by Brian Fisher • Feb 28,2020 • Proven solutions
Why Do We Need MP4 Codec?
Not all video formats can play on Mac devices. You may find that the media player on your Mac gives an error whenever you play an MP4 file. To solve this, you need a codec. An MP4 codec enables the media players such as QuickTime to play files that it did not support such as MP4 files. Although QuickTime on Mac devices supports MP4 files, it only contains some of the codecs, which means that if your file has a codec that is not supported, it will not play. Therefore, you should install the required codec or convert the files to a format support by the media player.
Part 1. Best MP4 Codec to Play MP4 Videos on Mac
- Perian for Mac Free The Perian Team Mac OS X 10.4 Intel/PPC, Mac OS X 10.5 Intel/PPC, Mac OS X 10.6 Intel/10.7 Version 1.2.3 Full Specs Editors' Rating.
- K-Lite Mega Codec Pack includes codecs for the most popular compressions like Divx and Xvid as well as some of the less popular but still necessary codecs. The best K-Lite Codec for Mac – Perian. Perian is one stop codec resource on Mac similar to K-Lite Codec Pack on Windows. Perian is a free, open source, QuickTime component that extends.
Mac users have a codec pack called Perian which works great, and is useful if you want to watch videos in QuickTime or iTunes rather than VLC. What Are Codec Packs? A codec is a computer program.
UniConverter is the best MP4 codec that can enable playing of MP4 videos on Mac devices. The converter is a tool used to convert videos and audio from one format to another. In this case, it can convert the MP4 files on your Mac device to a format that is recognized by the media player. Other than converting, the software can also be used for editing videos, burning DVDs and downloading audio and video files from various sharing sites.
Video Converter - UniConverter
Get the Best MP4 Codec:
- Convert MP4 videos to Mac compatible format with only three simple steps.
- Convert MP4 videos to many more video/audio formats as you need.
- Download online videos from various video sharing websites.
- Burn MP4 or any to DVD, copy DVD file as a backup.
- Edit your MP4 videos files before conversion.
- Preserve the original video quality after conversion.
Simple Steps to Convert MP4 Files on Mac with the Best MP4 Codec
Step 1. Importing MP4 files
You can convert audio, DVD and video files. To place the files in the converter, you can import them in two ways. One method is by dragging and dropping them to the converter’s window. You may also go to the main menu and select 'Add Files' to achieve this.
Step 2. Set output format
The program supports more than 150 formats. Choose the one compatible with the media player in your Mac. You will find the formats grouped into six categories. Here, the recommended format is 'MOV'.
Step 3. Start Conversion
The conversion begins when you click the 'Convert' button. Once the conversion is complete, a prompt message appears asking you if to open the folder. If your output was for devices such as iPad, iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, they are automatically added to the iTunes library. The converted format can now play on your Mac device while retaining the original quality.
Part 2. Recommend Another Three MP4 Codec Pack for Mac
#1. Perian
Perian is a QuickTime component that adds codec to QuickTime to enable it play videos and audio that it is not currently supporting such as MP4. By installing perian, your device can play a wide variety of formats including AVI, DivX, MKV, MP4 and FLV.
Pros:
Supports many media files.
Cons:
It is no longer being developed.
It only works with earlier versions of QuickTime such as 7.6.6 and not 10.
#2. Pavtube iMedia Converter for Mac
Pavtube iMedia Converter for Mac converts videos to a format that can be played on Mac. It can convert the MP4 videos to a supported format such as Quicktime.mov. The converter also supports the editing of the video before conversion.
Pros:
The converter supports various OS X systems from 10.5 Leopard to 10.11 El Capitan.
Other than conversion, it is a blue ray and DVD ripper.
It preserves the original quality of the videos.
Cons:
It does not convert M4V movies that have been purchased on iTunes to any other format.
#3. Aiseesoft MP4 Converter for Mac
Aiseesoft MP4 converter converts video and audio to and from MP4 on Mac devices. It converts formats such as AVI, MXF, WMV, MP4 and FLV to MP4, DivX, MKV and WMV. It also provides editing functions to help in personalizing the video files. The converted files can then be played on media players, tablets, smartphones and other portable MP4 players.
