As more people got a new Apple TV 4K, more guys found it's a bit hard to play MKV on Apple TV 4K, no matter via local transferring or video streaming services. Now let's first look at some typical issues and then we'd like share some possible solutions to get MKV files playable on 4K Apple TV with the best quality including the best audio.
"Hi guys. I just recently purchased an Apple TV 4k and I have MKV rips of my Blu-ray that I would like to be able to playback on my new ATV 4k. I'm looking for a way to convert the MKVs to MP4s (I guess?) or another container that will retain full quality video and audio. Anyway, I'm looking for the best way to do that."
"Why is streaming of a 4K MKV/H.265 media to the Apple TV 4K not working? My setup:
Plex server and 4K MKV/H.265 movies on a 1815+ Synology;
Plex client on an Apple TV 4K."
So, if you are just stuck in the issues when streaming, playing MKV on 4K Apple TV like the above users, read on. We think we have something useful to share with you.
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Remuxing | Converting | ||
Explanation | Airplay mirroring involves in mirroring your Mac display to the Apple TV 4K. To be exact, you will need to have a modern Mac, with which you can play MKV with the aid of VLC or other MKV player like 5KPlayer, and then just mirror the screen to Apple TV 4K. |
It helps to put an exact copy of the file into a new container, e.g. from MKV to MP4 that is supported by Apple TV 4K. Remuxing with tools such as MKVToolNix doesn't touch the video and audio streams inside, so you can play MKV on Apple TV 4K without converting thereafter. |
Converting is also known as transcoding or reencoding. To be specific, the MKV file will be reencoded into a new codec, bitrate, resolution or format that your Apple TV 4K will accept, through which Apple TV 4K will play the converted MKV files. | |
Pros | 1. You can play MKV on Apple TV 4K without converting instantly. 2. Quality is lossless. |
1. Fast MKV files copy. 2. No quality loss as remuxing leaves the streams untouched. |
1. No problem to play MKV on Apple TV 4K after the conversion. 2. Ease to use. |
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Cons | 1. Third-party MKV player like 5KPlayer or VLC or MKV codec is needed to play MKV on Mac as QuickTime doesn't support MKV format. |
1. Some audio or video stream in MKV file may be not accepted by Apple TV 4K, for example, the MKV file contains a codec that Apple TV 4K won't recognize. So simply remuxing MKV to MP4, MOV or M4V doesn't help solve MKV playback error in Apple TV 4K. | 1. Some unnoticeable quality loss. 2. Relatively time-consuming. |
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Difficulty | Hard |
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Easy | |
Recommendation |
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★★★ | ★★★★★ |
Conclusion: For instant playback, AirPlay wins. But if the truly successful MKV playback on 4K Apple TV (5th gen) matters, converting is definitely worth a shot, since it solves the format issue once and for all, without the need of any third-party player, network or worrying about codec incompatibility problem. You can just transcode MKV to MP4, MOV, or M4V for Apple TV 4K streaming with a MKV converter and then watch MKV on Apple TV 4K effortlessly.
Transcoding refers to quality degradation and lengthy video reencoding. But these aren't problems with Brorsoft Video Converter. This Mac MKV video converter triumphs over its competitors and successfully delivers the best possible output quality and fastest video conversion speed, up to 3-5X faster. It supports converting virtually all video formats in 4K or HD, ranging from MKV, HEVC (H.265), MTS, AVI, WMV, FLV, VOB, WebM, 3GP, to MP4, MOV, M4V playable on Apple TV 4K and other Apple devices. For Windows users, please get Brorsoft Video Converter. Follow the steps to convert MKV to 4K Apple TV for smooth playback.
Step 1: Import video source
Run the Apple TV 4K Video Converter and then directly drag and drop your MKV videos to the software.
Step 2: Choose Apple TV 4K supported format
Click "Format" then switch to "Common Video". Here you can choose "H.264 High Profile Video(*mp4)" format as the output video.
Tip: When you want to output 4K MP4 for ATV 5, you need to back to the main UI then click "Settings". In "Video Size" box, tap 3840x2160 into the box. Then you can adjust the video bitrate, frame rate and preview the output video size at the below chart.
Step 3: Start to convert MKV to Apple TV 4K
Hit the "Convert" button to start MKV to Apple TV 4K conversion process.
After the conversion ended, you can add converted MKV to Plex Media Server or iTunes and then watch the 4K video on Apple TV 4K for great enjoyment.
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