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Doesn't play mkv files. How to open an MKV file on a TV: detailed instructions. The process of using the application is presented below

If you are looking for how to open a mkv file, then you have come to the right place.

Everyone has ever downloaded movies from torrents.

Everything seems to be fine, but the files periodically do not open because they have *.mkv resolution. Why not AVI, which we have become accustomed to for so much time?

The AVI format was developed by everyone well-known company Microsoft for commercial purposes.

Everything was great until the moment they “released” it on the market in principle new format blu-ray with incredible video quality.

It was not possible to compress the source information into AVI format when trying to create BD-rip files, since the final product was terrible in every way:

  1. Low resolution;
  2. Inability to insert subtitles;
  3. No change of languages.

As a result, the domestic “Kulibins” created their own container and called it “Matroska” (Matryoshka).

The format name is formed by transliteration: Matroska – mk, video – v = mkv. It initially has more features than AVI, but is not as common.

Because of this, many people have a question about how to open a mkv file on a PC? The developers took care of this by providing their products with the appropriate feature. Let's consider the most famous representatives, namely:

  1. 5KPlayer
  2. The ;
  3. GOM Player;
  4. MKV Player;
  5. Media Player Classic;
  6. VLC media player.

5KPlayer

In other words, if you don’t know how to open mkv on Android, you can safely download this application from the Play Market.

Otherwise, the program supports almost the entire list of popular formats, both audio and video.

Among them are also FLV, WMV, AVI, MKV and QuickTime. Its main difference is its support for a huge number of codecs.

There are rumors that some of them are built into the software package not entirely legally, but this only benefits the user, since he does not have to overpay for a license.

There are plenty of opportunities.

Firstly, this player can easily play even “broken” and under-downloaded files of any format (except DVD).

Secondly, the installation package initially includes the libavcodec library, so the registry will not be additionally “clogged” with various garbage.

Note! For fans of unusual design, support for covers and additional plugins from Winamp is provided. And most importantly: support for almost all languages ​​is implemented.

GOM Player

Another good option for those who don’t know how to open a mkv file on Windows 8 or more earlier versions OS.

The installation package has a built-in set of codecs that are needed to play all more or less known formats.

In addition to basic functionality, the player is capable of “eating” both under-downloaded and broken multimedia files.

Another thing is that the picture quality may suffer. In addition, you can make subtitles in GOM.

An excellent option for those with the characteristics of 2004–2007.

Any movie will be played without jerking or stuttering, since post-processing is well implemented here.

Unfortunately, the player cannot be customized due to the closed source code.

Because of this, it is impossible to remove built-in advertising, which is periodically annoying.

MKV Player

An ideal option for those who don’t know how to open mkv. The name itself already seems to hint.

The program was originally conceived as a primitive and convenient tool for playing the MKV format, as well as popular audio and video files.

The appearance of the window is somewhat reminiscent of the classic WM player version 7. The only difference is that here the buttons do not have icons with designations, but text labels.

In other words, if you want to click on play, you need to click not on the triangle, but on the “play” button.

The functionality is frankly meager. Here you will not find any equalizers, effects settings, or a reference book.

You can only vary the speed of playing tracks and displaying subtitles.

Media Player Classic

This player is often confused with Windows Media. There is a certain grain of truth in this: the product has an appearance identical to WMP version 6.4.

But that's where the similarities end, since MPC is based on completely different code.

It is noteworthy that only one programmer named Gabest is working on the program.

Attentive people will notice that MPC does not include support for MKV and will begin to panic.

You should not do this, since the program supports DivX version 7, so there will be no problems with mkv files. Even codecs do not have to be updated additionally.

In addition, the player copes well with flash video, frame capture via a TV tuner, and more.

As for the shortcomings. First, you won't be able to adjust brightness and contrast automatically. You'll have to tinker with the settings manually, which is not entirely convenient.

Secondly, on weak systems the program will be slow because it requires SSE support.

Overall, a good household player for non-trivial tasks.

VLC media player

The famous “traffic cone”, which has gained fame as a trouble-free and omnivorous program that can handle any format, both video and audio.

Based on the words of the developer, this software has been downloaded more than 500 million times in its entire history.

It is unlikely that any player can boast of such success.

VLC's huge hype is due to its openness and cross-platform functionality.

If you don’t know how to open mkv on Mac, feel free to download the version for MacOS and enjoy watching your favorite track.

Take the time to learn the basic keyboard shortcuts of the player so that you can use it without a mouse.

Believe me, it’s very convenient, you don’t have to reach for the “rodent” every time to turn it up louder, open subtitles or take a screenshot.

By the way, about subtitles. If you are watching a movie with original soundtrack, add a small SRT file with subtitles to the movie folder.

The player will automatically recognize it and add a translated track.

Starting with version 2.0, skins became available for VLC. Now you can completely change the outer shell of the player at your discretion.

Perhaps this is the most convenient player that has ever been created. Navigation is excellent, even the latest generation Jet Audio can envy the “gluttony” of formats.

Well, availability for different OSes. Great choice.

