M4V vs MKV: Which One to Choose
Summary: If you know the difference between an M4V file and an MKV file, you could best decide which type works best for you. From this article, you will learn them more.
- • Convert videos to 1000+ format without loss
- • Compress the high-quality video and audio while retaining original quality
- • Embedded with video editing functions like cropping, effect, and watermark
MKV vs M4V helps you watch movies on mobile devices more easily. If you don’t pay too much attention to file extensions you may run into situations where you can’t play certain files and don’t really know why. That’s precisely why knowing the difference between M4V vs MKV is very useful and can save you a lot of time when trying to decide which type works best for you. With that in mind, today we’re going to compare M4V vs MKV tell you how to convert one file to another using some very powerful and intuitive video converters.
Part 1: M4V vs MKV
Let's start "M4V vs MKV" with "M4V" first. The M4V extension is associated with files developed by Apple to work exclusively alongside its own products and services. M4V files are opened by default in iTunes and feature a form of DRM known as Apple FairPlay. Because of this, it’s not possible to play files on non-Apple products unless you first remove DRM or convert the M4V to MKV or another popular format.
Then let's turn to MKV, another format in MKV vs M4V. A Matroska Multimedia file, better known as an MKV, is a container that can hold any number of media tracks within the same file. These include not just video and audio tracks but also subtitles and images. MKV is a very popular format that can run on pretty much any device and operating system you can think of as it has very strong playback support across all platforms.
Main Differences
If you want to do a direct M4V vs MKV comparison the first difference that immediately stands out is the fact that one format is more widely used and flexible than the other. While protected M4V files are limited to Apple devices due to the inclusion of the FairPlay DRM, MKV files don’t have such restrictions and can work just fine on Windows, Linux, Android, and other platforms. Another important distinction to make is that MKV files tend to be larger in size when compared to M4Vs, though this is generally because they also offer better picture and audio quality. So based on your needs, M4V vs MKV make your decision clear.
Part 2: How to Remove DRM Protection on M4V Files
After M4V vs MKV, we’re going to show you how to convert M4V to MKV in two quick steps. First, you’re going to need a tool known as DVDFab DRM Removal for Apple, which is pretty self-explanatory. You can use this tool to load any number of protected M4V files by removing DRM. After DRM removal, converting M4V to MP4 makes it easy to enjoy any videos in Apple system. Meanwhile, DRM protected M4P music and M4B audio-books will be converted to DRM-free M4A audios playable on each player.
Now, let's see how to remove DRM protection with DVDFab DRM Removal. To remove DRM encryptions, users must allow DVDFab to access the iTunes Library XML. For that purpose, go to iTunes > Edit > Preferences > Advanced, and then check the box before Share iTunes Library XML with other applications.
Steps on DRM removal
(1) Open DVDFab 11 and navigate to the "Utilities" section to get started. Once there, look for a tool labelled DRM Removal for Apple and click to open it.
(2) Once the tool opens you’ll notice there are two options – one for video files and one for audio files. We’ve mainly discussed about video conversion in this article but feel free to choose the audio option before converting M4V to MKV.
(3) After you’ve picked an option it’s time to load the M4V files you want to remove the DRM from. The tool supports batch conversion so feel free to add multiple files to speed up the process. If you picked the video option you will be able to load files either from Windows or from your iTunes library. Meanwhile, audio files can only be added from iTunes. Continue to read and learn more than M4V vs MKV.
(4) Change the destination folder by using the bottom dropdown menu if needed and then click the "Start" button to remove DRM protection. Next, it is time to convert M4V to MKV. There is a video converter supports both of them.
3. DVDFab Video Converter to Convert M4V to MKV Files
We’ve talked about M4V vs MKV at the beginning so now it’s time to move to the final step. DRM Removal for Apple outputs MP4 files but you can convert the MP4 or an unprotected M4V to MKV by using an additional tool known as DVDFab Video Converter. This all-in-one software supports all the most popular video and audio formats and is just as intuitive as the DRM Removal tool.
To use it to convert M4V to MKV, you only need to load the file, click the button of "Profile Switcher" and choose the MKV format,, set an output directory and click the "Start" button.
During you convert M4V to MKV or MP4 to MKV, there are two video editing tools on the main interface of DVDFab Video Converter. You can click the "wrench icon" standing for "Advanced Settings" and "Pen icon" standing for "Video Edit" to customize your video.
4. Conclusion
Learning the difference between M4V vs MKV, MP4 or any other format type can be very useful when trying to figure out which files you can rely on, as not all of them have the same level of support on every device and operating system. It’s a bit tricky to directly convert M4V to MKV because of FairPlay but using DVDFab DRM Removal for Apple in conjunction with DVDFab Video Converter gets the job done every time. Then would you like to play the MKV files you got? Here are the best media player for MKV files.