Synopsis
Description
Converts Dolby Vision Profile 7 MKV files to Profile 8.1. The conversion strips the Enhancement Layer while injecting the RPU (dynamic metadata) into the Base Layer, creating a file compatible with devices that don’t support FEL. You can convert a single file or multiple files at once. Wildcards are supported. The original file is automatically backed up as*.mkv.bak.dovi_convert before conversion.
Arguments
| Argument | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
<file> | Yes | One or more Profile 7 MKV files. Wildcards supported |
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-temp PATH | Write temporary files to a separate directory (improves speed on HDDs/NAS) |
-force | Override Complex FEL safety check and convert anyway |
-safe | Force Safe Mode (disk extraction). Slower but handles problematic files |
-delete | Delete backup file after successful conversion |
-debug | Generate dovi_convert_debug.log with detailed tool output |
If Standard mode fails (common with Seamless Branching), Safe mode is triggered automatically. You don’t need to manually retry.
Examples
Basic conversion:Forcing conversion on Complex FEL files produces incorrect tone mapping. Only use this if you understand and accept the quality loss.
This removes your only copy of the original Profile 7 file. Use with caution.
Conversion Process
- Analyzes the file to detect FEL complexity
- Creates backup (
*.mkv.bak.dovi_convert) - Strips Enhancement Layer from video
- Injects RPU metadata into Base Layer
- Remuxes everything into new MKV file
- Verifies frame count matches