How to Convert MPG to MP4: 5 Methods We Actually Tried

While cleaning out some old storage devices recently, we found a collection of DVDs and backup drives filled with family videos from the early 2000s. There were recordings of birthdays, vacations, and everyday moments that we thought were long forgotten. The only problem? Almost 400 of those videos were stored as .mpg files. After connecting the drive to a modern laptop, we quickly realized that these older files weren’t as easy to play or share as they used to be.

Our iPhones wouldn't open them. Our smart TV showed an Unsupported File Format error. Even basic editing apps refused to import them. We realized that unless we converted these MPG files to standard MP4 format. That is why you are in the right place. In this guide, we gather the top 5 ways to convert MPG to MP4. Follow the detailed step-by-step instructions to find the best one method.

Method 1. AnyMP4 Free Online Video Converter - Best for Quick Web Conversions

When you just need to convert a couple of MPG files quickly without installing extra programs onto your computer, AnyMP4 Free Online Video Converter is our top recommendation. It runs entirely inside your browser, supports hundreds of media inputs, and doesn't add annoying watermarks to your converted MP4 videos.

1. Upload Your MPG File
Open your browser and head to the official AnyMP4 Free Online Video Converter page.
Click the prominent Upload File button. Select the MPG clip from your local folder.

2. Select MP4 Output Format
At the right format selection bar, ensure MP4 is highlighted. Under the output format, you can manually adjust video resolution, frame rate, or video bitrate.

3. Convert and Save
Hit the Save button and wait for the conversion bar to finish. Once it is done, you can download the converted MP4 file on your computer.

AnyMP4 Free Online Video Converter is secure to use, because your personal family clips are private, and will be deleted within 24 hours. For larger files over 50MB or full DVD rips, moving to desktop software to speed up the MPG conversion.

Method 2. AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate - Best for Heavy Batch Archives

For processing our 400-file attic archive, desktop software was an absolute necessity. AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate was by far the fastest method we tested. Thanks to hardware acceleration (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel GPU support), it converted our 450MB test video in just 58 seconds-over 70 times faster than standard real-time playback.

1. Load Your MPG Files or Folders

Free download, install and open AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate on your Windows or Mac computer.

Drag and drop your entire folder full of MPG or DVD VOB files directly into the main interface. Batch conversion is one of the big advantages that online converters miss.

2. Choose MP4 Preset
Click the Output Format dropdown menu at the bottom left. Under the Video tab, select MP4 and choose Same as Source or 4K/1080p HD to preserve original crispness.

3. Batch Convert MPG to MP4
Make sure the GPU Acceleration toggle at the top of the window is enabled. This ensures your computer's graphics card does the heavy conversion task.
Choose your output directory by clicking Save to, then click Convert All to convert MPG to MP4. The software processes all queued files, and you can locate them by switching to the Converted tab.

Method 3. VLC Media Player - Free, but Navigation Can Be Clunky

Most people already have VLC Media Player installed for watching movies, but few realize it includes a built-in video encoder, which lets you convert video to MP4 in VLC, including MPG. While it is 100% free, we found the interface somewhat hidden and slightly slow for multi-file batches.

1. Open Convert / Save
Run VLC on your computer, navigate the Media option in the top menu bar, and select Convert / Save (or press Ctrl + R).

2. Add MPG Files
In the File tab, click Add..., browse and add your MPG videos into this tool. Then, click the Convert / Save button at the bottom.

3. Configure MP4 Profile
In the Profile dropdown menu, select Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4) or Video - H.264 + AAC (MP4). Click the Wrench icon beside it to verify audio codecs are enabled.

4. Start Converting MPG to MP4 in VLC
Click Browse to choose where the converted file should go.
Warning: Make sure you manually type .mp4 at the end of your filename, or VLC might save it without a proper extension!
Click Start. You will see the VLC timeline progress bar move as it transcodes the file in real time.

Method 4. HandBrake - Best Open-Source Tool for Deep Control

HandBrake is a popular free, open-source MPG to MP4 video transcoder. It provides impressive encoding controls, though its dense menus can feel overwhelming for beginners.

1. Load Source MPG
Launch HandBrake and drag your MPG video file into the window. This software also supports batch conversion, and you can put all MPG files into one folder to import and handle.

2. Select Preset
Under the Preset menu on the right, choose General -> Fast 1080p30 or HQ 1080p30 Surround.

3. Set Container to MP4
Under the Summary tab, ensure Format is set to MP4.

Click the Video tab. We recommend setting the Quality slider to 20 RF for H.264. Going lower than 18 inflates file size with no noticeable quality gain.

4. Start Encode
Click the green Start Encode button on the top toolbar. Then HandBrake will start converting MPG to MP4 immediately.

Method 5. FFmpeg - Command Line Flexibility for Tech Enthusiasts

FFmpeg is different from every tool above. There is no traditional upload video > click convert interface. Instead, you use commands. For professionals, FFmpeg is ideal to transcode MPG to MP4 instantly.

Before converting videos with FFmpeg, make sure it is installed and ready to use on your computer.

1. Install FFmpeg

• On Windows, you can install FFmpeg quickly through PowerShell by running:

winget install FFmpeg

If you prefer a manual installation, download the FFmpeg package, extract it, and add the bin folder to your system’s PATH environment variable so you can run FFmpeg from any command window.

• On macOS, you just need to go through Homebrew, and open Terminal and run:

brew install ffmpeg

2. Check that FFmpeg is working

After installation, open PowerShell, Command Prompt, or Terminal and enter:

ffmpeg -version

If the above steps are set up correctly, your computer will display the installed FFmpeg version and build information.

3. Start the MPG to MP4 conversion in FFmpeg

Next, move to the folder where your video file is stored. For example:

cd C:\Users\YourName\Videos

Once you are in the correct folder, you can run your FFmpeg conversion command directly.

To convert a single MPG file to MP4 using standard H.264 video and AAC audio encoding, open your terminal and run this command:

ffmpeg -I input_video.mpg -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac -b:a 192k output_video.mp4

If you have a folder full of .mpg files on Windows, create a text file named convert.bat in that directory with the following line:

for %i in (*.mpg) do ffmpeg -i %i -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac %~ni.mp4

For example, I need to convert an MPG file named V-A.mpg in this folder:

C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\video\video-H\MPG. Then I just need to copy and paste this code into FFmpeg:

ffmpeg -i C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\video\video-H\MPG\V-A.mpg -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -c:a aac -b:a 192k C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\video\video-H\MPG\V-A.mp4

Double-click the batch file, and FFmpeg will automatically convert every single MPG file in that folder to MP4 one after another.