Convert QuickTime to Matroska
We turn QuickTime into Matroska right in your browser — the file never goes to a server.
What you will lose
Nothing to lose, and nothing to gain: {to} keeps exactly what {from} hands over, and the file grows several times over.
How they differ
| QuickTime | Matroska | |
|---|---|---|
| Lossless | no | yes |
| Lossy | yes | yes |
| Multichannel | yes | yes |
| Tags | yes | yes |
| Released | 1991 | 2002 |
| Author | Apple | CoreCodec |
QuickTime
Good at
- What an iPhone records and what Apple editing software prefers
- Holds professional codecs, ProRes among them
- Built like MP4 inside, so repacking costs nothing in quality
Awkward about
- Outside Apple hardware it opens reluctantly
- Recordings are markedly heavier than the same clip as MP4
- Awkward to send: messengers often turn it down
Use it when
- The footage came off an iPhone and goes into an edit
- The whole workflow stays inside Apple software
- You need the best-quality master before compressing
Matroska
Good at
- Takes anything inside: any codec, a dozen tracks, subtitle fonts
- The one common container people fill with lossless audio
- Tracks and subtitles can be swapped without touching the picture
Awkward about
- TVs and phones often refuse to open it
- No browser plays it directly
- Files run larger: what goes inside is usually less compressed
Use it when
- A home archive where everything should be kept as it was
- Several audio languages and subtitle tracks in one file
- The file is watched on a computer, not on household hardware
Common questions
- Does the file get uploaded to a server?
- Yes, this pair needs the server: browsers cannot encode that format. The file and the result are deleted within a couple of hours and never shared.
- Will surround sound survive?
- Yes, Matroska carries more than two channels — 5.1 stays 5.1.
- Can I get the original quality back afterwards?
- Nothing is lost, but nothing is gained either. Matroska stores exactly what QuickTime hands over, including the gaps QuickTime left behind when it compressed. No tool can bring those back, and the file grows several times over. This conversion makes sense for editing, not for quality.
- How many files, and how large?
- Up to 3 files at a time, 500 MB each. No sign-up, no watermarks.