5 Best Ways to Convert and Burn MKV to DVD on Windows/Mac

MKV, or Matroska Video, is an open-source video container that can store unlimited media data compressed in various codecs. It’s often encountered when downloading HD movies from the Internet because it can contain audio track and subtitles in multiple languages.

However, compatibility issues arise when you try to play MKV files on portable devices and home DVD players. So, if you wish to burn MKV to DVD for playback on any DVD player, an MKV to DVD burner is required.

Benefits of Burning MKV to DVD: 

1. Enjoy your favorite movies or videos on the big screen via a DVD player, even in the absence of streaming services.
2. Creating physical copies of your MKV files is especially useful for preserving important memories such as weddings and travel footage.
3. Send burned DVDs to your friends and relatives as meaningful gifts.
4. DVDs offer a user-friendly playback experience, allowing viewers to navigate through chapters, subtitles, and audio tracks.
5. DVDs not only have large storage capacity of at least 4.7 GB, but also are durable, portable, and cheap.

This article aims to cover some of the best MKV to DVD burning software available for converting and burning MKV to DVD, and meanwhile, provide you detailed instructions and additional tips to guarantee a flawless MKV to DVD burning experience on your PC.

Can DVD Players Read and Play MKV files?

No, regular DVD players are not compatible with MKV files as they only accept videos in MPEG-2 format. Some Blu-ray players may support MKV files with specific codecs, but for universal playback, it’s necessary to convert MKV to DVD-compatible format and burn it onto DVDs.

 

Burn MKV to DVD with Best MKV to DVD Burning Software

#1. iFunia DVD Creator (Windows/Mac)

Which DVD creator is best for MKV to DVD format burning?

After trying out a dozen DVD authoring software, free or paid, I’d like to recommend an easy-to-use one with advanced features - iFunia DVD Creator.

iFunia DVD Creator enables users to effortlessly burn playable DVDs from various video files, including MKV, MP4, MOV, HEVC, WMV and more. It can handle MKV videos of any resolution and codec, including large files.

It also allows users to enhance the MKV file with editing tools like trimming, cropping, chaptering as well as options to add subtitles, watermark and more. With iFunia DVD Creator, you can create a personalized and visually-appealing DVD with customized menus and easy navigation.

To convert MKV to DVD video using this top-notch MKV to DVD burner, simply follow the steps below:

Step 1: Download and launch iFunia DVD Creator.
  Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 Free Download macOS 10.12 or later

Step 2: Add video files.

Drag and drop your MKV file to the main interface of the app. Alternatively, click the Add Videos button to browse and select desired files.

Step 3: Edit MKV videos (Optional).

Click the edit icon under the video thumbnail to access the built-in video editor.

Here you can trim the video length:

Crop to cut off black bars:

Brighten the images:

And rotate the video, add subtitles and chapters to the MKV file, and personalize the volume if needed.

Step 4: Create DVD menu (Optional).

Click the Menu tab to make a DVD menu that suits your DVD content. You can choose a theme from the left panel.

Or, customize one by yourself. You can import your own background image and music, adjust the play buttons and text fonts/size/color and more. If you don’t need a menu, simply tick the “No Menu” option.

Step 5: Preview the DVD project.

Move to the Preview tab to simulate playback via a built-in DVD player controlled by a remoter on the right hand. Go back to the previous steps to adjust the unsatisfactory parts.

Step 6: Burn MKV to DVD.

Finally, switch to the Burn tab to configure the burning settings. Enter a DVD name, choose the TV standard (hit on the question mark if you have no idea) and playback mode, insert a blank DVD disc and define it as the Burner.

Once everything is ready, click the “Burn” button to initiate the conversion and burning process of MKV to DVD.

 

#2. ConvertXtoDVD (Windows)

ConvertXtoDVD by VSO Software is a popular video-to-DVD converter that supports various videos and subtitle formats. It’s not free software, but you can take advantage of its 7-day full trial period to burn MKV to DVD format at no cost.

How to Burn MKV File for DVD Player Using ConvertXtoDVD on Windows:

1. Click here to download and install the app.

2. Run the software and it will pop up the trial window. Click Try or just close the window, then, drag & drop or click the green ＋ button to add your MKV files.

3. When the video is loaded, you can edit the video using the tools on the right panel.For example, you can brighten up the image:Cut the video length and other options.
4. Click the “Edit Menu” button to choose a theme or customize your own menu. ConvertXtoDVD offers 12 simple templates to choose from.
5. Press the Play button in the video player to preview the DVD.
6. Insert a blank DVD and press “Convert” to burn MKV file to DVD.

 

#3. Freemake (Windows)

Freemake MKV to DVD converter is a video converter that can convert videos between hundreds of formats. It enables entry-level users to convert MKV files to DVD format directly, rip DVDs, and create photo slideshows.

Can MKV Files be Burned to DVD with Freemake:

1. Click here to download and install Freemake.
2. Drag your MKV files into the program and click “to DVD”.
3. Verify the title and the destination folder. You are allowed to choose a DVD menu. Then, insert a blank disc and click Convert to convert MKV to DVD files.

