MKV to RM Converter

Convert MKV to RM (RealMedia)

This tool re-encodes a Matroska .mkv video into a RealMedia .rm file on xconvert's servers, writing a RealVideo video track and a RealAudio audio track. Be clear-eyed about the direction first: in 2026 almost nobody should be converting into RealMedia. No mainstream browser plays .rm, the RealVideo codecs here date to the late-1990s streaming era, and RM is a minimal streaming container — so a modern MKV loses both picture quality and its extra tracks. The honest reasons to still do it are narrow: you're matching an existing legacy .rm/.rmvb library, or feeding 2005-2012-era hardware or a media server that specifically lists RealMedia support. If you just want a smaller, playable file, you want MKV to MP4 instead. If you landed here trying to open old .rm files, the rescue direction is RM to MP4.

MKV (Matroska) Format at a Glance

RM (RealMedia) Format at a Glance

RealVideo kept using H.263 through RealVideo 8 before RealNetworks moved to its own H.264-based RV30/RV40 codecs. Mainstream RealVideo development largely wound down after RealNetworks sold its next-generation codec patents and software to Intel in 2012 — a $120 million deal announced in January and completed that April. This tool writes the older, broadly compatible RV10/RV20 codecs, not RV30/RV40.

How to Convert MKV to RM

1. Upload Your MKV File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to add one or more .mkv files. Batch upload is supported — queue several clips to convert with the same settings in one pass.
2. Pick Preset and Video Codec: Under File Compression, choose a Quality Preset (Very High is the recommended default). The Video Codec defaults to RealVideo 1.0 (RV10), the most broadly compatible RealMedia codec; switch to RealVideo 2.0 (RV20) only if your target player supports it. You can instead use Constant Bitrate, target a fixed output with Specific file size, or set a quality ceiling with Constraint Quality.
3. Set Resolution and Trim (Optional): Use Preset Resolutions or Width (Keep aspect ratio) to scale down, and Trim → Time Range to clip out a segment.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. The file processes on our servers and downloads as .rm. No sign-up, no watermark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would anyone convert MKV to RM in 2026?

Three honest cases. One: you already keep a library of .rm or .rmvb files and want new clips in the same container, codec, and quality target so players like RealPlayer, VLC, and MPC-HC treat the collection uniformly. Two: you're feeding a 2005-2012-era set-top box, kiosk, or media server that lists RealMedia as a supported format and chokes on modern containers. Three: a delivery spec literally requires .rm. For anything public-facing or future-proof, use MKV to MP4 — it plays natively in every browser and on every modern device.

Is RM still a usable format, and what plays it?

It plays, but it is legacy. VLC, MPC-HC, and mpv open .rm files today; RealPlayer is its native app, though it is rarely installed now. No mainstream browser plays RealMedia, and most current phones and smart TVs do not either. RealNetworks itself moved on years ago — it switched away from the H.263-based RV10/RV20 lineage after RealVideo 8 and sold its next-generation codec patents to Intel in 2012. Treat RM as a read-only archival or hardware-matching target, not a format to standardize on.

Why does my RM file look worse than the source MKV?

Because you're re-encoding modern video with a 1990s codec. The RealVideo codecs this tool writes — RV10 and RV20 — are both built on ITU-T H.263 and are far less detail-preserving than the H.264, HEVC, VP9, or AV1 video your MKV likely contains. There is no preset that fixes this; "Very High" or "Highest" only reduces how much you lose. If visual quality matters, RealMedia is the wrong target — convert with MKV to MP4 instead, which keeps far more detail at the same size.

Will my MKV's subtitles, chapters, and extra audio tracks survive?

No. MKV is a rich multi-track container — it can carry several audio languages, soft subtitles (SRT/ASS/PGS), chapter markers, and metadata. The RealMedia container this tool writes does not preserve those: you get one video track and one audio track, and subtitles and chapters are dropped. If you need to keep multiple tracks or subtitles, RM is the wrong destination; stay in MKV or convert to a format like MP4 that at least supports a subtitle track and multiple audio streams.

Should I pick RealVideo 1.0 (RV10) or RealVideo 2.0 (RV20)?

RV10 (the default) is RealVideo 1.0 and shipped with RealPlayer 5 — it plays in essentially every player and device that has ever supported RealMedia, including old set-top boxes. RV20 corresponds to RealVideo G2 (RealPlayer 6 era) and is marginally more efficient, but some legacy hardware rejects it. If your target is a software player like VLC or RealPlayer, either is fine; if you're feeding a 2005-2012-era media box, stay on RV10.

What's the difference between RM and RMVB here?

RM uses a constant-bitrate RealMedia stream, which is what RealNetworks designed for predictable streaming. RMVB (RealMedia Variable Bitrate) spends more bits on busy frames and fewer on flat ones, so it generally looks better at the same average file size but is harder to stream. If your target library or player expects RMVB rather than RM, use MKV to RMVB instead so the container and bitrate model match what your collection expects.

What happens to my uploaded MKV file after the conversion?

It is uploaded over an encrypted connection, the encode runs on xconvert's converter nodes, and the source file is deleted automatically a few hours after conversion. In our testing the encoder writes a standard RealMedia file with an RV10 (or RV20) video track and a RealAudio 1.0 audio track. There is no account, no watermark, and nothing is stored permanently or made public.