How to Convert DAT to MP4 [12 Best Ways]

Not sure of how to convert DAT to MP4? In this article, we'll help you to choose a video converter – free or paid – that will help you to convert a DAT file to an MP4 format.

What is a DAT file?

Best for: All-in-one video conversion and editing

OS: Windows, macOS

G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5, 2 reviews

If you want to convert DAT to a more accessible format so you can play your file on an iOS or Android device or transfer it to DVD, try Movavi Video Converter. This fast and easy-to-use software supports all popular video, audio, and image formats, including AVI, MOV, MKV, WMV, MPEG, MP3, FLAC, JPEG, PNG – the list goes on. Apart from changing the format, you can also change the video resolution and size. The app provides simple editing tools, like trimming, rotating, color adjustment, and stabilization. 

Conversion:

1. Download and install Movavi Video Converter on your computer. 
2. Open the program and go to Add Media > Add video. Select the files for conversion.
3. To convert DAT to MP4, choose MP4 as the target format. 
4. Hit Convert. 

Read the detailed step-by-step guide

Best for: Playing nearly any video file format available

OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

CNET rating: 4.6 out of 5, 37 reviews

VLC is one of the most widely used media players available and understandably so. It has the ability to play just about all video file formats – with no additional downloads, and it’s completely free.

The media player can also optimize playback for different devices, has streaming capabilities, and the ability to convert .dat to .mp4 with video files. But most importantly, VLC is open source, so there are a nearly infinite number of plugins available that add additional features to the player.

Conversion:

1. First, download the player and install it.
2. To convert DAT to MP4 using VLC, open the media player and click Media on the tabs at the top of the window, and then select Open File. Find your DAT file and click Open. Next, click Media again and select Convert / Save from the drop-down menu. You can also hit Ctrl + R.
3. Click the drop-down menu located next to Profile and select the MP4 option from the list that reads Video H.264 + MP3 (MP4). After that, choose a destination file for the conversion by clicking the Browse button in the window.
4. Finally, click Start at the bottom of the window to begin the process. The amount of time the conversion will take is based on the size of the file.

Best for: Short video conversions with the free trial

OS: macOS, Windows

Trustpilot rating: 4.8 out of 5, 117 reviews

MacX Video Converter Pro is a straightforward video conversion tool that allows you to convert videos of all types – including DAT to MP4.

The software uses a de-interlacing engine and works with hardware accelerators within popular graphics cards to output video conversions quickly, efficiently, and with high quality. Plus, the interface is very user-friendly.

The company markets the software as being able to convert videos 5x faster than other conversion tools on the market, and most reviewers agreed that it is indeed very fast.

Conversion:

1. To use MacX Video Converter Pro’s DAT-to-MP4 converter capabilities, download and install the app on your device.
2. Open the program and click the button that reads Video with a film strip and plus sign next to it.
3. Select your DAT file from the browser and click Open. An Output Profile window will open. Select the recommended MP4 Video from the menu and click OK. Then click the Run button located just below the viewer.
4. You can change your destination file at the bottom of the window before running the software if you want, but otherwise it will go to the software’s default folder.

Best for: Balancing resolution and size

OS: Windows, macOS

Trustpilot rating: 4.2 out of 5, 158 reviews

WinX Video Converter is Digiarty Sofware’s Windows-focused alternative to the MacX Converter Pro – even though both programs run on both operating systems. With the WinX Video Converter, you’ll get basically the same features and service as the MacX Converter Pro.

This program works well with taking high-quality videos and compressing them into small file sizes.

Conversion:

1. To use WinX Video Converter as a DAT file converter, download the app.
2. Open the program and, at the top left, click the Video button. It has a film strip and plus sign next to it.
3. Find your DAT file in the browser and click Open. A window that reads Output Profile will pop up. In the menu, select MP4 Video – it has a green > Recommended message – and then click OK. Last, click the Run button below the viewer to begin the DAT to MP4 conversion.

Best for: Those who want to take a step beyond video conversion

OS: Windows, macOS

Capterra rating: 4.4 out of 5, 12 reviews

VideoProc is Digiarty’s upgrade from the WinX and MacX converters. The program adds a ton of editing features to the existing conversion capabilities, and it has a built-in media downloader.

Overall, it’s a lightweight video editor and converter for those who aren’t ready to make the jump to a professional video editing program like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut.

Conversion:

1. To use VideoProc as a DAT video file converter, download and install the program.
2. Open the program and click Video to open the video processing window. Click the next Video button on this screen – it has an icon with a film strip and a plus sign next to it – and then browse to find the DAT file you wish to convert. Click Open.
3. Next, select the MP4-H264 button at the bottom of your screen to select it as your target output format. Look to the right of your screen, and just below the viewer, you can select your source folder for the output by clicking Browse.
4. With everything set up, click the blue Run button on the bottom right of the window to run the conversion.

Best for: Converting videos to fit many devices

OS: Windows

CNET rating: 3.8 out of 5, 14 reviews

If you’re looking for a solid DAT-to-MP4 converter for free online, then the WonderFox HD Video converter could be a viable option as long as your video is short.

The program offers some great features like cut and crop options so you can resize videos to fit them on any device. It also offers a wide range of output options.

Conversion:

1. To use WonderFox HD Video Converter as a free DAT converter, download the program.
2. Open the program and click the Converter icon at the bottom of the window.
3. Next, you’ll need to add your DAT file to the converter using one of these two options:

   Click the Add Files button at the top of the window, find and select your file, and click Open.

