Browse Tools Top 100
H264 MKV
File conversion

Convert H264 to MKV

Verified by Adam B.· reviewed by FE Editorial ·updated Jul 20, 2026
QUICK ANSWER
Is it possible to convert H264 to MKV?
Yes - H264 converts to MKV.

Wrap the .h264 stream inside an MKV container using a video converter or MKVToolNix - the video is copied byte-for-byte and the process takes seconds. The output will have no audio track because a raw .h264 file is video-only. If playback speed is wrong, the stream has no timing info and you need to specify the frame rate.

5 programs
Also to MKV: USM · TP · MPEG4

On this page

Tested on macOS, Windows & Linux
Last verified Sep 2026

More free converters

HEIC, PNG, WEBP, MP3 and more - every tool here is free.

Open the toolbox

Why convert H264 to MKV?

MKV is the most forgiving container for raw H.264 streams. When an MP4 remux fails - typically because the stream has unusual NAL unit formatting from a DVR - MKV accepts it without error. MKV also supports multiple audio tracks, subtitles, and chapters, making it a practical archive container.

How to convert H264 to MKV

Freemake Video Converter FREE

Add the .h264 file, select MKV as the output format, and click Convert.

MediaCoder FREE

Add the .h264 file, set MKV as the output container, and start the conversion.

MKVToolNix FREE

Open MKVMerge GUI (included with MKVToolNix), add the .h264 source file, set the output filename ending in .mkv, and click Start multiplexing.

Programs that convert H264

Miro Video Converter
Freemake Video Converter
HDConvertToX
MediaCoder
Miro Video Converter for Mac

About these formats

.H264 Raw H.264 / AVC Video Elementary Stream

An .h264 (or .264) file is a raw H.264 video stream - pure compressed video with no container, no audio, and no timing info, typically exported by a CCTV camera or DVR. VLC media player can…

Open .H264 details →
.MKV Matroska Video

An MKV file is a Matroska multimedia container that holds video, multiple audio tracks, subtitles and chapters in one file. Open it for free with VLC media player, or on Windows 11 with the…

Open .MKV details →

Quality & what to watch

  • Remuxing copies the compressed video bytes without re-encoding - picture quality is bit-for-bit identical to the source.
  • A raw .h264 file carries no audio; the MKV output will have no audio track, which is expected behavior, not an error.
  • If converting to MP4 produces muxing errors, MKV is a more tolerant target - its container handles non-standard NAL formatting that some DVRs produce.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my MKV play at the wrong speed?
Raw .h264 streams have no timing metadata, so the converter must guess the frame rate; set the camera's actual fps manually to fix playback speed.
Is MKV better than MP4 for raw H.264 streams?
Often yes - MKV's muxer is more tolerant of unusual stream formatting produced by some DVRs, where MP4 remuxing may fail with errors.
Why is there no audio in the output MKV?
A raw .h264 elementary stream is video-only by specification - no audio is stored in the file and no converter can produce audio that was never there.
Should I keep the original `.h264` file?
Yes, especially for surveillance footage that may serve as evidence - keep the original alongside the MKV so the source data is preserved.