Best Solutions: What to Do When VLC Not Converting to MP4

Q: How long does it take VLC to convert a DVD to MP4?

First, VLC isn’t a technical DVD to MP4 converter . Then, it depends on your computer’s capacity and the size of the DVD, this conversion usually takes from a few minutes to several hours.

March 26, 2024Gerald Christian

Convert Video

Besides the basic player functionalities, VLC Media Player can also perform as a video format converter. For example, you can convert some special video formats of WebM, MKV, FLV, etc. to a more regular format like MP4. However, when people use VLC to convert to MP4, they may encounter various errors that lead to failed conversion. If you have such confusion, this passage can wipe it all.

We will analyze the potential reasons for VLC not converting to MP4, and more importantly, we will provide some feasible fixes to solve the problem. Meanwhile, a better and stable video converter will be mentioned too.

Part 1. How to Use VLC to Convert Videos to MP4
Part 2. Possible Solutions for VLC Not Converting to MP4
Part 3. Ultimate Solution: A Better Video Converter
Part 4. FAQs About VLC Not Converting to MP4

Part 1. How to Use VLC to Convert Videos to MP4

Before we dive into the MP4 conversion tutorial of VLC Media Player, you should go to the official VLC site to download its latest version. VLC is compatible with both Windows and macOS, download a proper one according to your system.

Step 1.

After launching VLC Media Player on your desktop, click Media from the upper horizontal toolbar. Choose Convert/Save.

Step 2.

Click Add to choose a non-MP4 video that you want to convert. Or you can directly drag it to the Open Media window. Then, continue to click Convert/Save.

Step 3.

From the new screen, click the inverted triangle of the Profile to select MP4 as output. And you can click Browse to find a storage destination for your converted MP4 file in here.

Step 4.

Hit the Start button to change your original video file to MP4.

VLC offers free service for your MP4 transcoding service, but you need to note that VLC doesn’t specialize in video format conversion. Its converting operation may be complicated for some users. In addition, the transcoded MP4 files of VLC usually have quality loss.

Part 2. Possible Solutions for VLC Not Converting to MP4

Before we talk about certain errors, you can try the following fixes to solve them first.

Make sure you set MP4 as output correctly.
Try other files to check whether the file is corrupted or faulty.
Ensure your computer’s storage space is enough.

Then, we selected errors in VLC’s MP4 conversion that we usually met, let’s see their potential reasons and related solutions.

1. Audio not working when converting video to MP4 with VLC

There may be different reasons for this result. VLC respectively handles video and audio streams, thus, it won’t automatically switch audio bitrate during video conversion. First, you can try to enable the audio stream.

Step 1.

Follow the steps in Part 1 to enter the Convert window.

Step 2.

Click the wrench figure of Profile. From the new screen, find Audio codec section and click it.

Step 3.

Tick Audio to enable the audio stream when converting.

Also, you can handle the audio error of VLC converting by changing the audio sample rate.

Step 1.

Add your video file to check its original bitrate. Go to Tools > Codec information > Codec. You can see the example video’s sample rate is 44100Hz.

Step 2.

Follow the converting steps to enter the Convert window. Click the wrench figure and choose Audio codec section.

Step 3.

Find Sample Rate and set it the same as the video’s original rate. In this case, you should set it to 44100Hz.

Moreover, you can change standard compliance to make VLC convert videos with audio.

Step 1.

Click Tools to choose Preferences.

Step 2.

Select Input/Codecs section in the new window. Tick All from the bottom right corner.

Step 3.

Type FFmpeg in the search bar and click it in the list below. Then, find Strict standard compliance from the right options. Set it to -2.

Step 3.

Click Save to confirm all these settings.

2. VLC not converting full MP4 video

Some users complained that their VLC only converted part of the video during MP4 output. Maybe they haven’t set any value of Advanced options. Find it in Tools > Messages > Verbosity, and set the number as 1.

Besides, your incomplete or wrong output filename can also cause this. You can try to edit the save path of the destination folder from file:///C:/Users/... to C:/Users/.

3. VLC converting to MP4 not working

Check whether you updated your VLC to the latest version. Or you can uninstall and reinstall it again on your PC.

These operations are complicated and time-consuming. And what if you have done above all and VLC still fails? Maybe you should get yourself a professional and efficient video converter program.

Part 3. Ultimate Solution: A Better Video Converter

Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate is the most comprehensive video converter you’ve never seen before. It aims to support all video format conversions and comprehensive video converting settings. Compared with VLC Media Player, you can easily know how to operate it with its user-friendly interface. At the same time, Video Converter Ultimate adopts hardware acceleration to make it faster. You can receive your converted MP4 file in just a few minutes. As for the stability of Video Converter Ultimate, you won’t encounter unexpected situations like crashes or outputs part of the video as in VLC. The most important thing is this AI-supported program won’t reduce your video quality during MP4 conversion.

Downloads

Video Converter Ultimate

Support converting other formats to MP4 with 1080p HD, 4K, 5K, 8K quality.
Support mutual conversion of more than 1000 video and audio formats.
Support batch conversion of multiple video clips.
Support the MV feature to customize your video with colorful themes.
Support editing MP4 and other videos like cropping the video, cutting the video, adding watermarks, etc.

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Here is the step-by-step tutorial of Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate to convert other formats to MP4.

Step 1.

Hit the download button of Windows or macOS versions. Install Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate to your computer.

Step 2.

Click Add Files in the middle of the interface to add the video file you want to make it MP4. We used an MTS file to change it to MP4 as an example.

Step 3.

Click the inverted triangle of the Output Format and choose the Video section. Select MP4 as output. You can also adjust the output MP4’s quality here.

Step 4.

When all set well, click the Convert All button to make your video MP4.

Video Converter Ultimate Start Converter

Part 4. FAQs About VLC Not Converting to MP4

Why is my MP4 not working on VLC?

If VLC can’t play your MP4 files, it may be that your MP4 file is damaged, your VLC is in an older version, or your VLC lacks related codecs.

Is VLC good for converting video?

With various formats support and the open-source feature of VLC, you can use it to convert videos for free. But it’s not basically designed to be a professional video converter. Hence, VLC’s converting operation is complicated and its processing has quality loss.

How long does it take VLC to convert a DVD to MP4?

First, VLC isn’t a technical DVD to MP4 converter. Then, it depends on your computer’s capacity and the size of the DVD, this conversion usually takes from a few minutes to several hours.

Conclusion

To conclude, VLC Media Player doesn’t specialize in video converting. Thus, all kinds of reasons can lead to VLC not converting to MP4. If you want to transfer your videos to MP4 format, you can try the Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate we picked. This video converter program can wipe out all your video converting worries.

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