOM Player;

Why these particular programs? They are free, with wide functionality, are elementary in use and are on everyone's lips. Why use an unknown player if you can download one of the popular ones.

The player is systematically confused with Windows Media because of the name. Yes, the product is very similar to the 6.4 version of the "window" player, but that's it. Programmatically, these are completely different products, and only one developer worked on MPC.

Officially, the program plays VCD, AudioCD and DVD, not counting similar formats. Support for digital media can be viewed on the official portal, but the list of supported extensions is impressive. It is noteworthy that MKV is not declared, but MPC supports version 7 of DivX, so there will be no problems with opening.

As for the disadvantages. The player does not implement automatic contrast and brightness adjustment. Not critical, but I would like to. Also, the tool works correctly only on relatively new PCs that support SSE instructions.

The well-known "cone" is a trouble-free workhorse that can be fed with any extension without worrying about the problem of incompatibility and unsupported codecs at all. Not surprisingly, the software has been downloaded by more than 500 million users over the entire history of the player.

The key feature of the project is cross-platform. It works on Mac, Android, Windows, Linux. Yes, the versions are different, but the attention of developers to different operating systems is surprising. Keyboard shortcuts are also implemented, which is almost never found anywhere else. Take a screenshot, adjust settings, add brightness and playback speed without using a mouse.

Release 2.0 pleased users with skins that completely change the appearance of the player almost beyond recognition. The function is already outdated, but fans of customization will appreciate it.

VLC has no disadvantages as such. It is simple, easy to navigate, omnivorous, with cross-platform support. The perfect choice if you want to watch movies on your TV.

Do not confuse the usual KMPlayer and our representative with the prefix "The" - these are fundamentally different products. The latter was created for Windows and Android when the former was developed for the KDE environment.

A distinctive feature of the player is its incredible omnivorousness. Of the popular ones, it easily opens mkv, flv, avi, wmv and even QuickTime. Add to this support for a huge number of modern audio / video codecs and you get a modern product for viewing multimedia.

Of the indisputable advantages, we note the ability to play even broken and incompletely downloaded files (except DVD).

GOM Player

Another interesting product for reading mkv on PC. It also opens broken movies with ease. Just be prepared for the fact that the final picture may suffer, as well as the sound track.

On the other hand, no one prevents you from recording your own audio and subtitles using the player. Not every product is capable of this. The product is good for new and old cars even 10-12 years old. Post-processing is implemented so well that even on weak hardware you will not feel the brakes, friezes and jerks when watching HD content.

The only annoying thing is the built-in ads, which cannot be removed due to the closed source code. And she's pretty annoying.

The name of the player speaks for itself. Although the program is primitive in terms of features and interface, it copes with the key task perfectly. It also easily opens files like AVI, WMV and more. Outwardly similar to the WM-player version 7, only the buttons here are implemented with text labels, and not in the form of icons.

But the functionality is poor: only setting the playback speed and turning on subtitles. Nothing else. Suitable for familiarization with the track, but there is no question of comfortable viewing. Moreover, the player does not even read the MKV format properly. It works only if you do not touch the rewind.

If the file is slow

Methods for opening MKV are known. Just what to do if the playback is abrupt, jerky and periodically slows down? We will try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Remember that the format transmits an HD picture, which indicates a high demand on the PC in terms of hardware characteristics. If the computer is old, or runs on a video core built into the processor, then there can be no talk of any smoothness.

First, close all programs that are not needed during the browsing process, but can heavily load the processor (browsers, skype, running torrent, etc.). Also unload the video card (rendering, games). In addition, take care that the disk subsystem is not distracted by things that are not at the moment (copying files, writing, deleting, defragmenting).

It will not be superfluous to complete the system's native codecs by installing new ones (try the K-Lite Codec Pack).

The last moment is decisive. Run the file that slows down and open the task manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del). If you see that the CPU usage in front of the player exceeds 80-85%, then there can be no talk of any smoothness.

MKV are video files in the format of the open and cross-platform multimedia container “Matryoshka”. This format has its advantages compared to such video formats as AVI, MP4, ASF and others. However, there are also disadvantages - not every video player opens .mkv. Fortunately, this problem is nothing special, and it is not difficult to solve it. Below we have just collected some methods for solving it for you.