How to open a mkv file? TOP 6 review best programs

The mkv format, which is quite often used for video, is a container for multimedia data. It contains video materials, sound and subtitles. The encoding of the first two may differ, which is why the format will not be played in all players. Most often, mkv is used to publish files on video hosting sites. In this article we will answer the question of how to open the mkv format on Windows.

1.1 VLC media player


This player is one of the most famous, gaining popularity thanks to simple interface and versatility. Frequent updates, which occur automatically by default, make it possible not to worry about the presence of codecs in your computer system. After installing the program on your PC, you will not wonder how to open mkv or any other format.

Features of VLC media player:

  • Supports most operating systems. The program works with Windows, Linux, Android, Mac OS X, Apple iOS, BSD, Solaris and other operating systems.
  • Work with numerous audio and video formats. VLC media player is capable of playing almost all types of extensions.
  • A large number of built-in codecs. You don't have to install them separately, since they are already included in the player's database.
  • Working with streaming videos. Using the player, you can not only watch streams, but also conduct your own broadcasts.
  • Encoding and capture of streaming playback. You can also record a broadcast of a stream or TV channel.
  • Availability of interface in Russian.

1.2 GOM Player


This player supports many popular formats, including mkv. Among the features of the player, it is worth highlighting the presence of a Russian-language interface, which makes it possible to intuitively understand the controls by following the available instructions. There is no need to install third-party codecs, since GOM Player has a large list of them.

Features of the GOM Player program:

  • Ability to play all popular formats.
  • Playback of incompletely downloaded or broken files.
  • Subtitle support. You can change the size, position, color and font of subtitles in the corresponding menu.
  • Adaptation of video resolution for weak computers.
  • Ability to play DVDs with built-in menu support.
  • Adaptation for different screen modes. You can choose between a TV, monitor or projector.
  • Create playlists and bookmarks.
  • Volume control and several modes for playing audio files.
  • Adding effects to sound.
  • Support for DSP modules from Winamp.

1.3 The KMPlayer

This player was developed by Kang. Visually, it resembles GOM Player, but has advanced functionality. The player's built-in codecs allow it to open files with The KMPlayer extension.

Features of The KMPlayer program:

  • Built-in codecs and support for many music and video formats.
  • Play streaming.
  • Working with damaged files.
  • Portable mode without installation on your computer.
  • Availability of subtitles function. Using the built-in editor, you can customize the text according to your preferences.
  • Play video with external video track.
  • Video capture.
  • Adapting the volume level of audio files.
  • Adjust the playback image. You will be able to specify the level of sharpness and blur of the video.
  • Fast and slow playback.

1.4 BS.Player

Development of Webteh company from Slovenia in Lately began to lose popularity due to its narrow functionality. Despite this, updates continue to be released for the program, which is why it works with the mkv format. On the Internet you can find paid and free version applications, but they are almost no different. If you have such a utility on your computer, you will not wonder how to open mkv on Windows.

1.5 Light Alloy

This small player features a variety of playable formats. It has a simple and pleasant interface that makes it easy to understand the intricacies of using the application. For beginners, tips constantly pop up in the program window, which spell out the algorithm of actions in a given situation. The player supports plugins from Winamp. When playing videos, you can take screenshots and save them in several formats.

1.6 Zoom Player

The free player has a concise appearance and easy to use. In the interface you will find an audio equalizer, the ability to customize playlists, zoom in or out of images and a lot of others. useful functions. One of them is playing the mkv format.

2 Features of the mkv format

The format has the full name - Matroska. It is built on the open source MCF project. During the development process, specialists tried to create a cross-platform media container designed for playback on any device.

The EBML format, which is used in mkv, is analogous to XML language. It is also used in WebM. Its use makes it possible to make certain changes to the format without losing its compatibility with other programs.

Matroska includes three built-in extensions: mkv for video, mka for audio and mks for subtitles. The file can store all three types of data simultaneously, making the format universal.

3 Matroska Pack Full – codec package

This set of popular codecs will solve the problem of playing rare formats on a computer. The package will work with any player, as it is installed on the system. The only condition for this is that the player supports DirectShow. The codec package will solve compatibility problems offline.


4 Expert opinion

“First of all, you need to install codecs for video playback. You can use the k-lite codecs package. During the installation process, simply check the mkv or Matroska extension. For Windows 7, you can use Win7codecs, in which all codecs will be installed by default.", writes Internet user Alexey.

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 Internet 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 its competitors are its simple interface, a large number of functions and frequent updates. Having installed this program you will no longer have questions about how to open mkv or other multimedia file. Everything will open in one program, quickly and conveniently.

Let's look at other features of the VLC media player program:

  • Supports 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.
  • Supports a huge 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 watch the video.
  • VLC media player is equipped with a wide range of functions 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 – free player for working with popular media formats, developed by Gretech Corporation. GOM Player has a Russian-language interface and allows you to open mkv files without any problems. GOM Player allows you to play videos without having to install third-party codecs.

Let's look at other features of the GOM Player program:

  • Plays 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 work with DVD discs.
  • Separate operating modes for various types 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 opens mkv files without any problems.

