MPG to MP4
Convert MPG to MP4 free, with no sign-up and no watermark. Old MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video becomes H.264 that plays almost anywhere, often much smaller.
- Free & unlimited
- No sign-up
- Files never uploaded
- No watermark
- Up to 2 GB per file
How to convert MPG to MP4
Three steps, all inside this tab. The first run downloads the converter (about 32 MB) once.
- 1
Drop the MPG file
Pick a .mpg, .mpeg, .m2v or .vob file. Its size, duration and resolution appear right away, so you can check it's the right clip.
- 2
Choose how to encode
Fast Copy works, but MPEG video is turned into H.264 either way, and detected interlacing is removed in both modes. Pick Re-encode to set the quality (High, Medium or Small file) and, if you like, a lower resolution.
- 3
Save the MP4
The result shows the old and new size side by side. The file keeps its name and ends in .mp4, ready to stream from the first second.
Why this MPG to MP4 converter
Old MPEG files need a real conversion, not a rename. Here is what happens to yours.
The picture is really converted
MP4 players don't play MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 video, so a plain rewrap would give you a file nothing opens. The video is always encoded to H.264, even in Fast Copy, and the result screen says so.
Often much smaller
In our test, a 6-second 720x480 MPEG-2 clip went from 692 KB to 204 KB as H.264. How much you save depends on the file.
No comb lines on DVD footage
DVDs and TV recordings are often interlaced. Because MPEG-1/2 video is always re-encoded, the converter deinterlaces detected interlaced video automatically in both modes, so moving edges don't show stripes on a laptop or phone screen.
Home videos stay at home
Nothing is uploaded, so a 1.5 GB DVD rip never waits on an upload bar, and family footage never sits on a stranger's server.
Browser, upload site or desktop app for MPG files
Three ways to get an MP4 out of an old MPG, side by side.
| This converter | Upload-based sites | Desktop software | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the file goes | Stays on your device | Uploaded, kept as long as the service decides | Stays on your device |
| Install | None | None | Required |
| Size per file | About 2 GB | Depends on the service | Limited by your disk |
| Wait before it starts | None | The whole upload | None |
| Cost | Free, no sign-up | Depends on the service | Free (VLC) to paid |
| Settings | 3 quality levels, 1080p/720p/480p | Codec, bitrate, trim | Many, more to learn |
| Batch | One file at a time | Often | Usually |
Where MPG files come from
Most MPG and MPEG files today are old footage someone wants to watch again.
DVD rips and VOB files
A DVD's VIDEO_TS folder holds VOB files, which are MPEG-2 inside. Copy them off an unprotected disc and convert them one by one; each becomes its own MP4.
Early digital camcorders
Many camcorders and point-and-shoot cameras of the early 2000s saved clips as .mpg. Converting them lets you share a birthday clip in a family chat or add it to a photo library.
TV and set-top box recordings
Tuner cards and recorders often save .mpg files with MP2 or AC3 sound. The sound becomes AAC and every audio track is kept, so a second-language track survives.
Video CDs and old PC folders
MPEG-1 clips from Video CDs and 1990s software are small and low resolution. Keep resolution on Original; the converter never upscales.
Editing old footage
Current editors and phones handle H.264 MP4 far better than MPEG-2. Convert first, then cut the clip in the editor you already use.
Before you convert MPG to MP4
A minute of checks saves a second run.
- Use a desktop browser such as Chrome; phones and tablets haven't been tested.
- Check the file is under about 2 GB: our 1.6 GB test worked, a 2.1 GB file ran out of memory.
- Interlaced DVD or TV footage is deinterlaced in both modes; choose Re-encode only to set quality or resolution.
- Pick High quality for anything you're archiving and Small file only for sending in chats.
- Leave resolution on Original for DVD material, which is already 480p or 576p.
- Keep the original MPG until you've watched the new MP4 to the end.
MPG conversion mistakes to avoid
Mistake: Renaming the .mpg file to .mp4.
Do this instead: That changes the label, not the video. MPEG-2 under an MP4 name still won't play on most phones, so convert it to H.264.
Mistake: Expecting DVD subtitles in the MP4.
Do this instead: DVD subtitles are pictures (VobSub), and MP4 can't hold them, so they're dropped. Extract them with a subtitle tool before converting if you need them.
Mistake: Choosing Small file for the family archive.
Do this instead: Small file (CRF 28) is meant for messaging. For footage you'll keep, use High (CRF 18).
Mistake: Closing the tab during a long movie.
Do this instead: Re-encoding runs on your computer, so the tab has to stay open until it finishes. Start long files when you can leave the laptop alone.
Free, private, and the limits
Free, with no cap on files
No sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many MPG files you convert. Files go through one at a time.
Nothing leaves your computer
Your file is converted on your own device and is never uploaded to our servers. Only the converter program itself is downloaded, from jsDelivr.
About 2 GB per file
The limit is browser memory, not an upload cap. A 1.6 GB file converted in our tests; a 2.1 GB file stopped with an out-of-memory message.
Built on FFmpeg
The engine is FFmpeg 5.1.4 compiled to WebAssembly, unmodified. Your browser caches it after the first visit.