 

#4. Burn (Mac)

Burn is a 100% free and safe MKV to DVD burning software exclusively designed for Mac. With the app Burn, you can easily convert MKV file to DVD format and burn them to DVDs for playback on standard DVD players. It can also burn audio CDs and data DVDs as well as copy unprotected DVDs. 

How to Make a DVD From MKV Files on Mac:

1. Visit here to get this free MKV to DVD creator for Mac.
2. Launch the app, click the “Video” tab. Drag and drop your MKV file to the interface.
3. Confirm the conversion when prompted by a pop-up. App Burn will convert the MKV file to .mpg format which is compatible with DVDs.
4. Select “DVD-Video” as the output format. Choose your region (NTSC in North America or PAL in Europe) at the bottom of the interface. 
5. Insert a blank DVD and press the “Burn” button to start to write MKV to DVD.

* Tips: If needed, expand the gear icon to apply a default DVD menu provided by Burn. Otherwise, your DVD will simply auto-play when inserted into a DVD player.

 

#5. DVDStyler (Windows/Mac)

Looking for a free MKV to DVD burner that offers you the freedom to design DVD menus? DVDStyler can be an ideal solution. It’s totally free DVD authoring software available for Windows, Mac and Linux. It can burn DVDs from most video and audio files including MKV, AVI, MP4, OGG, WMV, etc.

How to Burn MKV to DVD with DVDStyler:

1. Navigate here to download DVDStyler.

2. Create a new project following the prompts.

• In the pop-up window, you need to specify the parameters, especially the “Disc capacity” (CD, DVD-5, DVD-9), “Video Format” and “Aspect Ratio”. Hit “OK” when everything is set.

• Select a template for the DVD menu, which often includes a title menu and a chapter menu. Click OK to continue.

3. Drag and drop your MKV files to the title manager box located at the bottom of the interface.

4. Design the DVD menu. You can choose pre-designed background images and buttons from the left column. To customize the background, right-click on the menu manager and select the “Properties” option.

5. Click the red Burn button at the top. You can activate the “preview” button here, and it will allow you to view the DVD project with VLC or another media player on your computer once it’s generated before burning.

6. When you’ve set everything, check the “burn” option. Click “Start” to convert MKV to DVD free.

A troubleshooting tip:

ERR: 2 opening input video file "XX\dvd-cache\entry001.vob" -- No such file or directory

If you encounter this error while converting MKV to DVD using DVDStyler, you can: go to Configuration > Settings, on the “Core” tab, change “Encoder” from “ffmpeg-vbr” to “Internal”, and click OK to save the change.

 

Comparison of the Best MKV to DVD Burning Software

 

Conclusion

Burning MKV to DVD becomes a hassle-free task with the right tools. After evaluating the features and performance of these MKV to DVD converters, iFunia DVD Creator stands out as a professional and user-friendly choice, delivering high-quality output.

It also offers a free trial version without a watermark. If you have more questions about MKV to DVD conversion, you can refer to the following tips or leave a comment below.

 

Extra Tips to Burn MKV to DVD: 

Tip 1: My MKV files are too big for DVD

A standard recordable DVD disc can hold approximately 4.7 GB of data (8.5 GB for double-layer DVDs), and your MKV file may exceed this limit when imported into the burning program. To address this issue, you can try the following solutions:

• Adjust the video settings within the program: Most MKV to DVD converters, like DVDStyler and Burn, allow users to adjust video bitrate, but it’s hard to find the optimal parameters.
  But if you opt for a more professional DVD creator like iFunia, you can simply switch the video conversion mode to “Standard” or “Fit to disc”, which will automatically compress large files to fit on the DVD, as shown below.
• Split the video and burn it to multiple DVDs.
• Burn the MKV to a Blu-ray disc with 25 GB capacity.

Tip 2: How to verify if the DVD is successfully burned

After the MKV to DVD burning is finished, you can eject the DVD disc and play it on your DVD player to verify the DVD’s content.

If you don’t have a DVD player at the moment, you can also test it on a computer. On Mac, open the preinstalled DVD Player app and it will automatically play the DVD you just burned. On Windows, you can turn to free third-party software like VLC media player to open and play the DVD.

Tip 3: Can I convert MKV to DVD with Handbrake?

No, Handbrake can convert videos to different formats and devices, but can't make DVDs. What you need is professional DVD authoring software with various menus and other personalized settings. 

Tip 4: How to burn MP4 to DVD?

As the most popular video format, MP4 to DVD burning may also be your need, if so, check the other article I posted about how to burn MP4 to DVD on Mac.  

Tip 5: Alternative method to convert MKV to DVD-compatible format

If what you need is just to convert the MKV file to a format compatible with DVD players. Here’s how it works:

Convert MKV to MPEG format. Load the MKV files to a professional video converter and select “MPG Video” as the output format.

Click the gear icon beside to specify the video encoder as MPEG-2.