Is it possible to turn MKV into HEVC? What video codecs does MKV use? How to transcode MKV into HEVC for completely free? In this MiniTool post, I will answer the above questions and recommend a reliable and free video converter for MKV to HEVC conversions.

Why Need to Convert MKV to HEVC

MKV is a container format that can store videos, audio, images, and subtitles. It uses H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), VP9, MPEG-4 Part 2, or Theora as video codec, as well as AAC, MP3, FLAC, Opus, or Vorbis as audio codec. Sometimes, you may get an MKV video encoded with H.264 or Theora and want to change the video codec to HEVC.

Why need to convert MKV to HEVC? The previous reason is for the smaller file size and better video quality. HEVC, a successor to H.264, is a video compression standard providing superior compression efficiency. Many container formats, like MP4, MKV, MOV, and AVI, use HEVC to encode video data. Compared to AVC, HEVC offers better data compression for the same video quality, or significantly better video quality for the same bit rate.

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Free Way to Convert MKV to HEVC and Vice Versa

Choosing a reliable video converter is crucial for efficient video conversion. Among various video converters, I’d like to recommend MiniTool Video Converter first. It is a complete FREE video and audio converter with no file size limit or watermark. It gives support for a wide range of formats, including MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, MTS, FLV, WMV, MP3, MWA, and more. Additionally, various codecs, like H.264, AV1, VP9, and HEVC, are also supported.

With MiniTool Video Converter, you can easily make the MKV video encoded with HEVC. On the contrary, it can also help you convert a video encoded with HEVC to MKV or other formats. Below is how to convert MKV to HEVC using MiniTool Video Converter:

Step 1. Get the installation package of MiniTool Video Converter and then follow the instructions to install it on your computer.

MiniTool Video ConverterClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 2. Launch this free MKV to HEVC converter, click the Add Files option or the Add or Drag files here to start conversion region to import the MKV video you want to convert.

Click the Add Files button or the Add or Drag files here to start conversion area to import the target MKV video into MiniTool Video Converter

Step 3. Hit the diagonal arrow circled in the below screenshot to open the output format window, go to the Video tab, and choose MKV from the left sidebar. Or you can choose MP4 or other formats containing HEVC codec.

Hit the diagonal arrow in the Target box of MiniTool Video Converter and choose MKV as the output format under the Video tab

To open the format Settings window, you can click the pen icon behind the preferred preset quality or hit on + Create Custom. Set HEVC as the video encoder, customize other parameters, and click Create. Next, choose the newly created MKV format from the right panel.

Click on + Create Custom to open the format Settings window to set HEVC as the video encoder and click Create

Step 4. Click the pen icon next to Target to rename the HEVC video and choose a folder to save it. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 5. Simply hit the Convert button to activate the conversion process. Once done, navigate to the Converted subtab and click on Show in folder to locate and check the HEVC video.

Tips:
If you want to convert several files to the same format simultaneously, you can enable the output format window by clicking the Convert all files to option and then choose a uniform output format. Later, click on Convert All.
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In addition to using MiniTool Video Converter, other online and offline tools can also transcode MKV into HEVC. In this section, I also prepare 3 useful video converters for you to choose from.

Option 1. Convertio

Want to make video conversion without downloading or installing any software or plugins? If so, online video converters should be your first choice. Convertio is an online file converter for videos, audio, images, documents, and others. It enables you to make conversions on any of the browsers on Windows, Mac, Android, or other devices. Moreover, all conversions take place in the cloud. You can use it to convert between MKV and HEVC.

Convert MKV to HEVC via Convertio

Option 2. Winxvideo AI

Winxvideo AI is an offline tool with the help of AI. It can convert to and from various formats, including MKV to HEVC, MKV to MOV, and more. Besides, it has other features to compress or upscale videos, stabilize shaky videos, record videos, and more. Correspondingly, Winxvideo AI is not a completely free tool.

Option 3. Media.io

Media.io is an online AI-powered tool that can be used to transcode MKV into HEVC and convert HEVC to MKV. Additionally, it is a feature-rich video editor, enabling you to remove watermarks from videos, add text, change video speed, and make other edits. Furthermore, it has various features for images and audio.

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BONUS: How to Edit MKV and HEVC Videos

MiniTool MovieMaker is a professional video editor with a wide variety of editing features and royalty-free resources (like text templates, title cards, animated sticks, sound effects, etc.). It supports editing video in most common formats, such as MKV, MP4, MOV, H.265, and others. Its multi-track editing feature helps you create picture-in-picture videos creatively. You can use it to fine-tune your MKV and HEVC video. 

MiniTool MovieMakerClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

The main editing interface of MiniTool MovieMaker

Bottom Line

It is a good way to use a video convert to convert MKV to HEVC for smaller file sizes and better video quality. MiniTool Video Converter is a free and reliable video converter that is worth a try. Alternatively, you can try other converters mentioned above.

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