Google’s Chromecast turns me on, but it doesn’t really compel me as I’ve got several streaming solutions in my home. At least, that’s what I thought until I read Thursday that Chromecast can play video files on any computer connected to the streaming dongle. While, based on what I have found it’s not easy to cast MKV files through Chromecast. So, I’m eager to find a solid way of casting mkv files.
As far as I know, to access files hosted on the computer and play them on a Chromecast-enabled TV, a Chrome user simply needs to access their file directory by hitting Ctrl+O (or Command+O on a Mac) and select the desired video file. Voila! Playback. You can also just drag and drop the video into the Chrome Web browser. Astute Chromecast users have already figured out that the Chromecast can stream AVI, MPEG, and MP4 video files from their computers, but it appears MKV only play video, with no audio via Chromecast.
By further searching I got an answer from Reddit forum. The guys recommend trying convert MKV file to .mp4 instead of .mkv, and then opening with the browser. Not foolproof by any means, but it has worked for around 80% of the files that have tried it with. Probably, the MKV files that contains DTS audio that can be supported by Chromecast.
Below is the step-by-step guide how to convert and stream MKV movies to Chromecast.
To begin, free download Brorsoft Video Converter or Video Converter for Mac.
Thee software has a codec pack that enables conversion between different video and audio file formats. It is very capable and convenient in converting your MKV(DTS) to MP4, AVI, MPEG, M4V and more other digital format for Chromecast with the best quality.
Step 1. Start the video converter, drag and drop the MKV files to the software window to import.
Step 2. Click Format bar and set the output video format as MP4, AVI, MPEG, etc. Among which mp4 is a really good file format for watching, it kept the file size down without compromising in video quality.
Tip: If you like to tweak a little, in the settings, you are allowed to change the frame rate, resolution, bitrate and other specifications of the videos, if the tech terms look taunting to you, proceed to the next step.
Step 3. Click “start” to convert mkv to mp4. After the conversion, try open a new tab in chrome and drag a converted .mp4 movie to the address bar, and use Google cast to send the movie to Chromecast. Enjoy.
Related Guides:
How can I add and play MKV videos in iTunes 11
Make MKV files work in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5/CS6/CC
My Samsung TV won’t play some MKV files- Solution