M4V to MPG converter

Convert M4V to MPG in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I have Choose files or drop them here, M4V files

I want MPG

Quality

Applies only when the video has to be re-encoded. A straight copy keeps the original quality.

Advanced 2

Resolution

Always re-encode Rebuilds the picture as H.264 (VP9 for WebM) even when it could be copied. Fixes files that won’t play on older TVs and PCs.

Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B · nothing leaves this tab

Other ways to convert M4V

Convert other formats to MPG

Read more about the M4V format and the MPG format, or see every video tool and all video conversions.

Should you convert M4V to MPG?

Yes, when a device or app needs MPG. MPG can’t carry the H.264 or HEVC (H.265) video found in M4V files, so the picture is re-encoded as MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, which takes about as long as the clip on a recent laptop.

Check that MPG is really needed: it plays in VLC, Windows Media Player and DVD players; browsers and phones generally won’t play it, while M4V is mainly an Apple format.

M4V is an MP4 video with Apple’s extension; MPG is the video format of Video CDs, DVDs and early camcorders. Use MPG when burning to DVD or feeding older broadcast and playback equipment.

M4V and MPG compared
Property	M4V	MPG
Usually contains	H.264 video with AAC audio	MPEG-2 video with MP2 or AC-3 audio
Support	Mainly an Apple format	A legacy format
Plays on	Apple apps and VLC; some Windows apps and upload forms reject the extension	VLC, Windows Media Player and DVD players; browsers and phones generally won’t play it
Best for	Apple TV and iTunes libraries	DVD authoring and old broadcast hardware
Introduced	2003	1993

How to convert M4V to MPG

01
Add your M4V

Drop your M4V video onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.
02
Check the settings

The output is already set to MPG. Change the quality if you want to; the defaults suit most files.
03
Save the MPG

Press convert and save the MPG. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when M4V becomes MPG

Re-encoded, at a quality you choose

Because the video has to be compressed again, a little detail is lost. The default quality keeps the difference invisible; choose High for footage you’ll edit further.

MPG is an older format

Use MPG when burning to DVD or feeding older broadcast and playback equipment. For sharing, uploading or playing on phones, MP4 is the better choice.

Expect a much larger file

MPG is far bigger for the same content. Choose it because something needs MPG, not to send or store the file. M4V: The same as the equivalent MP4. MPG: DVD-quality video runs about 30–60 MB a minute.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of M4V and MPG, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Video files are big, and uploading one just to change its container can take longer than the conversion itself. Your browser can read and write these formats, so the file never has to leave your device.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

About the M4V. Films bought from the iTunes Store are copy-protected and can’t be converted by any tool; your own M4V exports convert in seconds.
About the MPG. MPEG-2 video needs a lot of bitrate, so converting a phone video to MPG makes the file several times bigger.
MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM are handled by your browser’s own video engine, often with hardware help. AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG and the other older formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, and are slower.

Questions

Does converting M4V to MPG lose quality?

The video is re-encoded, so a little detail is lost, but the default quality is set high enough that it doesn’t show.

Will a MPG play on my phone?

MPG a legacy format: VLC, Windows Media Player and DVD players; browsers and phones generally won’t play it. VLC plays MPG files; Windows Media Player plays most.