Besides the basic player functionalities, VLC Media Player can also perform as a video format converter. For example, you can convert some special video formats of WebM, MKV, FLV, etc. to a more regular format like MP4. However, when people use VLC to convert to MP4, they may encounter various errors that lead to failed conversion. If you have such confusion, this passage can wipe it all.
We will analyze the potential reasons for VLC not converting to MP4, and more importantly, we will provide some feasible fixes to solve the problem. Meanwhile, a better and stable video converter will be mentioned too.
Before we dive into tutorial of converting videos to MP4 with VLC, you should go to the official VLC site to download its latest version. VLC is compatible with both Windows and macOS, download a proper one according to your system.
VLC offers free service for your MP4 transcoding service, but you need to note that VLC doesn’t specialize in video format conversion. Its converting operation may be complicated for some users. In addition, the transcoded MP4 files of VLC usually have quality loss.
1. Incorrect Profile Selection
The most common issue is selecting a default conversion profile that doesn't specify a standard MP4 codec (like H.264 video and AAC audio), or the custom settings are misconfigured.
2. Input File Corruption/DRM
The original video file may be damaged, encrypted with DRM, or use an obscure codec that VLC can play but cannot reliably encode from.
3. Write Permissions Error
VLC failed to save the finished MP4 file because the designated output folder requires administrator permissions, or the file path contains illegal characters.
4. Software Glitch
You may be using an outdated or buggy version of VLC; conversion functions often have glitches that are fixed in newer software releases.
In addition to VLC Media Player, you can also try some better video converters, represented by Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate, the most comprehensive video converter you’ve never seen before. It aims to support all video format conversions and comprehensive video converting settings. Compared with VLC Media Player, you can easily know how to operate it with its user-friendly interface. At the same time, Video Converter Ultimate adopts hardware acceleration to make it faster. You can receive your converted MP4 file in just a few minutes. As for the stability of Video Converter Ultimate, you won’t encounter unexpected situations like crashes or outputs part of the video as in VLC. The most important thing is this AI-supported program won’t reduce your video quality during MP4 conversion.
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Here is the step-by-step tutorial of Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate to convert other formats to MP4.
However, sometimes you might meet with an error or a file that won’t play. It’s a common headache, and the issue usually isn’t that VLC can’t handle MP4, but rather a mismatch or problem in the process. Often, it boils down to a simple mix-up between the container and the codec. You might be trying to put a video stream into the MP4 container that it doesn’t support by default. Other times, the source file itself could be corrupted, have DRM protection (like videos from streaming services), or the file path you've chosen for the output contains special characters that confuse the process.
Why is my MP4 not working on VLC?
If VLC can’t play your MP4 files, it may be that your MP4 file is damaged, your VLC is in an older version, or your VLC lacks related codecs.
Is VLC good for converting video?
With various formats support and the open-source feature of VLC, you can use it to convert videos for free. But it’s not basically designed to be a professional video converter. Hence, VLC’s converting operation is complicated and its processing has quality loss.
How long does it take VLC to convert a DVD to MP4?
First, VLC isn’t a technical DVD to MP4 converter. Then, it depends on your computer’s capacity and the size of the DVD, this conversion usually takes from a few minutes to several hours.
Conclusion
To conclude, VLC Media Player doesn’t specialize in video converting. Thus, all kinds of reasons can lead to VLC not converting to MP4. If you want to transfer your videos to MP4 format, you can try the Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate we picked. This video converter program can wipe out all your video converting worries.
Video Converter Ultimate is excellent video converter, editor and enhancer to convert, enhance and edit videos and music in 1000 formats and more.
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