Let's look at other features of The KMPlayer:

  • Supports all popular media formats. Built-in codecs.
  • Play streaming video and audio.
  • Replayability damaged videos 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 level normalization.
  • Image settings. The user can specify the level of sharpness or blur.
  • Possibility of accelerated playback.

BS.Player

BS.Player is a media player developed by the Slovenian company Webteh. Very old program, which 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 what to watch mkv or other popular format.

Features of the MKV format

So we looked at a number popular programs to view mkv files. In conclusion, a short reference to the MKV format itself. As we have already said, the full name of the format is Matroska. This format is an open project built on the basis of the MCF project.

When developing this format, the task was set to create a universal, most flexible and cross-platform media container format. According to the developers, files in this format should be reproduced 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, a mkv file can store video, audio and subtitles simultaneously.

The familiar AVI video format has been on the market long enough to achieve cult status. It was developed by the guys from Microsoft, pursuing purely commercial interests. Things were going great until they announced blu-ray with incredible picture quality and more.

Attempts to compress the original data from the “blue” ones into AVI were made more than once, only the output was not a high-quality BD-rip, but a mediocre fake:

  • terrible resolution;
  • you can't add subtitles;
  • Possibility to sew up only 1 language.

In an attempt to develop a universal container for video files, domestic developers came up with the now familiar Matryoshka (Matroska video - mkv). The product's capabilities 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 a mkv file?

Modern players for Windows 7 and Windows 10 are capable of playing almost any format. Most home HD players support Matryoshka by default. But let’s look at ways to view it on a computer:

  • GOM Player;

Why these programs? They are free, have wide functionality, are easy to use and are popular with everyone. Why use an unknown player if you can download one of the popular ones.

The player is systematically confused with Windows Media due to its name. Yes, the product is very similar to the 6.4 version of the “windowed” player, but that’s all. Software-wise, 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 found on the official portal, but the list of supported extensions is impressive. It is noteworthy that MKV is not announced, but MPC supports version 7 of DivX, so there will be no problems opening it.

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

The well-known “cone” - trouble-free workhorse, which you can feed any extension without worrying about the problem of incompatibility and unsupported codecs. It is not surprising that 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. Also implemented is working with a keyboard shortcut, which is practically not 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. An ideal choice if you want to watch movies on your TV.

Do not confuse the regular KMPlayer and our representative with the prefix “The” - these are fundamentally different products. The latter was created for Windows and Android, while the former was developed for the KDE environment.

Distinctive feature The player is incredibly omnivorous. Among 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.

Among the undeniable advantages, we note the ability to play even broken and incompletely downloaded files (except DVDs).

GOM Player

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

On the other hand, no one is stopping 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 won’t feel any stutters, stutters or stutters when watching HD content.

The only annoying thing is the built-in advertising, 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 capabilities and interface, it copes with the key task perfectly. It also easily opens files like AVI, WMV and more. Outwardly similar to WM player version 7, only the buttons here are implemented with text labels, and not in the form of icons.

But the functionality is meager: only adjusting the playback speed and turning on subtitles. Nothing else. Suitable for familiarizing yourself with the track, but comfortable viewing is out of the question. Moreover, the player doesn’t even really read the MKV format. It only works if you do not touch the rewind.

If the file is slow

Methods for opening MKV are known. But what should you do if the playback is choppy, jerky and periodically slows down? We will try to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Remember that the format transmits an HD picture, which indicates a high requirement for 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 viewing process, but can heavily load the processor (browsers, skype, running torrent, etc.). Also unload the video card (rendering, games). Additionally, make sure that disk subsystem was not distracted by things that were not relevant at the moment (copying files, recording, deleting, defragmenting).

It wouldn’t hurt to upgrade the system’s native codecs by installing new ones (try K-Lite Codec Pack).

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

The MKV file (from the English Matroska Video File) is a video container format and has certain similarities with the MOV, MPG and AVI formats. The MKV format supports several compression algorithms.

It is noteworthy that MKV format has the ability to contain various subtitles. Delving into the formation of the concept of what the MKV format is, you can pay special attention to its history. Initially, in such video formats, subtitles were implemented, which included the necessary service information; in addition, the MKV container could combine different audio tracks, placing the required video/audio data in one file format.

Greater popularity MKV file we received among the owners of outdated mobile gadgets with operating system Symbian, as well as on other devices and PDAs, software which is not the most modern. In most cases, to open MKV on the above devices, it is recommended to use the Core Media Player utility.

When working with a computer, this format They often try to launch videos through Windows Media Player, but to open them correctly, you will need to install the special Matroska DirectShow package (from the developers of the Matroska project itself), then the Media Player project will successfully play audio and video placed in a multimedia container.MKV. To avoid any problems with Windows player Media, most users launch the MKV container through such special programs, like KMPlayer without additional playback codecs or Nullsoft Winamp, containing a standard set of codecs to open the MKV format.

An open project called Matryoshka (Matroska) quickly won the love of FullHD viewing fans, because the format’s capabilities demonstrate good dynamics for transmitting video/audio streams. If the user does not feel the need to play MKV, using appropriate MKV converters can easily be converted to other formats.



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