Steps

Using a .mkv compatible media player

Choose a free media player that supports .mkv files. There are a lot of them on the net, some better, some even better than most of the most common and popular players! Others, however, are less good. Everywhere has its pros and cons, everywhere its possibilities and limitations. In any case, you need the latest version of a player capable of handling .mkv files.

• VLC Media player (VLC) is a free and popular player that meets all these (and a number of other) requirements. The following article will assume that you downloaded it.
• However, VLC is not the only one who wants to open .mkv files. For example, you can choose Media Player Classic (MPC) and MplayerX - two quite worthy options. However, it should be remembered that for many .mkv-compatible players, the functionality one way or another, but duplicates VLC.

1. Download and install the player. Yes, the article will go further with the expectation that you have chosen VLC, but right now everything will be ... “universal” for all players. Select a player, find a link to download files (the main thing is that that link leads to a reliable site). Then, accordingly, download the player and install it following all the instructions.

   • To make it easier, leave a shortcut on the desktop to launch the application - it will be easier, especially if you are “on you” with the computer.
   • Download the version of the player that suits your operating system. In the case of VLC, for example, there are two versions - for Windows and Mac.

2. Launch VLC. Did the installation complete? Launch the player! You may need to confirm the ability to access the Network. In general, in the end you will see a black window with an orange traffic cone in the center. Everything, now everything is ready - the player has been successfully installed, you can use it.

3. Open the video file. Click on the “Media” button on the toolbar at the top. Then select the “Open File” menu. Find the .mkv file you want to open through the explorer. Most likely, everything will go on without problems.

   • Correction - we are talking about working in VLC under Windows.
   • VLC should of course open most .mkv files without issue. Nevertheless, in the case of working with files compressed in the RealVideo format, there were still problems. You may need a RealVideo compatible player to view them.

   Using codecs

   1. Know the pros and cons of working with codecs. Codecs (coders-decoders) are special programs used to encode or decode digital media content. In other words, now we need a codec that can work with .mkv. Fortunately, there are plenty of them - and not just for .mkv, for that matter. Codecs, however, have both strengths and weaknesses.

      • Benefits of Codecs: After downloading a codec, you will most likely download codecs not only for .mkv, but for many other formats as well. Accordingly, after installing the codec, you can forget about the problems with playing many files. Strictly speaking, the more files your codecs can process, the less difficulty you will have with opening the video.
      • Disadvantages of codecs: Codecs are, so to speak, the last resort in opening stubborn video. Yes, the method is effective, but think for yourself - you download megabytes of different codecs just for one of them to open the video! In other words, you're just wasting hard drive space. In addition, if there are problems somewhere, it will be very difficult to determine which part of the codec caused all this.

   2. Download and install the required codec. If you decide to resort to using this method, then you need to download from a safe place - one, a popular set of codecs - two, supporting .mkv files - three. So, on the official website of the developers.mkv they hint that it is best for Windows computers Combined Community Codec Pack (CCCP). Another variant - K-Lite Codec Pack, which can be downloaded for free from codecguide.com. In any case, this step is simple: download the codecs and install by following the instructions that will appear on the screen.

      • On a Mac, it may be easier to download a .mkv-compatible player. For example, Perian is an open player that (probably) adds the functionality needed to open .mkv files to Quicktime Player. Alas, Perian has not been updated since 2012. However, the Perian website says that its developers recommend Niceplayer, VLC, MPlayer OS X as an alternative.
      • Note: It's a good idea to uninstall old codecs before installing new ones. This is a sure way to avoid compatibility issues.

   3. Open the .mkv file in your favorite media player. When the codec is installed, you can breathe a sigh of relief - nothing else prevents you from opening the .mkv file. You can use the default media players, you can use any others - now it's not so important.

      • When the installation is complete, you will be prompted to configure the “filtering” options. If you do not really understand what exactly they want from you, then leave everything as it is.
      • If you can not open some file, then try to play other files of this format. If they open normally, then know that the problem is in the file itself, which may be damaged.

