MKV to WTV Converter

MKV to WTV Converter

WTV (Windows Recorded TV Show) is the container Windows Media Center wrote when it recorded TV, so the only honest reason to convert an MKV into it in 2026 is to drop a video into a surviving Media Center library on a Windows 7 or 8.1 HTPC, where the Recorded TV gallery indexes .wtv files. MKV (Matroska) is the opposite kind of format — an open, modern, multi-track container — so this conversion re-wraps a flexible file into a niche, end-of-life one. If you just received a .wtv recording and want to watch it on a current device, you almost certainly want the reverse: WTV to MP4. And if you want a video that plays on phones, browsers, and smart TVs, convert MKV to MP4 instead. This tool re-encodes MKV to H.264 video inside the WTV wrapper; the output is meant for an existing Media Center setup, not for general playback.

MKV Format at a Glance

WTV Format at a Glance

How to Convert MKV to WTV

1. Upload Your MKV File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to add MKV files from your computer. Batch upload is supported — every file converts with the same settings.
2. Set Quality Preset or Target File Size: Expand Advanced Options. Under File Compression, leave Preset on Very High (Recommended) to stay close to the source, or choose Specific file size, Constant Bitrate, or Variable Bitrate. The output is encoded as H.264 video, which WTV carries natively; for this target the codec is fixed, so there is no codec dropdown to change.
3. Adjust Resolution or Trim (Optional): Use Video resolution to Keep original, pick a preset, or set Width x Height. Use Trim with a Time Range to cut the clip before encoding.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the WTV file play on Windows 10 or Windows 11?

Not in Windows Media Center. Microsoft removed Media Center when Windows 10 shipped in 2015, and there is no official replacement. The container itself still opens in VLC, Kodi, MPC-HC, and PotPlayer on Windows 10/11, but you lose the Recorded TV interface and the program-guide integration that is the entire reason to use WTV. If your target is a modern PC rather than a legacy Media Center box, there is no benefit to WTV — convert MKV to MP4 for a file that plays everywhere.

I have a .wtv file I want to watch — am I on the wrong page?

Almost certainly, yes. This page converts into WTV, which is only useful for an old Media Center library. If you received a .wtv recording and want to watch or edit it on a current device, you want the reverse direction: WTV to MP4. MP4 with H.264 plays on phones, browsers, smart TVs, and every desktop OS, which is what most people searching around WTV actually need.

Does converting MKV to WTV lose quality?

Yes — once. MKV commonly stores H.264 or HEVC, and the WTV output is re-encoded to H.264, so the video is decoded and re-encoded for one lossy generation. In our testing, leaving Preset on Very High keeps the result visually close to a standard-definition or 720p source. Upscaling the resolution does not recover detail the original never had — it only inflates the file — so leave Video resolution on Keep original unless you have a specific reason to change it.

What happens to my MKV's extra subtitle and audio tracks and chapters?

They do not carry over the way they do in Matroska. MKV can hold an unlimited number of subtitle and audio tracks plus chapter markers; WTV is built around a single recorded program, so the conversion produces one video track with a primary audio track and drops the multi-track structure and chapter metadata. If keeping every subtitle track, alternate-language audio, and chapter list matters, MKV is already the right container to stay in — or convert to MKV to MP4, which preserves more of that structure than WTV does.

Can xconvert add the Windows Media Center program metadata (title, channel, episode)?

No. The converter writes the WTV container and the video and audio streams, but it does not populate the electronic-program-guide fields that real Media Center recordings carry — those are normally written by the tuner at record time. The file will play inside a Media Center library; it just will not arrive pre-tagged with channel and broadcast-time data. A standalone WTV metadata editor can inject those fields afterward without re-encoding, since they live in the container header.

How are my files handled, and how long do you keep them?

Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion. There is no sign-up, no watermark, and your files are never shared or made public. If you would rather keep an MKV as an MKV and just make it smaller, see compress MKV; for a Windows-native alternative that still plays in Windows Media Player without Media Center, MKV to WMV is the more practical target.