WTV to MKV Converter

How to Convert WTV to MKV Online

1. Upload Your WTV File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select recordings exported from Windows Media Center. WTV files can be large — a one-hour HDTV recording typically runs 4-6 GB — so the upload may take a moment on slower connections. Batch upload is supported.
2. Pick Quality Preset: The default is Very High (Recommended), which keeps the source video quality intact. For a near-remux that preserves the original MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio without re-encoding artifacts, leave Very High selected. Drop to High or Medium only if you need to re-encode to H.264 to shrink the file. Constant Quality (CRF) and Constant Bitrate are exposed under File Compression for advanced control.
3. Set Video Resolution and Trim (Optional): Keep original is the default — recommended for OTA broadcasts so you preserve the 1080i or 720p source. Or pick a Preset Resolution, enter a custom Width x Height, or scale by Resolution Percentage. Use Trim with a Time Range to cut commercials or grab a single segment before download.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared. Your MKV will play immediately in VLC, Plex, Jellyfin, Kodi, and Windows 10/11's built-in Movies & TV app.

Why Convert WTV to MKV?

WTV (Windows Recorded TV Show) is Microsoft's container for TV recorded by Windows Media Center. It wraps MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital AC-3 audio from over-the-air broadcasts (ATSC A/52), but Windows Media Center was discontinued with Windows 10 in 2015 — leaving WTV files stranded on a format that no current Microsoft OS plays out of the box. MKV (Matroska) is the open container standard (RFC 9559, published October 2024) that plays everywhere modern video plays.

• Escape a dead format — Windows Media Center shipped with Windows 7 and Windows 8 Pro (as a paid $9.99 add-on) and was removed entirely from Windows 10 in July 2015. WTV files won't open in Windows 11's Movies & TV app, Apple QuickTime, or most non-Windows tools. MKV plays natively on every major platform.
• Preserve multi-track audio — many WTV recordings include a primary AC-3 5.1 surround track plus a secondary audio program (SAP) for descriptive video or a second language. MKV preserves every audio track in a single file; MP4 can technically do this too but support for multi-AC-3 inside MP4 is uneven across players.
• Keep closed captions — ATSC broadcasts embed CEA-608/708 captions in the MPEG-2 video stream. MKV can carry captions as a switchable subtitle track, which Plex, Jellyfin, and VLC will surface as a toggle. WTV stores them embedded, which most non-Microsoft players ignore.
• Stream to Plex, Jellyfin, and Kodi — these media servers index MKV natively and can direct-play to most clients without transcoding, saving CPU on your server. WTV is not a recognized library format and requires conversion before ingest.
• Edit and clip recordings — most NLE software (DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, Shotcut) won't import.wtv directly. Converting to MKV with the source MPEG-2 stream preserved gives you an editable container without quality loss from re-encoding.
• Burn to disc or load on a TV — modern smart TVs (Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV) and Blu-ray players support MKV playback from USB; almost none support WTV.

WTV vs MKV — Format Comparison

Quality Preset Guide (re-encoding vs near-remux)

For a true bit-perfect remux that simply rewraps the existing streams into MKV without touching the video data, keep Very High and leave the resolution at Keep original. If you need a specific output size, switch to Specific file size under File Compression and enter a target in MB.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the conversion re-encode my video or just rewrap it?

With the default Very High preset and Keep original resolution, the conversion is effectively a remux — the MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio streams from your WTV file are placed into the MKV container with no quality-degrading re-encode. If you select a lower preset, change the resolution, or pick a different codec under File Compression, the video will be re-encoded.

Will my AC-3 5.1 surround audio be preserved?

Yes. AC-3 (Dolby Digital) is a first-class audio codec in MKV and is preserved as-is during a near-remux. VLC, Plex, Jellyfin, and Kodi all pass 5.1 AC-3 through to your AVR or soundbar over HDMI bitstream. If your playback device only handles stereo, the player will downmix on the fly — no conversion needed.

Why can't I open my WTV file in VLC or Windows 11?

WTV is a proprietary container that Microsoft only documented for use with Windows Media Center. VLC's WTV demuxer works for some files but breaks on others (audio sync drift, missing AC-3 streams) because Microsoft never published the full specification. Windows 10 removed Media Center in July 2015, and Windows 11's Movies & TV app does not recognize the format. Converting to MKV is the durable fix.

What about Protected Recorded TV (DRM-flagged WTV files)?

Cable boxes using CableCARD or some satellite tuners set a Copy Control Information (CCI) flag on certain channels — typically premium and some HD broadcasts. Files marked "Copy Once" or "Copy Never" are encrypted and tied to the original Windows machine; they cannot be opened on any other device, including this converter. Over-the-air ATSC broadcasts in the US are not protected and convert cleanly.

Will closed captions transfer to the MKV?

ATSC closed captions are embedded inside the MPEG-2 video stream (CEA-608/708). In a near-remux these stay inside the video track and are accessible in players that support CC decoding — Plex and VLC will surface them. To get a separate switchable subtitle track in MKV you would need to extract captions first with a tool like ccextractor, then mux the resulting SRT alongside the video.

My WTV has multiple audio tracks (English + SAP). Will both transfer?

Yes. MKV supports unlimited audio tracks, and the conversion preserves every track found in the WTV container. After conversion, your media player will let you switch between the primary program audio and the secondary audio program (typically described video or an alternate language).

Why is my converted MKV roughly the same size as the WTV?

Because Very High preset performs a near-remux — it copies the existing compressed streams into a new container rather than re-encoding them, so total bytes stay close to the original. This is the desired outcome for archival quality. To shrink the file, drop to High or Medium preset (which re-encodes to H.264) or use the Specific file size option under File Compression.

Should I convert to MKV or MP4 for Plex?

Both work well in Plex, but MKV is generally the safer choice for WTV sources. MKV preserves AC-3 5.1, secondary audio programs, and ATSC closed captions with the widest player compatibility. MP4 also handles AC-3 and multiple audio tracks, but support is less universal — some smart TVs reject AC-3 in MP4. Use WTV to MP4 if you specifically need MP4 for an iOS device or older hardware.

Can I trim out commercials before converting?

Yes — use the Trim control with Time Range during conversion to drop a single segment, or upload the file to Trim WTV first to cut multiple commercial breaks, then convert the cleaned WTV (or convert the trimmed file directly to MKV in one pass).

What other formats can I convert WTV to?

For maximum device compatibility try WTV to MP4 or WTV to AVI. For audio extraction use WTV to MP3. To work with the raw broadcast streams, WTV to MPEG-2 or WTV to TS exposes the underlying transport. To shrink a recording without changing the container, see Compress WTV.