A long time ago, people started using ISO files to back up files on source Blu-ray or DVD discs. ISO files are mirror files of a disc that can copy all data on the source Blu-ray or DVD disc, including file system, file layout, etc. Therefore, an ISO file is a 1:1 copy of files in the source Blu-ray or DVD discs. Generally, files in source Blu-ray or DVD discs can reach tens of GB or even hundreds of GB. Then, the size of the ISO file obtained after backing up the files in the source Blu-ray or DVD disc is almost the same as the size of the source file. If your ISO file is saving some videos, I think converting ISO to MKV would be a good choice, which will bring you many benefits. What are the benefits of converting ISO to MKV and how to convert ISO to MKV? Read this tutorial in detail to get the answer.
Part 1: The Benefits of Converting ISO to MKV
Although ISO can make a 1:1 backup of files in Blu-ray or DVD discs, ISO files need to occupy a large amount of computer memory and require special tools to read files in ISO. Therefore, if the ISO file mainly stores certain video content, converting ISO to MKV is a very good choice, which can obtain the following benefits:
1. Spend less storage space
When converting ISO to MKV, the quality of the source video is generally not lost. MKV retains the video quality of the source video and can provide us with the same playback experience as the source video. However, files in MKV format can effectively compress the file size. In other words, after converting ISO to MKV, we can save the video content in ISO files with less storage space than before.
2. Make playback easier
Generally speaking, we need additional tools to read the content in ISO files normally. Therefore, if we want the videos saved in ISO files, we need not only a video player, but also a tool that can read ISO files specifically. However, after converting ISO to MKV, the MKV file not only contains all the detailed chapter information, sub-chapters, titles, etc., but also can be recognized and played by most media players. Therefore, this makes the whole playback process easy and simple.
3. Keep multiple subtitles and audio tracks
When converting ISO to MKV, we can add subtitles and audio tracks from the source video to the MKV file. Then when playing MKV, we can choose subtitles and audio according to our preferences.
In short, converting ISO to MKV can facilitate our file management and make it more convenient for us to play videos in ISO.
Part 2: 4 Ways to Convert ISO to MKV on Mac and Windows
Although there is many software that can help you convert ISO to MKV, you may not know them. Regarding how to convert ISO to MKV, you can choose the following 4 software.
1. Leawo Blu-ray Ripper
Leawo Blu-ray Ripper is always my first choice when I need to rip Blu-ray, DVD and ISO. As one of the best Blu-ray ripping software, Leawo Blu-ray Ripper is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems, and can easily rip protected Blu-ray, DVD and ISO files to various video formats. Sometimes, region codes restrict us from playing Blu-ray and DVD discs. But Leawo Blu-ray Ripper ignores all region codes and rips and converts Blu-ray to MP4. Thanks to hardware acceleration technology, the Leawo Blu-ray Ripper scans ISO files faster. When converting ISO files to MKV, Leawo Blu-ray Ripper often completes the conversion task faster than MakeMKV, HandBrake and VLC. Leawo Blu-ray Ripper has a very simple interface, and we can easily master how to use it. You can read the following steps carefully on how to convert ISO to MKV by using Leawo Blu-ray Ripper.
Step 1: Run Leawo Blu-ray Ripper
Run the client program of Leawo Prof. Media 13. Click the “Convert” button above or the “Blu-ray Ripper” icon in the middle. We can enter the conversion interface of the Leawo Blu-ray Ripper.
Step 2: Import Source ISO Files into the Program
Click the “Add UHD/Blu-ray/DVD” button and then select the “Add iso file” option to import ISO into Leawo Blu-ray Ripper. Leawo Blu-ray Ripper provides three import modes. If you want to import all titles into Leawo Blu-ray Ripper, you can choose “Full Movie”. If you want to import the longest title into Leawo Blu-ray Ripper, you can choose “Main Movie”. If you want to import any number of titles into Leawo Blu-ray Ripper, you can choose “Custom Mode”.
