MP4 to MPG Converter
Convert an MP4 into an .mpg file for software and players from before H.264 took over: older PowerPoint versions, Windows Movie Maker, karaoke machines and media boxes that list MPG among their supported files.
Video Converter
or drop MP4, MOV, MKV … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Lower is better quality and a bigger file. 18 looks identical to the source, 23 is the default, 28 and above shows visible softening.
Frames per second. Keep the source rate unless a platform asks for a specific one; 15–20 fps is plenty for GIFs.
Only used for PowerPoint files and single still images: how long each slide or picture stays on screen.
Auto uses AAC for MP4/MOV and Opus for WebM. Copy keeps the original sound untouched when the new format supports it.
192 kbps is transparent for music; 128 kbps is enough for speech.
Width of the animation in pixels; height follows the aspect ratio. 480 px suits chats, 720 px or more gives a high-quality GIF but a much larger file.
GIF holds at most 256 colors. Fewer colors make a smaller file but cause banding on gradients and skin tones.
Mixes palette colors in a fine pattern to hide banding. Sierra gives the smoothest result; none gives the smallest file.
Whether the animation repeats endlessly or plays one time and stops.
Optional. Seconds (e.g. 75) or minutes:seconds (1:15). Leave empty to start at the beginning.
Optional. Same format as the start time. Leave empty to keep everything up to the end.
The converted file will be at or just under this size.
How to use this tool
- 1
Add the MP4 files
Upload up to 20 MP4 videos of 95 MB or less each. Long recordings are better trimmed first, because the MPG will be larger than the MP4.
- 2
Keep 480p
Convert to MPG with Resolution 480p and Audio bitrate 256 kbps matches what MPEG-era software and players handle. Choose a lower height to save space on old hardware.
- 3
Convert and test
Press Convert to MPG, then try one file on the actual PC or player before converting a whole set. We delete every upload after 30 minutes.
Why some software opens .mpg but not .mp4
The .mpg name comes from the MS-DOS era, when file extensions were limited to three characters, so Windows programs of the 1990s and 2000s registered .mpg for MPEG video. Windows Media Player, Movie Maker and PowerPoint relied on the codecs Windows shipped, and H.264 only arrived as a built-in Windows decoder with Windows 7 in 2009.
Many of those programs are still in use on classroom PCs, factory terminals and church computers that never got upgraded. If the target device is a DVD player with a USB port or a disc-authoring program instead, the MP4 to MPEG converter is written for that case.
MP4, MPG and WMV support in older Windows software
| from ↓ · to → | PowerPoint 2007 | Movie Maker on XP | Media Player on XP | PowerPoint 2013+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP4 (H.264) | – MP4 (H.264) to PowerPoint 2007: no | – MP4 (H.264) to Movie Maker on XP: no | – MP4 (H.264) to Media Player on XP: no | MP4 (H.264) to PowerPoint 2013+: yes |
| MPG | MPG to PowerPoint 2007: yes | MPG to Movie Maker on XP: yes | MPG to Media Player on XP: yes | MPG to PowerPoint 2013+: yes |
| WMV | WMV to PowerPoint 2007: yes | WMV to Movie Maker on XP: yes | WMV to Media Player on XP: yes | WMV to PowerPoint 2013+: yes |
MP4
MPEG-4 video
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is a multimedia container standardised by ISO/MPEG and based on Apple's QuickTime format. It usually holds H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio, and can also carry subtitles, chapters and metadata. It is the most compatible video format in the world, playing on phones, browsers, TVs, game consoles and social platforms. The video inside is almost always lossy, so repeated re-encoding gradually reduces quality.
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 2001 · Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)
MPEG
MPEG video
MPEG (also .mpg) files contain MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 video, standards published by the Moving Picture Experts Group from 1993 onward. MPEG-1 was used for Video CDs, and MPEG-2 powers DVDs and digital broadcast television. The codecs are simple and widely supported, but they need much higher bitrates than modern codecs such as H.264 for the same quality. Most desktop players open MPEG, while some phones and web platforms do not.
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 1993 · Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)
MP4 goes to MPG to satisfy a program or box that filters by the .mpg extension: Office 2007-era PowerPoint, Movie Maker, karaoke and signage players that decode MPEG but not the H.264 inside an MP4.
Who still asks for MPG files
Presentations on old Office
Schools and offices running PowerPoint 2007 or earlier insert MPG or WMV so the clip plays on the slide without extra software.
Karaoke and media boxes
Many USB karaoke machines, digital photo frames and media players from the 2000s list MPG in their manuals and ignore MP4.
Signage and kiosks
Older digital signage players and museum kiosks often take MPEG files on a USB stick or memory card in a fixed folder.
MP4 to MPG size and picture quality
MPEG video is a generation older than H.264, so the MPG is normally several times the size of the MP4 at similar quality. That is why Resolution starts at 480p: older software and players were built around standard definition, and a 1080p MPG only makes a bigger file they may stutter on. The 95 MB upload limit applies to the MP4 you send, not to the result.
Sound is encoded at 256 kbps so music in karaoke tracks and presentations stays clear. If the file has to go out by email after conversion, read how to compress video for Discord and email for the size caps of common services.
MP4 to MPG questions
Why did old PowerPoint reject my MP4 but accept an MPG?
PowerPoint 2007 and earlier played video through Windows' own media components, which recognized MPEG, AVI and WMV but not MP4. PowerPoint 2010 needed QuickTime installed to show MP4, and only PowerPoint 2013 handled MP4 natively. On those older versions, an MPG inserted with Insert > Movie plays on the slide.
Will the MPG play in Windows Media Player on Windows XP?
MPEG-1 video plays out of the box on XP. MPEG-2 video needs a DVD decoder, which XP did not include, so the player may show sound only. If that happens, install a decoder pack approved by your IT team or play the file in VLC.
Can I make the MPG smaller?
Yes. Choose 360p under Resolution, lower Audio bitrate to 128 kbps, or tick Limit file size and enter a maximum in MB. MPEG video needs more bits than H.264 for the same picture, so a matching size means a softer image.
Is the MPG suitable for burning a Video CD?
Not directly. A Video CD needs MPEG-1 at exactly 352 × 240 (NTSC) or 352 × 288 (PAL) with fixed bitrates, which authoring programs produce with their own VCD template. Use this MPG for playback from a file, not for disc authoring.
Can I go back from MPG to MP4 later?
Yes, with the MPG to MP4 converter, but each conversion re-encodes the picture and loses a little more detail. Keep the original MP4 as your master copy and treat the MPG as a playback copy for one device.
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