Some of our users, especially those whose desktop operating system is macOS, sometimes have issues with playing the videos they’ve downloaded. For instance, if you’re a Mac user who doesn't have a VLC player or other solution to play an MKV file, you might experience trouble with playing the content you save with 4K Video Downloader.

We have recently covered the 7 best players to play MKV files on Mac, so if you’re a Mac user who has this issue, make sure to check it out.

In this piece, we’ll share which video formats you should choose when downloading to make sure the file is played just fine on your OS.

If you use Windows or Ubuntu

4K Video Downloader supports only MP4 and MKV, so you’re free to choose any of these.

Windows desktop computers are capable of playing all common audio and video formats, so when saving content with 4K Video Downloader or 4K YouTube to MP3, there are almost no limitations on which format you should choose.

Why almost? Here’s why:

Some YouTube videos downloaded in MKV can’t be played with the default Windows Video Player as they go with the VP9 codec that is unsupported by the default video player on Windows. In this case, open such files in VLC or download them in MP4.

Might be useful: We’ve covered which formats, resolutions, and bit rates can be saved with the 4K Download software, so before downloading anything or even upgrading, make sure you can find what you’re looking for.

If you use macOS

Things are a little bit more complex for Mac users, as Mac can’t play MKV files unless you use a special player that can.

When downloading a video with 4K Video Downloader, ideally opt for MP4. If you need to download an MKV file anyway, make sure you have a VLC player installed on your Mac or other compatible solution. We’ve covered such players in the article we refer to above.

If you want to play the file elsewhere

If you download a file with 4K Video Downloader or 4K YouTube to MP3 to play it on any other device, such as your car stereo or phone, check which formats such devices support before you download the file.

Besides, choose the right format when you download something: make sure that the file you intend to play in your car is MP3, not MP4. You can select the necessary format in Smart Mode prior to downloading.

Hope you’ll find this brief guide useful! Feel free to reach out to us on Reddit if you have any questions or issues with playing the downloaded files.