In order to make Windows Media Player play MKV movies, you will need to install some MKV codecs for Windows Media Player or try other media players or simply convert MKV to Windows Media Player highly compatible WMV or AVI videos. Keep on reading and choose the way you prefer to make MKV playable in Windows Media Player.
Method 1. Install the MKV codec in Windows Media Player
Install the MKV codec in Windows Media Player by downloading the codec pack and running the installer. Once installed, import the MKV movie to Windows Media Player, and test the playback. You need an Internet-ready computer with Windows 7 or 8 and a browser to complete the process.
Step 1. Open a Web browser
Log in to your Windows user account. Open your preferred browser, and wait for the start page to load.
Step 2. Navigate to the codec website
Type the MKV Codec website in the browser URL address field. Alternatively, you can navigate to the Shark007 website to download an exclusive MKV codec for Windows 7 and 8.
Step 3. Download the codec pack
Click the Download (Mirror) link at the bottom of the MKV Codec website. The download automatically starts upon opening the new page. Click the download link on the Shark007 website if you prefer to use that codec pack.
Step 4. Install the MKV codec
Double-click the download to run the installer. Choose custom installation, and uncheck any third-party applications that come bundled with the codec pack. Follow the instructions to install the codec.
Step 5. Play the MKV video
Open Windows Media Player. Next, open the folder that contains the MKV file. Drag and drop the file onto Windows Media Player to watch the movie.
Method 2. Try another media player
If you don't like installing codecs for Windows Media Player, or the codec doesn't work for some unknown reasons, you can try to use another media player. You may know of VLC player. Yeah, VLC is a great open-source cross-platform multimedia player. And it can play most multimedia file formats like MKV, AVI, MP4, FLV, WMV, etc, as well as discs.
Method 3. Convert MKV to Windows Media Player friendly WMV or AVI videos
If you don't get used to another media player and just want Windows Media Player as your only media player, you can use a great Hivimoore Video Converter to convert MKV to Windows Media Player compatible video format like WMV or AVI. Don't worry. The conversion process is ultrafast and the output quality is lossless. And the program always run stably. Besides MKV, it converts almost any other audio/video formats (include 3D and 4K videos) to a Windows Media Player supported format on Windows 10.
Free download the best MKV to Windows Media Player converter and install. Launch the program once the installation is finished.
How to Convert MKV to Windows Media Player Format?
Step 1. Click the "Add File" button to import the MKV movie fils to this converter. Or simply drag and drop the MKV video to the main window of this program.
Step 2. Select WMV from the drop-down list on the right side of the program's interface.
Step 3. Simply hit the Convert button to start video conversion. After conversion, you can add the output files to Windows Media Player to play.
Read more MKV Tips:
- How to play MKV movies on your Android?
- How to Play MKV on PS4?
- How to Play MKV on WD TV Live/Hub/Plus?
- How to Rip DVD to MKV in 1080p or 720?
Read more Windows Media Player Tips
- How to play DVD on Windows Media Player?
- How to sync iTunes to Windows Media Player?
- Play Windows Media Video .WMV on QuickTime
Learn more Video Tips:
- How to Play WMV on QuickTime?
- How to Play DVD on QuickTime?
- Play AVI on QuickTime for macOS Sierra/Windows 10
- How to Insert MP4 into PowerPoint?
- How to stream MP4 to Plex?
- How to Play MP4 on PS4 from USB Drive?
- How to Encode MP4 to MPEG-2 for Playing/Editing
- Free Extract and Convert MP4 to MP3?
- How to Play AVI on PS4?
Source: http://www.starstarsoft.com/play-mkv-on-windows-media-player/
