MKV

What is MKV?

MKV is a flexible, open standard video file format that has quickly become the preferred file extension for high definition video on the Internet. It natively supports features like alternate audio tracks, multilingual subtitles and chapter points, as well as rich metadata authoring including cover art, ratings, descriptions and more. These features made it the perfect choice for DivX Plus® HD video, allowing us to create an ideal viewing experience.

How do I play MKV videos?

Installing DivX Plus Software for Windows or DivX 7 for Mac is the easiest way to start watching MKV videos. DivX software includes the free DivX Plus Player (or DivX Player for Mac), which not only supports MKV playback but also DivX® files in the .divx and.avi formats. DivX Plus Player will play the video files in your current digital library plus Hollywood movies purchased from DivX content providers.

Windows 7 users who install DivX Plus Codec Pack can also play MKV files with Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, and stream to Windows Media Extenders (like the Xbox 360) and to UPnP devices (like the PlayStation® 3). Fortunately, you won't lose any quality when watching MKV files on your PC or through a Windows Media Center extender, like the Xbox 360.

Using Windows 7 and DivX Plus Software also makes watching high definition MKV video easy on most new netbooks. Combined with Microsoft Media Foundation's DXVA support, DivX Plus Software puts the heavy lifting on the graphics card, freeing up the CPU and allowing accelerated, stutter-free playback of 1080p HD H.264 video.

Where can I play MKV files?

DivX Plus makes it easy to watch your MKV files anywhere you please: in the living room, on the computer or on the go. DivX Plus files are an MKV file containing HD H.264 video with surround sound AAC audio and can also include advanced cinematic extras such as multiple audio tracks (e.g. director's commentary), multilingual subtitles, chapter points, bonus content and more. The DivX Plus format allows files to be easily transferred between computers, DivX Certified® devices like televisions and Blu-ray players as well as streamed over the Internet within a web page using the free DivX Plus Web Player.

Check out the DivX Plus HD Showcase to see high-quality MKV videos in action.

Can I watch an MKV file on my TV?

Watching MKV files beyond your computer is easy with DivX Plus Software. When you're watching an MKV file in DivX Plus Player, just click on an icon in the device pane to launch DivX To Go™. DivX To Go will automatically convert your video to make sure it will play back successfully on your DivX device, even if it's not certified for DivX Plus HD (.mkv) playback.

For more control over your conversion, try DivX Plus Converter. DivX Plus Converter takes your control to the next level by letting you tweak video and audio bitrates, limit file sizes, and combine multple files into a single DivX video. Converting videos into DivX Plus HD format is free, and purchasing DivX Pro lets you convert video to other DivX profiles like DivX Mobile, DivX Home Theater and DivX HD. DivX Plus Converter is part of the free DivX Plus Software download and comes with a 15-day free trial of all of the Pro features.

Additionally, Windows 7 users can watch MKV files on their TV by streaming them directly to a PlayStation® 3 game console or Windows Media Extenders like the Xbox 360. All you have to do is install the DivX Plus Codec Pack, part of the free DivX Plus Software download, and Windows 7 will take care of the rest.

Want to learn more?

At DivX, we try to be open and up-front when it comes to providing the community with information on our current and upcoming technologies. If you're an enthusiast that loves to tinker, please stop by DivX Labs and sample previews of future releases. Your feedback can help shape the future of Internet video and how it's presented on your PC, mobile phone and in your living room.

For developers, we've launched a new home for all our technical documentation, the DivX Developer Portal. Here you can learn how to leverage DivX formats in your own applications through our reference tools, tutorials and example implementations. Whether you're looking to create DivX Plus files with our H.264 specifications or hosting a web site to deliver DivX videos with our DivX Plus Web Player, the DivX Developer Portal will have the information and guidance you need.