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MP4 to MPG converter

Convert MP4 to MPG in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I want MPG
Quality

Applies only when the video has to be re-encoded. A straight copy keeps the original quality.

Advanced 2
Always re-encode Rebuilds the picture as H.264 (VP9 for WebM) even when it could be copied. Fixes files that won’t play on older TVs and PCs.

Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B

Related conversions

Need it the other way round? Convert MPG to MP4

Other ways to convert MP4

Convert other formats to MPG

Read more about the MP4 format and the MPG format, or see every video tool and all video conversions.

Should you convert MP4 to MPG?

Yes, when a device or app needs MPG. MPG can’t carry the H.264 or HEVC (H.265) video found in MP4 files, so the picture is re-encoded as MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, which takes about as long as the clip on a recent laptop.

Check that MPG is really needed: it plays in VLC, Windows Media Player and DVD players; browsers and phones generally won’t play it, while MP4 is opens everywhere.

MP4 is the video container that plays on everything, usually holding H.264 video and AAC audio; MPG is the video format of Video CDs, DVDs and early camcorders. Use MPG when burning to DVD or feeding older broadcast and playback equipment.

MP4 and MPG compared
Property MP4 MPG
Usually contains H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio MPEG-2 video with MP2 or AC-3 audio
Support Opens everywhere A legacy format
Plays on Every phone, browser, TV, editor, chat app and upload form VLC, Windows Media Player and DVD players; browsers and phones generally won’t play it
Best for Sharing video anywhere DVD authoring and old broadcast hardware
Introduced 2003 1993

How to convert MP4 to MPG

  1. 01

    Add your MP4

    Drop your MP4 video onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.

  2. 02

    Check the settings

    The output is already set to MPG. Change the quality if you want to; the defaults suit most files.

  3. 03

    Save the MPG

    Press convert and save the MPG. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when MP4 becomes MPG

Re-encoded, at a quality you choose

Because the video has to be compressed again, a little detail is lost. The default quality keeps the difference invisible; choose High for footage you’ll edit further.

MPG is an older format

Use MPG when burning to DVD or feeding older broadcast and playback equipment. For sharing, uploading or playing on phones, MP4 is the better choice.

Expect a much larger file

MPG is far bigger for the same content. Choose it because something needs MPG, not to send or store the file. MP4: 1080p phone video runs roughly 60–130 MB a minute. MPG: DVD-quality video runs about 30–60 MB a minute.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of MP4 and MPG, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Video files are big, and uploading one just to change its container can take longer than the conversion itself. Your browser can read and write these formats, so the file never has to leave your device.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • About the MP4. An MP4 that won’t play is rarely broken; it usually holds a newer codec such as HEVC or AV1 that the player doesn’t support.
  • About the MPG. MPEG-2 video needs a lot of bitrate, so converting a phone video to MPG makes the file several times bigger.
  • MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM are handled by your browser’s own video engine, often with hardware help. AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG and the other older formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, and are slower.

Questions

Does converting MP4 to MPG lose quality?

The video is re-encoded, so a little detail is lost, but the default quality is set high enough that it doesn’t show.

Will a MPG play on my phone?

MPG a legacy format: VLC, Windows Media Player and DVD players; browsers and phones generally won’t play it. VLC plays MPG files; Windows Media Player plays most.

Read more about this

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