Apple unveiled a series of Apple TV models, a good TV to play movies and TV shows in amazing 4K HDR quality. Disappointingly, there is no move slated to MKV format, making it frustrating to play MKV on Apple TV 4K or earlier versions, despite the open-source Matroska is so far the most qualified HD/4K movie container format over the internet.
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Solutions revolving around MKV playback on Apple TV aren't far to seek. To name a few, you can watch MKV files on Apple TV via Airplay mirroring or remux the MKV video file so as to be compatible with the Apple TV. But today we will focus on playing MKV on Apple TV via converting and explain why the workaround is superior to the other two.
Way 1. Play MKV on Apple TV via AirPlay
Airplay mirroring involves in mirroring your Mac display to the Apple TV. To be exact, you will need to have a modern Mac, with which you can play MKV with the aid of VLC or other MKV player like 5KPlayer, and then just mirror the screen to Apple TV.
You CAN ALSO consider using a media server app that supports direct streaming of MKV files to your Apple TV. Applications like Plex or Infuse can help you achieve this by converting and streaming the content on the fly.
Way 2. Play MKV on Apple TV by Remuxing
It helps to put an exact copy of the file into a new container, e.g. from MKV to MP4 that is supported by Apple TV. Remuxing with tools such as MKVToolNix doesn't touch the video and audio streams inside, so you can play MKV on Apple TV without converting thereafter. The Plex can also server as a tool to remux MKV to Apple TV. Here's how to do it.
Step 1. Install and set up the Plex Media Server on your computer.
Step 2. Add your MKV files to your Plex library.
Step 3. Install the Plex app on your Apple TV.
Step 4. Open the Plex app on your Apple TV, navigate to your library, and select the MKV file you want to watch.
Step 5. Plex will automatically transcode the MKV file into a format compatible with your Apple TV and stream it to your device.
Way 3. Play MKV on Apple TV by Converting
Transcoding refers to quality degradation and lengthy video reencoding. But these aren't problems with MacX Video Converter Pro. Equipped with high-quality engine, deinterlacing, multi-core CPU, Hyper-threading and the latest Intel QSV acceleration tech, the MKV video converter triumphs over its competitors and successfully delivers the best possible output quality and fastest video conversion speed, up to 3-5X faster.
It supports converting virtually all video formats, ranging from MKV, HEVC (H.265), MTS, AVI, WMV, FLV, VOB, WebM, 3GP, to MP4, MOV, M4V playable on Apple TV and other Apple devices. You will be amazed by its widest device support, thanks to its 350+ readymade profiles for Apple TV 4K, iPhone, iPad, iMovie, PSP, to name a few. Just follow the stepsto convert MKV to Apple TV and then play MKV on Apple TV, including the latest 4K Apple TV.
Step 1. Load MKV File
After running the video converter on your computer, click +Video button to load MKV file to be converted. Multiple videos are allowed to convert at a time.
Step 2. Choose Output Format.
There are two options - either choose MP4, MOV, M4V format or directly choose the profile for Apple TV. Here we take the later one as an example. Just go to Apple -> Apple TV (MPEG4 or H.264). For higher output quality, H.264 is highly recommended. For faster conversion, you can choose Apple TV MPEG4 as the output format.
Step 3: Begin MKV to Apple TV Conversion
Click Browse button to save the file in the destination folder and tap RUN to begin the conversion from MKV to Apple TV format.
Step 4: Sync to Apple TV
To play MKV on Apple TV, you can go to iTunes > Preference > choose Apple TV and then you can stream the MKV content to Apple TV with big widescreen TV.
Comparison: 3 Ways to Play MKV on Apple TV with High Quality
Conclusion: Frankly, the three ways are defective. For instant playback, AirPlay wins. But if the truly successful MKV playback on Apple TV matters, converting is definitely worth a shot, since it solves the format issue once and for all, without the need of any third-party player, network or worrying about codec incompatibility problem. You can just transcode MKV to MP4, MOV, or M4V for Apple TV streaming with a MKV converter and then watch MKV on Apple TV effortlessly.
| NO | AirPlay | Remuxing | Converting |
|---|---|---|---|
Pros |
1. You can play MKV on Apple TV without converting instantly. |
1. Fast MKV files copy. |
1. No problem to play MKV on Apple TV after the conversion. |
Cons |
1. Third-party MKV player like 5KPlayer or VLC or MKV codec is needed to play MKV on Mac as QuickTime doesn't support MKV format. |
1. Some audio or video stream in MKV file may be not accepted by Apple TV, for example, the MKV file contains a codec that Apple TV won't recognize. So simply remixing MKV to MP4, MOV or M4V doesn't help solve MKV playback error in Apple TV. |
1. Some unnoticeable quality loss. |
Difficulty |
Hard |
Medium |
Easy |
Recommendation |
★★★★ |
★★★ |
★★★★★ |
FAQs about How to Play MKV on Apple TV
1. Can Apple TV play MKV files?
No. Apple TV does not natively support MKV (Matroska Video) files. This means that you may encounter difficulties playing MKV files directly on an Apple TV without using a third-party application or method. You can play MKV files on Apple TV by transcoding.
2. How do I add MKV files to my Apple TV library?
If you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPad) with the MKV file, you can use AirPlay to stream the content from your iOS device to your Apple TV. This method allows you to play the MKV file on your iOS device and mirror the content to your Apple TV.
3. How do I stream MKV from PC to Apple TV?
Go to the App Store on your Apple TV. Search for the "Plex" app and install it. Open the Plex app and sign in with the same Plex account you used on your PC. In the Plex app on your Apple TV, navigate to your library where you added the MKV files. Select the MKV file you want to watch, and Plex will transcode and stream it to your Apple TV.
4. Why doesn’t Apple support MKV?
The MKV format includes various codecs and technologies, some of which may require licensing fees or royalties to be paid. By not natively supporting MKV, Apple can potentially avoid these licensing costs. Apple has strongly favored the MP4 container format and the H.264 video codec, which offer good video quality and compatibility across a wide range of devices and platforms.
External Sources:
What is MKV - An open source multimedia container that holds an unlimited number of video, audio, picture, or subtitle tracks in one file, intended to store movies or TV shows.
Apple TV - A digital media player and microconsole developed by Apple Inc, meant to receive digital content from a number of sources like iTunes store, Netflix, Hulu, SlingTV, YouTube, etc.
Candice's particularly skilled in writing and sharing video-related contents. Her guides cover from deep-seated video/audio parameters, to media entertainment on different platforms. She also enjoys shooting and processing videos by herself for a more reliable basis of informative info with her articles, which are never at the expense of eliminating an entertaining read.
