Sample MKV File Download — Matroska Video Test Files
Download free Matroska video sample files in MKV format — 1MB to 100MB with exact sizes. Use these MKV test files to verify multi-audio track switching, subtitle extraction, and codec compatibility. MKV is the most flexible video container — supports H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, unlimited audio tracks, embedded subtitles, and chapter markers.
sample-1mb.mkv
854×480 · 4s · 480p · H.264
sample-5mb.mkv
1280×720 · 10s · 720p · H.264
sample-10mb.mkv
1920×1080 · 10s · 1080p · H.264
sample-50mb.mkv
1920×1080 · 55s · 1080p · H.264
sample-100mb.mkv
1920×1080 · 120s · 1080p · H.264
sample-4k.mkv
3840×2160 · 10s · 2160p · H.264
sample-h265.mkv
1920×1080 · 10s · 1080p · H.265
sample-vp9.mkv
1920×1080 · 10s · 1080p · VP9
sample-with-subtitles.mkv
1920×1080 · 15s · 1080p · H.264
sample-multi-audio.mkv
1920×1080 · 15s · 1080p · H.264
Use cases for sample MKV files
- Testing MKV playback and codec support in video players
- Verifying multi-audio track selection and switching
- Testing embedded subtitle extraction and rendering
- Benchmarking MKV vs MP4 container overhead
- Testing video transcoding pipelines (MKV to MP4)
- Validating metadata extraction (codec, resolution, duration)
MKV vs MP4 — When to use which
| Feature | MKV | MP4 |
|---|---|---|
| Video codecs | Any (H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, etc.) | H.264, H.265, AV1 |
| Audio tracks | Unlimited | Multiple (limited) |
| Subtitles | SRT, ASS, SSA, VobSub, PGS | Limited (tx3g, WebVTT) |
| Chapters | Yes (nested) | Basic |
| Browser support | None (use players) | All browsers |
| Streaming | Not designed for web | HLS, DASH |
| Best for | Archival, media servers, Plex | Web, mobile, streaming |
How to convert MKV to MP4
# Remux without re-encoding (instant, no quality loss)
ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c copy output.mp4
# Re-encode to H.264 (slower, universal compatibility)
ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -c:a aac output.mp4
# Extract subtitles from MKV
ffmpeg -i input.mkv -map 0:s:0 subtitles.srt
# List all tracks in an MKV file
ffprobe -show_streams input.mkvRemuxing (-c copy) is nearly instant and preserves the original quality. It only works if the MKV contains codecs that MP4 supports (H.264/H.265 + AAC).
Codecs supported by MKV
| Type | Codecs |
|---|---|
| Video | H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP8, VP9, AV1, MPEG-4, Theora |
| Audio | AAC, AC3, DTS, FLAC, Opus, Vorbis, MP3, PCM |
| Subtitles | SRT, ASS/SSA, VobSub, PGS, WebVTT |
Technical specifications
| Full name | Matroska Video Container |
| Extensions | .mkv (video), .mka (audio), .mks (subtitles) |
| Based on | EBML (Extensible Binary Meta Language) |
| Video codecs | Any — H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, etc. |
| Audio codecs | Any — AAC, FLAC, Opus, AC3, DTS, etc. |
| Subtitles | SRT, ASS/SSA, VobSub, PGS, WebVTT |
| License | Open-source, royalty-free (LGPL) |
| Developed by | Matroska.org (2002) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Other video formats
Related reading
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