Will all audio tracks from the broadcast be preserved?

Yes. MKV supports virtually unlimited audio tracks, so all language tracks, audio descriptions, and commentary tracks from the TS file carry over.

Does MKV preserve teletext subtitles from broadcast TS?

Broadcast teletext subtitles are converted to a compatible subtitle format within the MKV container, preserving the subtitle content for playback.

Is MKV better than TS for a Plex library?

Yes. Plex handles MKV files much better than raw TS files. MKV provides cleaner metadata, better seeking, and more reliable subtitle and audio track detection.

Will the conversion remove transport stream errors?

The conversion process can handle minor TS errors and produce a clean MKV output. Severely corrupted sections may result in glitches at those specific points.

How much smaller will the MKV be compared to the TS?

If re-encoded from MPEG-2 to H.264, expect 50-70% file size reduction. If the TS already contains H.264, the MKV will be slightly smaller due to reduced container overhead.

TS to MKV Converter

MKV is the natural upgrade from Transport Stream for home media libraries. Converting TS to MKV preserves all audio tracks, subtitle streams, and program data from broadcast recordings in a clean, well-organized container that Plex, Kodi, and VLC handle beautifully.

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Convert MKV to TS instead

TS to MKV conversion preserves all streams from the broadcast. H.264 content is remuxed losslessly, while MPEG-2 content can be transcoded to H.264 for dramatic file size savings. MKV's flexible container handles all broadcast codecs and metadata cleanly.

How to Convert TS to MKV

1
Drop your TS file into the upload area or browse to select it.
2
Choose MKV as your desired output format.
3
Click Convert and download your MKV file once processing is complete.

TS vs MKV — Format Comparison

Feature	TS	MKV
Full Name	MPEG Transport Stream	Matroska Video
Type	Video	Video
Codec	MPEG-2 / H.264 / H.265	H.264 / H.265 / VP9 / AV1
Lossless	No	No
Extension	.ts	.mkv
Best For	Digital TV and HDTV recordings	High-quality video archival

TS Strengths

Error-resilient for broadcast transmission
Standard format for HDTV and Blu-ray
Supports multiple audio and subtitle streams

MKV Strengths

Open standard with no licensing fees
Supports unlimited tracks (audio, subtitles, video)
Excellent for high-quality video with multiple languages

Frequently Asked Questions

When to Convert TS to MKV

Building a Plex or Kodi library from broadcast TV recordings
Converting DVR and TV tuner captures into organized MKV files
Archiving broadcast content with multiple audio and subtitle tracks
Cleaning up raw TS captures into well-structured MKV containers

Related Conversions

TSMP4 TSMOV TSAVI TSWebM MP4MKV MOVMKV AVIMKV WebMMKV

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About Our TS to MKV Converter

This converter uses FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly (WASM) to transform your TS files into MKV format entirely inside your web browser. When you select a file for conversion, the processing happens locally on your device. Your file is never uploaded to any server, never transmitted over the internet, and never stored anywhere outside your own computer. This privacy-first architecture makes our tool safe for confidential and sensitive content — including legal recordings, medical files, financial presentations, personal media, and any other material you would not want on a third-party server.

The conversion process works by decoding the TS input using FFmpeg's highly optimized decoders, then encoding the output in MKV format with carefully tuned settings that balance quality and file size. When possible, the tool uses stream copy mode to remux (rewrap) compatible streams without re-encoding, which preserves the original quality with zero generational loss. When re-encoding is necessary due to codec differences between the two formats, the converter uses high-quality encoding settings to minimize any visible or audible quality reduction.

Supported input formats include MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and WebM for video, with automatic detection of the codecs and parameters inside your source file. The output is optimized for maximum compatibility with modern devices and platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, smart TVs, and all major web browsers.

Why browser-based conversion is safer: traditional online converters require you to upload your file to a remote server, where it is processed by third-party infrastructure and then made available for download. This workflow exposes your data to interception during upload, unauthorized access on the server, unclear data retention policies, and potential data breaches. Professionals in regulated industries such as healthcare (HIPAA), legal (attorney-client privilege), and finance (SOX, GDPR) often cannot use server-based converters without violating compliance requirements. Our WebAssembly-powered approach eliminates all of these risks by ensuring your data never leaves the browser sandbox on your own device.

The tool handles files up to 500 MB on desktop browsers and 200 MB on mobile devices. No account registration, no software installation, and no recurring subscription is required. Conversion typically completes in seconds for small files and a few minutes for larger ones, depending on your device's processing capabilities. Once the conversion is finished, you can download the result immediately and the source data is discarded from browser memory.