Chances are, if you have ever sent or received audio or video files, you have dealt with files that contain a .mvk extension. These files are often extremely large, making them difficult to share without compressing them first. Read on for more information about mvk files, what they are, and how to compress them.
mvk files - officially known as Matroska Video files - were originally created in 2002 and were named for Matryoshka dolls, which are hollow, wooden Russian dolls used to contain smaller dolls. mvk is a container file format supported by a non-profit organization in France, whereby audio, video, and subtitles are incorporated as a single file. The format is generally highly adaptive and easy to use, provided your device will run the files.
One common use of files bearing a .mvk extension is so individuals can store and stream their own collection of movies and television shows. mvk is often used for high definition online videos as it supports descriptions, ratings, cover art, and chapter points. Because mvk is a container format - similar to MOV and AVI - it can hold several different tracks containing different formats. Unfortunately, because certain decoders are needed in order to operate with certain coding schemes, often not all files will run on the same computer unless the necessary decoders are loaded. Mac operating systems, for example, are not natively able to run .mvk files through Quicktime, which means that Mac users need to download an app specifically to play this type of file.
Some of the goals that the Motroska team wished to accomplish through the container include:
mvk video files are more complex than AVI, which results in files that are massive, taking up precious space on your hard drive. If you were to attempt to store very many HD videos in this format, they could cause a number of issues, including computer slowdown. By compressing the files, you are able to store them more efficiently, leaving space for other files to also be stored on your device.
The other reason that you should compress your .mvk files is if you plan to share them through email or social media. Most email and social media platforms have limitations as to the size of file you can upload in order to share. Generally, mvk files will be much larger, resulting in the video not being shared as intended due to these size limitations.
In addition to simply being a large file because it is a container format encompassing a number of different files, there are other reasons why your mvk file will be large and require compress, including:
mvk files can be easily compressed, with little quality loss, if you have the right software and you're able to follow a few steps.
From File Explorer:
From within WinZip:
Note that you must have WinZip installed on your computer to use these methods.
WinZip is trusted by millions of businesses and consumers to provide file-sharing solutions that are easy to use but keep your information private. Having the right compress and encryption software for your platform and device can help boost your productivity while saving storage space on your device.