Step 3: Choose Output Profile
After importing the titles into Leawo Blu-ray Ripper, Leawo Blu-ray Ripper will display the information of these titles, including audio, subtitles, angles, etc. Click the “Output Profile” option, and then click the “Change” button. In the “Profile” panel, we choose “MKV” as the output file format. In addition, we can also click “MKV” and set its various parameters, including: bit rate, resolution, etc.
Step 4: Set Output Directory and Start Conversion Process
Return to the “Convert” panel. Click the green “Convert” button in the upper right corner. In the pop-up window, set the output directory of the file under the “Save to:” label. Finally, click the white “Convert” button to start converting ISO to MKV.
2. MakeMKV
Among the many free ISO to MKV converters, MakeMKV is well known to many people. MakeMKV can easily read files in ISO and then convert ISO to MKV without any quality loss. In addition, MakeMKV can also convert Blu-ray or DVD to MKV. It is worth noting that MakeMKV only has a beta version and is no longer updated. Therefore, its interface is a bit backward. In addition, when ripping Blu-ray or DVD, it cannot decrypt encrypted Blu-ray or DVD. Regarding how to convert ISO to MKV by using MakeMKV, you can read the following steps in detail:
Step 1: Run MakeMKV. Click the “File” button in the upper left corner to import the ISO file into MakeMKV.
Step 2: After identifying the files in ISO, MakeMKV will display information such as title, audio, and subtitles on the left side of the window. We can select the title of the video to be converted to MKV format, and select the required audio and subtitles. On the right side of the window, we can set the output directory of the file. Then, click the “Make MKV” button to convert ISO to MKV.
3. HandBrake
HandBrake is also a completely free ISO to MKV converter. In addition, HandBrake is an open-source ripping tool that can convert ISO to MKV in operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux. Before converting ISO to MKV, HandBrake allows us to set many parameters in the MKV file. However, HandBrake needs to compress the video when converting ISO to MKV. Therefore, this will cause a certain loss in the quality of the source video. In addition, the interface design of HandBrake is a bit complicated. You may need to spend some time to master its use. The following are the main steps to convert ISO to MKV using HandBrake:
Step 1: Run HandBrake. Click the “File” button in the upper left corner to import the ISO file into HandBrake. After HandBrake scans the ISO file, it will display the title, audio, subtitles and other information of all videos.
Step 2: Select the video you need to convert. Then, select the corresponding angle, subtitles and audio information. Set the save path of the MKV file to the right of the “Save As:” text. Best, click the “Start Encode” button to command HandBrake to convert ISO to MKV.
4. VLC
VLC is a media player with high compatibility. It can run smoothly on operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux. As a well-known media player, VLC is also used by users to rip various Blu-ray, DVD and ISO. VLC can easily convert ISO to MKV or MP4. Moreover, the video quality of MKV converted by VLC is exactly the same as that of the source video, without any loss. However, it is worth noting that VLC does not have disc decryption technology. Therefore, if Blu-ray, DVD and ISO are protected by encryption, VLC cannot complete the ripping task. You can follow the steps below to complete the operation of converting ISO to MKV using VLC.
Step 1: Run VLC. Click the “Media” option in the upper left corner, and then click the “Convert/Save” option. In the “Open File” window that pops up automatically, import the ISO file into VLC in the “File” tab. Finally, click the “Convert/Save” button.
Step 2: Next to the “Profile” tab, set the output format of the file to “MKV”. Then, adjust the audio of the MKV. Finally, set the output directory of the file under the “Destination” tab. Click the “Start” button to start the conversion process.
Conclusion
Have you ever thought about converting ISO to MKV to save space when you are worried about insufficient disk space on your computer? This tutorial details the many benefits of converting ISO to MKV and shows how to convert ISO to MKV easily. If you are now troubled with how to deal with these large ISO files, you can consider converting ISO to MKV by using tools such as Leawo Blu-ray Ripper.
