Different Solutions For VLC Player Not Playing MKV

Emiel Lansangan . January 31, 2023

There are many audio and video containers that you can see in different files. Examples of this are MP4, MKV, AVI, and more. This article is focused on how to play MKV Files. But not all software can run MKV files, and unsupported formats and codecs cause most MKV playback errors. This post will also tackle how to solve the VLC MKV problem and convert MKV files to another format. Follow the tutorial to solve your problem!

MKV file, also known as Matroska Video file, is a multimedia container format but not an audio and video compression format. MKV container, designed to be future-proof so that the files do not become outdated. It includes things like Chapters, menus, Metadata Support, etc. It can contain audio, video, and subtitles in one file, even though the elements used have different encoding types.

Steps on How to Play MKV using VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player also known as VideoLan, is an open-source streaming media server and cross-platform media player software. It supports most audio and video formats like FLV, WMV, MP4, including MKV. VLC Media Player MKV can play smoothly. Aside from MKV, you can play AVI with VLC in a customizable settings. In addition, VLC can stream from popular websites like Netflix, Gala, Hulu, and Disney+. This software is available for desktop operating systems (Windows and Mac) and mobile platforms like Android.

Step 1Download, Install and Launch the VLC

First, download the VLC Media Player from its official website. Please ensure that you are on the correct website to avoid the problem in downloading. Then, pass through the installation process and run it. Kindly familiarize the interface of the tool.

Step 2Add a MKV File

Next, you need to add an MKV file. To add a file, click “Media,” and under that, you can see different ways to add a file. Select "Open File," and a window will appear on your screen. Locate where your MKV File on your File Manager.

Step 3Play and Preview

After adding your file, you can now play and preview it. Just tick the "Play" button and start watching. But sometimes, VLC cannot play MKV. So in the next topic, we will solve that problem.

Three Solutions for VLC Not Playing MKV

There are a lot of reasons why VLC does not play MKV files. These issues are a black screen, no sound, choppiness in the video, and error messages. Below are the solutions to fix the issue. After that, you can transfer your MKV files to iTunes, and other cloud storage or account. Read more here to understand the requirements of adding MKV files to iTunes.

1VLC Media Player Has No Sound

One of the most important in watching a video is sound/audio. But what if your video has no sound? No Sound of a video is one of the user's complaints in VLC Media Player. Suppose the problem continues without sound after checking all the sound-related panels and speakers on your devices. Just follow this guide to solve the problem. Click "Tools" and select "Preferences." Go through the "Audio" and ensure that the "Enable Audio" is checked, then hit “Save.”

2VLC Media Player Skipping MKV

Suppose you have faced where the VLC Media Player skipped your MKV video file. Follow this guide. Go through to the "Tools," then select "Preferences." Under preferences, hit "All" in the lower-left part. Then find the "Input/Codecs" section and see the list. Scroll until you find the "File Caching (ms)" option. Set it to "1000" and click "Save."

3Choppy Video While Playing MKV on VLC Media Player

Choppy videos can spoil the fun of the viewing experience. You can't enjoy watching it because you can't understand it. There are several reasons behind this: faulty SD cards, technical glitches, audio/video codecs, etc. The solution for this, click "Tools" and then select "Preferences." Tick "All" in the lower-left part of the tool and drop down "Input/codecs." Under that, drop down the "Video codecs" and select "FFmpeg." A list will appear on the right side; find "Hardware Decoding," disable it and save.

Convert MKV to VLC Preferred Format

As mentioned above, you may encounter different problems when playing MKV in VLC Media Player. But the problem you may encounter is different from the problem stated above. The best way is to convert the MKV file to another format that VLC is preferable, like mp4, which is the best solution for VLC player not playing MKV. In finding software to convert your MKV files, I recommend the Video Master.

Video Master is one of the easiest and most effective converters, consistently that never fails its customer. This tool allows you to convert your MKV to another format. It allows you to convert 1080P or 4K quality without losing the quality of the original video. It also has editing features like joining and Trim clips, Rotate and Resize Video clips, adding filters and effects, and even adding logos and captions. Besides that, you can merge GIFs and other videos, create collage, edit audio, and more. I recommend this tool for converting your MKV to MP4 because MKV is four times larger than MP4. In addition, Video Master supports most audio and video formats.

Best For: Video Master is best for the users or editors that love to convert multiple videos to another format.
Price: It has a free version and paid version that costs $39.95/year.

Step 1Download and Install Video Master

First and foremost, download the Video Master by clicking any download buttons below. After that, install the software on your computer, and follow the installation instructions. Once installed, launch it.

Step 2Import MKV File to Convert

Navigate the Converter Tab, click "Add File," locate the MKV file you want to convert, and hit "Import." Another way to insert a video file is to tick the "+" button and choose. In addition, you can also drag the video directly to its interface.

Step 3Start Converting Your MKV Video to MP4

Once the MKV file is added, click the drop-down button "Convert All to." You can see the list of available audio and video formats. Select the "MP4 Format" since it was the preferable format for VLC. Then go through to the "Convert All" to start the conversion process.

Step 4Check the Converted Video

If the conversion process were successful, a window would automatically pop up on your screen where your converted video is located. Check if your video is successfully converted. After that, you can now play your video in VLC Media Player.

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