The mkv or Matroska format is a container format for multimedia data. A container in mkv format can contain video and audio encoded with various codecs, as well as subtitles.

At the moment, the mkv format has gained immense popularity. Most of the video materials that are now published on the net are enclosed in mkv files. Therefore, users are often interested in how to open mkv. In this article we will try to figure out the easiest way to open mkv by looking at the most popular players for the Windows operating system.

VLC media player

VLC media player is one of the most famous media players that continues to rapidly gain popularity. The main advantages of VLC media player over competitors are a simple interface, a large number of functions and frequent updates. By installing this program, you will no longer have questions about how to open mkv or another multimedia file. Everything will open in one program, quickly and conveniently.

Consider other features of the VLC media player program:

• Support for almost all modern operating systems. There are versions of VLC media player for Windows, Linux, Android, Mac OS X, Apple iOS, BSD, Solaris and other Unix-like systems.
• Support for a wide variety of media formats. There is simply no point in listing formats, VLC media player can play almost everything.
• Built-in set of codecs. the user does not need to install additional codecs to view the video.
• VLC media player is equipped with a wide range of features for working with streaming video. With it, you can view and create your own online broadcasts.
• The program allows you to capture and encode streaming video.
• Russian-language interface;

GOM Player

GOM Player is a free player for working with popular media formats, developed by Gretech Corporation. GOM Player has a Russian-language interface and allows you to easily open mkv files. GOM Player allows you to play videos without having to install third-party codecs.

Consider other features of the GOM Player program:

• Play all popular video formats. Built-in set of codecs.
• Ability to play damaged or incompletely downloaded video files.
• Subtitle management. The user has the ability to change the size, position, font and color of the titles.
• High-quality video playback on weak computers.
• Full-fledged work with DVD discs.
• Separate operating modes for different types of screens: monitor, projector, TV.
• Bookmarks, favorites, playlists.
• Normalize the volume level and apply special audio effects.
• Support for DSP modules from Winamp.

The KMPlayer

The KMPlayer is an omnivorous multimedia player from Kang. In appearance and set of functions, this player is similar to GOM Player. Like previous players, The KMPlayer is equipped with built-in codecs and can open mkv files without any problems.

Consider other features of The KMPlayer program:

• Support for all popular media formats. Built-in codecs
• Play streaming video and audio.
• Ability to play damaged video files.
• The program can work in portable mode.
• Subtitle support. The program has a built-in subtitle editor.
• Ability to play video with an external audio track.
• Video capture.
• Volume normalization.
• Image settings. The user can specify the level of sharpening or blurring.
• Fast playback capability.

BS Player

BS.Player is a media player developed by the Slovenian company Webteh. A very old program that has now lost most of its users. However, the program is being updated. With BS.Player, you can easily open any mkv, as well as a number of other popular media formats. The program is distributed in Free and Pro versions.

Choose and install one of these media players and you will no longer wonder how to watch mkv or another popular format.

Features of the MKV format

So, we have reviewed a number of popular programs for viewing mkv files. In conclusion, a brief reference to the MKV format itself. As we have already said, the full name of the format is Matroska. This format is an open source project based on the MCF project.

When developing this format, the task was to create a universal, most flexible and cross-platform media container format. As conceived by the developers, files in this format should be played without problems on any device.

This format was built using the EBML binary file format. The EBML format is a binary analogue of the XML markup language. Currently, the EBML format is used in MKV and WebM. Using EBML in the MKV format allows you to make changes to the format without losing compatibility with already created programs.

The Matroska format includes three file extensions: mkv for video, mka for audio, and mks for subtitles. At the same time, video, audio and subtitles can be stored in the mkv file at the same time.

Before we talk about MKV files, let's look at a little history. MKV files, also known as Matroska videos, appeared in Russia in 2002. It got its name - as you might guess - from the matryoshka doll.

The Matroska project was developed as an open standards project, which means that it is open source and completely free for anyone who wants to use it. The developer has many resources on their website, including a list of play options. Over time, the format has been improved, and in 2010 it became the basis for the WebM multimedia format.

