Understanding MKV vs. MP4
MKV (Matroska) is an open-standard container format that can hold an unlimited number of video, audio, picture, or subtitle tracks in one file. It is intended to serve as a universal format for storing common multimedia content, like movies or TV shows.
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is also a container format but is much more strictly defined. This strictness is a feature, not a bug—it means hardware manufacturers (like Apple, Samsung, Sony) can easily build chips that decode MP4 efficiently.
Converting to MP4 is essentially "finalizing" your video for distribution and playback, ensuring the highest likelihood that it will just work when you press play.