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Galaxy S23 Video Format
Common Questions:
Why can't my Galaxy S23 Ultra play .mkv and .mov movies? I managed to find a solution to this problem.
I transferred 4K MP4 movies from my PC to my Galaxy S23, but the screen is black. Why?
The video files on my computer are 4K MKV files. How can I play them on my Galaxy S23 with ease? Does anyone know a program that can solve this issue? Thanks.
It is necessary to figure out what video formats are supported by the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra. With the crisp Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and the high-definition camera, the Galaxy S23 series has been one of the best portable devices for playing movies and recording videos. However, very often it refuses to play your downloaded movies, or it can't play them correctly. According to a survey we conducted last month, over 90% of these errors are caused by unsupported video formats.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra uses LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, which are both faster versions of memory than its predecessor. It also uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which performed well in early performance tests.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra records video up to 4K60 with all of its cameras — that's all five of them. It can also capture 8K with its main camera, but only at 30fps. 8K capture is always encoded in H.265 HEVC, while for the other modes you can choose between H.264 and H.265. Regardless of video mode, audio is recorded in stereo at a 256kbps bit rate.
| Category | Supported formats |
|---|---|
| Video recording | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound recording, H.264 or H.265 codec |
| Video playback | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM |
| Audio playback | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, APE, DSF, DFF |
Note: Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra users can change the default resolution and frame rate to 8K, 4K, 1080p HD, and 720p HD. This does not change the selected video codec.
How do I change the video resolution? Please follow this link:
https://www.samsung.com/za/support/mobile-devices/galaxy-camera-how-do-i-change-the-video-resolution/
The official specification says the Galaxy S23 series supports MKV. However, this is misleading. In reality, the phone can only play certain types of MKV files — typically those encoded with H.264 video and AAC audio. Many MKV files use H.265/HEVC video, DTS audio, AC3 audio, or other codecs that are not supported by the phone. As a result, most MKV files still won't play.
The same applies to MOV files. While MOV is listed as a supported container, the internal video and audio codecs may not be compatible.
Videos won't play on Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, or Galaxy S23 Ultra? Sometimes we have trouble playing or sharing Galaxy S23 videos because of limited format support, especially when a video is not 100% compatible. The good news is that all errors related to Galaxy S23 video formats can be fixed by converting the existing videos.
Free download Galaxy S23 Video Converter (Windows Version | Mac Version)
100% Safe & Clean 100% Safe & CleanAcrok Video Converter Ultimate is a video processing tool dedicated to 8K, 6K, 4K, and HD videos. It has a large format library of over 300 video formats with flexible settings to edit and adjust videos. Its Level-3 hardware acceleration and high-quality engine deliver top speed and high output quality. That's why it's considered the best tool to convert unsupported formats to Galaxy S23-supported formats for easier playback. Please follow the steps below to convert MKV, AVI, WMV, MOV, FLV, VOB, and even DVD and Blu-ray to H.264 for playing on Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra.
Install and run Acrok Video Converter Ultimate as your Samsung video converter on your computer. You can add videos by dragging and dropping them into the program's main window or by importing them via the "Add file" button. All added files will be listed on the left item bar.
For ripping and converting DVD/Blu-ray to a Galaxy S23-playable format, please insert your disc into your Blu-ray drive, then click the Load Disc icon to import movie files.
To convert video for playing on Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra, choose H.264 MP4 as the output format. You can find this profile under the "Common Video" category.
For converting audio or music to a Galaxy S23, S23+, or S23 Ultra supported format, MP3 is your best choice.
Tips: Video editing functions such as trimming, clipping, and adding effects are available and optional in Acrok software, so you can create personalized video clips.
Now for the last step: click the blue "Convert" button to begin converting video or audio to a Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, or Galaxy S23 Ultra compatible format. A progress bar will show how much of the conversion is complete. After the conversion, click the "Open" button to find the new files, and then you can enjoy them on your smartphone anywhere you like.
I use Acrok Video Converter Ultimate to convert some videos into MP4 and AVI, so that I can watch them on my Gaaxy S23 Ultra. It is so cool!
Jo-Anne Watts
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