What are MKV files

Contrary to popular belief, MKV files are not an audio or video compression format. MKV files are, in fact, multimedia container formats. An MKV container can include audio, video, and subtitles in the same file, even if those elements use different encoding types. For example, you might have an MKV file that contains H.264 video and something like MP3 or AAC for audio.

MKV container files were with a reserve for the future, which means that the files will not become outdated. The Matroska developers have included several key features to make this happen:

• Quick search
• Support for chapters, menus and metadata
• Various selectable audio and video streams
• Streaming Compatibility
• Subtitle support (hard and soft coded)
• Error recovery that allows you to play damaged files

The MKV container itself also supports almost any audio and video format, making the format highly adaptive and easy to use.

How to play MKV files

Since MKV is not an industry standard, not all media players support it, although support is growing rapidly. You have two main options for playing MKV files: using the MKV media player, or downloading the appropriate codecs for the media player you prefer.

Best Option: Use VLC Media Player

Our favorite choice to play MKV files is a VLC media player, mainly because it has built-in support and doesn't require anything else to be installed. Download and install this program following the instructions. Start by going to the official download page at videolan.org.

Beware of downloading from other places, as attackers can embed their code in the download file.

Just run the downloaded file to install VLC. The entire installation process takes no more than two or three minutes.

Once the installation is complete, you will be able to watch any of your MKV files. Note that although VLC is associated with all supported video and audio formats during installation, including MKV, it is not registered as the default application for these file types.

To watch an MKV file with VLC, right-click on the MKV file, select "Open With" and then select "VLC Media Player".

To make VLC the default player for MKV files, right-click on any MKV file, select "Open with" and click "Choose another application".

In the application selection window, select "VLC Media Player", check the "Always use this application to open .mkv files" option, and then click "OK".

After that, you can simply double-click on the MKV file to have it open in VLC.

Of course, not everyone likes the VLC player. If that doesn't suit you, the Matroska website offers several media players for Windows with built-in support.

Alternative: Download Codecs

If you prefer to use Windows Media Player or another Windows player that does not yet support MKV files, you can add this support. To do this, you need to install some files known as codecs(the name comes from compression/decompression). These codecs help your video player figure out how to decompress files it doesn't support.

Sounds great, but there's a reason we offer codec downloads as an alternative to using a video player with built-in support. Codec suites are notorious for often containing vulnerabilities or, worse, malware. The good news is that if you are careful about where to download codecs (and updates), they are a viable option.

On the Ninite homepage, select the CCCP option and any other apps you are interested in, then click Get Your Ninite . Once the file has downloaded, run it to install all the programs you have chosen.

After you have installed the codecs, you may have to restart your computer, but you can usually start playing MKV files right after installation.

To properly play mkv files on your computer, you need two things: codecs and a video player that supports this new format.

And so, in order...

1. Select codecs to open mkv

2. Player selection

In addition to Media Player, there are other players that can play this format just as well.

Not a bad enough video player. Many users speak positively about it, for some it even plays mkv files faster than other players. Therefore, it is definitely worth a try!

This player includes its own codecs. Therefore, it opens most files even if your system does not have codecs. It is possible that thanks to this, mkv files will open and work faster.

A universal player that opens almost all video files that I have ever seen on the net. It is even more useful if you have a remote control and want to use it to flip through video files in the player without getting up from the couch!

This is a super player. Eats less than all other video players of the computer's system resources. Thanks to this, many files that slowed down, say, in Windows Media Player, can work safely in BS Player!

3. If MKV slows down

Well, we figured out how and how to open mkv video files. Now let's try to figure out what to do if they slow down.

Because Since this format is used to play high-quality video, its requirements are quite high. Perhaps your computer has simply become old, and is not able to "pull" such a new format. In any case, let's try to speed up playback ...

2) Reinstall codecs and video player. I recommend using BS Player, he has Pts. low system requirements. See above.

3) Pay attention in the task manager (Cntrl+ALT+Del or Cntrl+Shaft+Esc) to the processor load. If the video player loads the CPU by more than 80-90%, then most likely you will not be able to watch the video in this quality. In the task manager, it will not be superfluous to pay attention to what other processes create the load: if there are any, then disable them!

That's all. And how do you open the Mkv format? does it slow you down?