<p>If you're up for using the command line, the best tool hands-down is <a href="https://ffmpeg.org" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ffmpeg</a>. It can convert pretty much any video format out there into pretty much any other video format, it's free, open source, and in many cases faster and better than paid-for software (I use it in preference to Adobe media converter when I can). Downside is that you need to know a little about the command line shell of your OS. Actually that's not a downside–ffmpeg is a great gateway drug to the awesome power contained within the command line. </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/0sISc.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/0sISc.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>If you're not ready to take the red pill (or is it the blue one?), then <a href="https://handbrake.fr/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Handbrake</a> is probably the next cab off the rank. A very useful GUI video converter that has long outlived its original purpose of being the tool of choice for ripping DVDs (shiny disks with standard definition video content from a mythical time long ago). Handbbrake uses ffmpeg tech to do its magic, and it's open source and free as well.</p>

<p>If those two don't do it then it's actually highly likely that nothing else actually will. As a side note, a lot of the commercial video converters out there are just graphical front-ends for ffmpeg, and if you read the fine print you might find out you're essentially paying for a free product.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-26T16:04:54.257Z
I've already used ffmpeg. Didn't know i could use it to rewrap BDMVs tho. Um... is the only file I need to keep the `MovieObject.bdmv`? Also, i haven't used ffmpeg in a while, so can you give me a one liner to convert, something like `'filepath.ext' -a codec -v codec 'filepath.ext'` iirc?
oldboy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-26T17:26:06.560Z
`ffmpeg something 'input-filepath.ext' -acodec -vcodec 'output-filepath.ext'` something like this i believe
oldboy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-27T02:33:10.360Z
AFAIK the default settings for mkv are pretty good, (they use h.264) so you can just use `ffmpeg -i input-filepath.ext output-path.mkv`. You'll have to research the docs for more settings, I don't use mkv much except with ffv1 for archiving.
stib
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-27T03:10:42.557Z
ahhh that was it, it was the `-i` setting that i forgot about
oldboy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-26T11:18:53.287Z
2018-08-26T11:18:53.287Z
stib
<p>I'd like to convert quite a few BDMV files to MKV files. I know you can do this with MakeMKV, which isn't freeware. Are there any good freeware programs out there to accomplish this?</p>

<p>Also, is the only file I need MovieObject.bdmv? Can I delete the rest of the files?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-26T12:06:18.797Z
Use Handbrake. If you want to know which files you can delete, copy them to a folder, move out the files you think can be deleted. Then do the conversion and see if sound and video and if needed subtitles are all converted. If not, move the files back and keep trying and testing.
SPRBRN
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-26T16:05:34.150Z
@SPRBRN good tip for figuring out which files can and cant be removed
oldboy
<video><conversion>
Video conversion
oldboy
# Video conversion

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-20)

I'd like to convert quite a few BDMV files to MKV files. I know you can do this with MakeMKV, which isn't freeware. Are there any good freeware programs out there to accomplish this?

Also, is the only file I need MovieObject.bdmv? Can I delete the rest of the files?

**Tags:** video, conversion

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Use Handbrake. If you want to know which files you can delete, copy them to a folder, move out the files you think can be deleted. Then do the conversion and see if sound and video and if needed subtitles are all converted. If not, move the files back and keep trying and testing.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 good tip for figuring out which files can and cant be removed  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-08-26. Score: 3

If you're up for using the command line, the best tool hands-down is [ffmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org). It can convert pretty much any video format out there into pretty much any other video format, it's free, open source, and in many cases faster and better than paid-for software (I use it in preference to Adobe media converter when I can). Downside is that you need to know a little about the command line shell of your OS. Actually that's not a downside–ffmpeg is a great gateway drug to the awesome power contained within the command line.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/0sISc.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/0sISc.gif)

If you're not ready to take the red pill (or is it the blue one?), then [Handbrake](https://handbrake.fr/) is probably the next cab off the rank. A very useful GUI video converter that has long outlived its original purpose of being the tool of choice for ripping DVDs (shiny disks with standard definition video content from a mythical time long ago). Handbbrake uses ffmpeg tech to do its magic, and it's open source and free as well.

If those two don't do it then it's actually highly likely that nothing else actually will. As a side note, a lot of the commercial video converters out there are just graphical front-ends for ffmpeg, and if you read the fine print you might find out you're essentially paying for a free product.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I've already used ffmpeg. Didn't know i could use it to rewrap BDMVs tho. Um... is the only file I need to keep the `MovieObject.bdmv`? Also, i haven't used ffmpeg in a while, so can you give me a one liner to convert, something like `'filepath.ext' -a codec -v codec 'filepath.ext'` iirc?  
> **username_0**: `ffmpeg something 'input-filepath.ext' -acodec -vcodec 'output-filepath.ext'` something like this i believe  
> **username_2**: AFAIK the default settings for mkv are pretty good, (they use h.264) so you can just use `ffmpeg -i input-filepath.ext output-path.mkv`. You'll have to research the docs for more settings, I don't use mkv much except with ffv1 for archiving.  
> **username_0**: ahhh that was it, it was the `-i` setting that i forgot about  

---