Pros:
It has a user-friendly interface that can be used even by inexperienced users.
It provides many options for converting files and it has fast conversions.
Cons:
The editing options are basic and may not impress advanced users.
The trial version only converts five minutes of long clips and half the clip of short clips.
Video Codecs For Mac
| Products | UniConverter |
|---|---|
| Converting Video/Audio | UniConverter supports various formats. Almost all popular videos and audio formats are supported, which includes: AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, M4V, DPG, VOB, 3GP for videos and MP3, M4A, AC3, AAC, WMA, WAV, OGG, APE, MKA, AU for audios. |
| Burn to DVD | Users can burn their video files into DVD easily with UniConverter. You can download your favorite online video files and then directly burn them to DVD so that you can enjoy them on any DVD player or big-screen TV. |
| Edit Videos | You can edit your video before conversion. You can feel free to crop,trim and rotate your videos. Adding watermark and subtitles to your videos are also possible. |
| Downloading Online Video | UniConverter allows users to download video files with different formats. You can download the videos you like from any popular online websites including YouTube, Break, Facebook, etc for playback on various mobile devices. |
If you are carrying your MacBook and a bunch of TV shows contained in .mkv format, you start to play back your favorite TV shows with your QuickTime. Bump! It does not work! This is disappointing because you always believe QuickTime plays everything but how come it fails to stream .mkv files? Is it lacking QuickTime mkv codec? How can I open .mkv files on my QuickTime anyway? With all these questions in head, you are lucky to come over and stop by here. Read on!
Part 1: Can QuickTime Open and Play MKV Files
Technically, a file ended with .mkv is a Matroska Video file. It's a video container like MOV and AVI, but also supports an unlimited number of audio, picture and subtitle tracks. The unlimited storage capacity makes it an excellent format for TV shows, movies, etc. No wonder many TV shows and movies are contained in .mkv files. QuickTime is an extensible multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. Theoretically speaking, QuickTime plays multimedia files just as easily as other player would do. Let’s view in details what media formats it actually supports to play.
| Media type | File Format | Codecs / Component |
| Video | QuickTime Movie (.mov) | MPEG-2 (OS X Lion or later) |
| Audio | iTunes Audio (.m4a, .m4b, .m4p) | AAC (MPEG-4 Audio) |
As it is shown clearly in the above table, .mkv is beyond the native support of QuickTime because .mkv represents an unlimited storage capacity which is beyond the capacity of QuickTime player. If we are going to make QuickTime play .mkv files, extra steps must be taken before it can open and play .mkv files.
Part 2: How to Install MKV Codec on QuickTime
To let QuickTime open and play .mkv files, you might need to install a plugin, which can extend QuickTime support for .mkv files. Perian is a free and open source QuickTime component that will help QuickTime play .mkv files without troubles. To install Perian, your QuickTime player may resume having the ability to open and play .mkv files. You can download and install the plugin from its official website.
The essential steps are to install the Perian codec to your Mac. Follow the guide here to do so.
Step 1: Download the Perian from the website here.
Step 2: Disable your Gatekeeper protection a little bit for installing Perian smoothly.
Step 3: Install the .mkv codec - Perian. Click to open the installer and you just have to click ‘Perian.prefPane’ to begin the installation.
Undoubtedly, if you install the correct .mkv codec on your QuickTime, it may also be able to fulfill the .mkv playback.
Part 3: Convert MKV to MP4 QuickTime Format
Apparently Perian will stop its update and support soon because the developer team has something else to focus on and devote to. Besides, installing .mkv codec is not that easy for general users and even though it will work once it is installed successfully, it takes ages to load the .mkv files till it opens and plays back on QuickTime. Thus, it is not smart to rely on plugins or codecs for making QuickTime play .mkv files. Instead, we can consider converting .mkv files to QuickTime compatible format like MP4 for smooth playback, can’t we?
