How to Convert MP4 to MPEG2 in High Quality (incl. Free)

MP4 is a common container format compatible with almost all software, devices and media players. In digital file conversion, we prefer to convert other formats to MP4. But there are exceptions. When you want to save your MP4 videos to DVD format for burning them to DVD quickly without re-encoding, you should convert MP4 to MPEG2, as MPEG or MPG (MPEG-2, AC-3) is best format for DVD.

Read this article to get the best MP4 to MPEG2 converters for Mac or Windows, also learn the step-by-step guide on how to do the MP4 video to MPEG2 conversion.

 

What is an MPEG2 file?

MPEG2 (a.k.a MPEG-2, H.222, or H.262) is a common codec standard for lossy video and audio compression. Typical container formats that incorporate MPEG-2 compression are MPEG2 PS (.mpg) and MPEG2 TS (.ts). The former is used on DVD-Video discs and HD DVD videodiscs, and the latter is used in broadcast systems.

Common DVD format settings

If you convert MP4 to MPEG2 for DVD-Video, below are the common settings:

The Best MP4 to MPEG2 Converter for Mac and Windows 10/11

Cisdem Video Converter is an excellent MP4 to MPEG2 converter that aims to make audio and video conversion at a super-fast speed.

Apart from MP4 (h264/h265 + AAC) and MPG (MPEG2 + AC3), it supports a vast variety of input and output formats such as MKV, AVI, MOD, TOD, WMV, 3GP, M4V, WebM, MTS, VOB, etc. This is why you can use it to efficiently convert videos for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android phones, game console, tablet, media player, and so on. It can also work as a YouTube downloader, DVD ripper, basic video editor, and video combiner.

Steps to Convert MP4 to MPEG2 in batches and high quality with Cisdem:

Step 1. Download and install Cisdem Video Converter on your computer.

Free Download   Free Download

Step 2. Import MP4 files.

Launch the application. Drag one or more MP4 files into this app.

Step 3. Select the output format.

Click the format button like to open the format panel. Go to “General Video” and select the output format as:

• MPEG Video
• MPEG HD Video: Fix the resolution to 1280 * 720p. The resolution of the original video is preferably higher than or equal to 1280 * 720p.

Click the “gear” icon and change video codec to “mpeg2video” in the “Advanced Settings” window. Also, you can tweak other file parameters, such as changing audio codec to “ac3”.

Step 4. Edit the video (optional)

If you need to do some basic editing like trimming, cropping, rotating, adding effects or subtitles, just click the button.

Step 5. Start converting MP4 to MPEG2.

Click button, and the conversion will start on Mac.

After the process is completed, you can click button to open the folder that contains the converted files.

How to convert MP4 to MPEG2 online for free (no watermark)

Can I convert MP4 to MPEG2 online without watermark? The answer is yes. This is a frequently asked question, which is based on the commonly known fact that many online tools watermark converted files. The good news is there are online MP4 to MPEG2 tools that don’t add watermark. They are available for all platforms such as macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, etc.

#1 Online-convert.com

Available in four languages including English, this is a totally free online conversion service that allows you to convert MP4 to a wide variety of other formats. In addition, it can also convert audios, documents, e-books and images. To access advanced features such as batch conversion, you need to become a premium user.

1. Visit https://video.online-convert.com/convert-to-mpeg-2 in your browser.
2. Upload MP4 videos to the online tool.
3. Change video and audio settings. Note: mpeg2video codec has been selected by default.
4. Click the “Start conversion” button. After the conversion, the converted file will be automatically downloaded.

#2 Convertio.co

This is another online MP4 to MPEG2 converter without watermark. As an all-inclusive tool, it supports an array of conversion types such as video, audio, document, presentation, ebook, and more. It ensures you to import files from computer location, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

1. Open https://convertio.co/mp4-mpeg2/ in your browser.
2. Upload an MP4 file from your computer hard drive or cloud services such as Google Drive.
3. Click the gearwheel icon and configure the video/audio settings.
4. Click the “Convert” button.
5. After the converting process is done, you need to download the converted video file to your computer.

How to Convert MP4 to MPEG2 Using Handbrake

Handbrake is one of the best transcoders that’s capable of converting an MP4 file to MPEG-2. It has been around for over a decade, and you can use the software with confidence.

Handbrake allows you to add multiple MP4 videos to queue. But when converting files, only one MP4 file is converted at a time instead of all files at the same time. And based on our test, trying to convert an MP4 video file from Handbrake on Mac Pro takes a very long time. It spent 9 hours to convert 2 hours of MP4 video to MPEG2.

1. Open the app on your computer. Add an MP4 file by clicking the "Open Source" icon on the toolbar. You can also import the file by dragging and dropping.
2. Click the "Video" tab which is on the right side of the "Filters" tab.
3. From the "Video Encoder" dropdown list, select "MPEG-2".
4. Go to the bottom-left corner of the interface and find the "Save As" field. Change the file extension from .mp4 to .mpg.
5. Click "Browse" to select a location on your computer to save the converted video file.
6. Click the "Start" button on the top toolbar. The conversion from MP4 to MPEG2 will start.

How to Convert MP4 to MPEG-2 Using VLC Media Player

Also known as VLC, this is another open-source app that can help you convert an MP4 video to MPEG-2 TS or PS. While it’s commonly used as a media player, it can actually work as a basic video transcoder with a few supported formats.

Converting MP4 file with VLC is pretty fast, but it doesn't rank among the premium MP4 to MPEG2 converter in terms of quality. We tested 3 video files, one of which lost audio track after exporting to MPEG2.

It works a bit differently on the Mac and Windows. We will take the macOS version as an example and show you how to use it to make a conversion.

1. Open VLC. Drag an MP4 file into this app. Alternatively, you can add files by clicking the "Open media" button.
2. Go to the menu bar on the top of the screen on Mac. Select "File" > "Convert/Stream". The "Convert & Stream" dialog box will appear.
3. In the "Choose Profile" section, select "Custom", and then click the "Customize" button.
4. Under the "Encapsulation" tab, select "MPEG-PS".
5. Switch to the “Video codec” tab. Pick “MPEG-2” as the codec.
6. Hit "Apply".
7. In the "Choose Destination" section, click "Browse" and choose an output location.
8. Click the "Save" button to start the conversion.

How to Convert MP4 to MPEG2 Free via FFmpeg

FFmpeg is the most powerful and all-purpose software project for handling all kinds of multimedia tasks, including MP4 to MPEG-2 conversion. In fact, most free and paid video converters are taking FFmpeg behind the scenes.

It has no GUI and needs to rely on the command line to turn MP4 into MPEG2. Therefore, it’s more suitable for advanced users or engineers who are familiar with the command line environment.

1. Download FFmpeg.
2. Open Terminal on Mac or Prompt on Windows.
3. Type the command.
   To change only the video codec, use ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v mpeg2video output.mpg. Also to transcode the audio codec, enter ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v mpeg2video -c:a ac3 output.mpg. Replace input.mp4 with your own MP4 file.
4. Press the "Enter" key on the keyboard to execute the command.

Conclusion

There are different types of MP4 to MPEG2 converters available. You can choose one of them according to your need. If the video file is small in size, and converting MP4 videos to MPEG2 is not something that you do frequently, you can use an online tool. If you are passionate about video making, video editing and need to convert videos on a regular basis, it’s recommended to choose a professional and powerful video converter that supports a wide variety of formats.