Here I strongly recommend you one of the best video converters - Leawo Video Converter. It supports a wide range of multimedia file formats, including AVI, MKV, MOV, MP4, and so on and so forth. With the advanced media processing technology, this video converter processes files at 6x higher converting speed and preserves 100% original quality after file conversion. It is more than just a video converter but also a video editor, allowing users to custom make their stylish videos with rich editing features provided. To let you know more about the procedure to operate this program, we will give a detailed tutorial guide to convert .mkv to .mp4 for playback on QuickTime using the best Leawo Video Converter for Mac.
Step 1: Download and install.
Keep in mind to download and install Leawo Video Converter Mac. Click the respective button below to do so.
Step 2: Load the source .mkv files to the video converter.
Launch the video converter from the Leawo Prof.Media suite by hitting the video converter icon on the main interface. Click Add Video to import the source .mkv files to the program.
Step 3: Change your output format to mp4.
Click Change from the format dropdown menu to pick up the target output format.
Step 4: Convert .mkv to .mp4.
Click on Convert from the toolbar and set a directory on the pop-up sidebar to save the output file. Then, hit on the bit round button Convert to kick off the conversion process. A green progress bar will appear to let you track down the progress in real time.
Note that once your .mkv file has been successfully converted to .mp4, you can stream it on QuickTime player in no time. It won’t take long to recognize and play .mp4 files because .mp4 is the native format supported by QuickTime.
Part 4: Alternative Player to QuickTime for MKV Playback
Maybe you have already noticed that if you want to play .mkv files directly, it is not smart to stick to QuickTime for .mkv playback. Converting .mkv to .mp4 is a way but picking an alternative to QuickTime player is an even smarter way. Leawo Blu-ray Player for Mac is an absolute right choice for you. This media player supports direct playback of .mkv files without the need to make conversion or install third-party plugins. In addition, it is a 6-in-1 multimedia player supporting direct playback of DVDs, Blu-rays, ISO image files, 4K or UHD videos. It also has the ability to handle css protection without losing file quality. The best part of this media player is it ensures every user can have the chance to enjoy cinema-like movie experience at home. It is such a game-changing and world-blasting player. Move on to our step-by-step procedure to play .mkv files on Leawo Blu-ray Player for Mac.
Step 1: Download and install.
Go to the download page. Download the software and install it on your computer. Then launch the program.
Step 2: Load the .mkv files to the player.
Click Open File to browse and load the .mkv files to the player.
Step 3: Adjust the settings before playback.
Click on the editing button on the main interface to enter the settings window, where you are able to adjust the playback options such as subtitles, video and audio configurations.
Codecs For Mac Os X
Step 4: Enjoy .mkv file playback.
Hit on the playback button to start playing .mkv files. Note that during playback, you can also right click to enter the setting page.
Wmv Codec For Mac
Part 5: Conclusion
With this article, you may relax a lot if you cannot open and play .mkv files on QuickTime player on your Mac. To be honest, it is not the fault of your QuickTime neither your source .mkv files, it is just the incompatibility of the two. To enable QuickTime play back .mkv files, you need to install .mkv codec Perian, which is an open source component for QuickTime. Mac does not recognize the plugin naturally so during installation of Perian, you need to disable your Gatekeeper on Mac beforehand.
We also learn that the developer team for Perian may cease updates soon hence Perian is not the perfect choice for us to apply anymore. We will need a more reliable way to enable QuickTime to play .mkv files. In this case, Leawo Video Converter for Mac is a great solution to let you convert .mkv to QuickTime compatible file format losslessly. With this video converter, users can play the converted files on QuickTime player quickly and smoothly.
Being an alternative to QuickTime player, Leawo Blu-ray Player for Mac provides a more direct way to play .mkv files. Unlike QuickTime, Leawo Blu-ray Player for Mac natively recognizes .mkv files and supports direct playback of .mkv files in no time.
Avi Codec For Mac
All in all, you now have three major solutions to open and play back .mkv files. Enjoy and have fun with your favorite TV shows now!