   Drop and drag your DAT file into the center of the window – the dropbox has a large plus sign in the middle.

4. After adding your file, look to the right side of the window and click the button just below the text that reads Click to change output format. Select the MP4 icon from the menu.
5. At the bottom of your screen, click the Run button to run the conversion.

Best for: Quick, simple no-frills conversions

OS: Any

Trustpilot rating: 3.7 out of 5, 134 reviews

If you want to convert DAT to MP4 online, this is an easy free tool you can use to get the job done. It’s not the fastest software out there, but it’s free and easily accessible on any browser and through any OS.

Just download the launcher, select your file and convert. This tool will convert an unlimited number of files with no size limits.

Conversion:

1. Learning how to convert a DAT file to MP4 with the Apowersoft Free Online Video Converter is easy. Simply go to the website and click the blue button at the top of the page that reads Select Files to Start. If this is your first time, the site will prompt you to download a launcher to help the site find your files.
2. After you download the launcher, click the Select Files to Start button again and when prompted, select your DAT file and click Open. The interface window will launch automatically. From here, select MP4 from the menu at the bottom of the page just above Format and then click Convert.
3. The interface will then prompt you to select an output folder. Click OK when you’ve selected a folder. The program should run the conversion and the file will appear in the folder you selected.

Best for: Small files below 200 MB

OS: Any

Scamadviser rating: 4.3 out of 5, 4 reviews

Aconvert is an all-in-one conversion site where you can convert ebooks, PDF files, images, icons, and many other types of files. On the video side, they offer an easy-to-use converter that can convert the DAT file format into MP4 and many other codecs as long as the file is under 200 MB.

Conversion:

1. Don’t know how to convert DAT to MP4 with Aconvert? No worries! Simply go to the Aconvert website and click the Video button on the left side of the page.
2. Under the Convert video online text, click the Choose Files button to select a video file directly from your hard drive. You can also click the dropdown menu to the left to upload a file from a website, DropBox, or Google Drive.
3. The default target format for the conversion is MP4, but be sure you have it selected on the window below. Then click the Convert Now! button at the bottom right.
4. Your converted file will appear in the section below titled Conversion Results. On the right side below the Action text, click the Save icon. This will open another tab on your browser and give you options to download or save your file.
5. Just remember that the file will be deleted from Aconvert’s server in 2 hours.

Best for: Small files 100 MB and under

OS: Any

Trustpilot rating: 3.5 out of 5, 14 reviews

Online-convert.com is another site that offers tons of conversion options for various file types – including DAT files. For video files, there’s a file size limit of 100 MB, but you can pay for the ability to convert larger file sizes.

The online software comes with a lot of options to alter your video, but you’ll need to understand some video editing terminology to get exactly what you want.

Conversion:

1. Go to the site and click the dropdown menu under the box titled Video Converter.
2. Select Convert to MP4 from the menu and then click the green Go button.
3. On the next page, you have three options to upload your DAT file.

   Click the grey Choose Files button, select your file, and click Open.

   Drag and drop your file directly into the green box that reads Drop Files Here.

   Click Enter URL, DropBox, or Google Drive buttons to upload your file from those sources.

4. Once your file is uploaded, there are options below to change the settings on your conversion. But if you’re ready to convert, click the large green > Start Conversion button.
5. After the file has been converted, you can upload it to a cloud location, download the file as a ZIP file, or just download it directly.

Best for: Files up to 4 GB if you have the time to wait

OS: Any

Trustpilot rating: 3.8 out of 5, 2 reviews

Finding a DAT converter for free that will convert larger file sizes can be difficult, but the Online Video Converter by 123apps does the trick. It has a very easy-to-use interface with large buttons and simple instructions. However, this software is strictly for conversions. You won’t find any other editing tools in the software.

Conversion:

1. Go to the website and click the large blue button that reads Open File.
2. Find your file and click Open. You can also open your file from a URL, DropBox, or Google Drive using the buttons to the right.
3. Once the file has uploaded, click the Video tab and select MP4 from the list of output options. If you want, you can change some of the resolution settings on the video. Once you’re ready, click the large blue Convert button at the bottom.
4. After the conversion is complete, click Download to download the file directly to your hard drive, or you can also upload it to DropBox or Google Drive.

Best for: Small conversions you want to share to social media

OS: Any

Scamadviser rating: 3.1 out of 5, 6 reviews

If you’re looking for a simple, no-frills converter for small video files to use on social media, this is the tool. With Online Converter, you can upload files up to 200 MB for free, convert, and share them directly to social media without downloading any software. It doesn’t have much in terms of tools, but you can resize and cut your videos.

Conversion:

1. First, go to the site.
2. Click the dropdown menu next to Convert, and select Video to MP4. Next, click the grey Choose File button, select your file, and click Open.
3. Note that the Choose File window defaults to video files only. You may need to click the drop-down menu next to the File Name bar and select All Files to reveal your DAT file.
4. Once the file has been uploaded, you can check the options box to cut the video clip or alter the frame size. When you’re ready click the gray Convert button.
5. After the conversion, the page will redirect and you can click the link that reads Download Now to download your file. With Online Converter, you also have the ability to automatically share your converted file to a range of social media sites for free.

Best for: Converting small videos into GIFs

OS: Any

WOT rating: 4.6 out of 5, 15 reviews

Although Ezgif is more known for converting videos into GIFs, you can also convert small video files – under 100 MB – into MP4 files very easily. In addition, the online program offers some useful tools to edit your video like crop, rotate, speed up, cut, resize, and subtitles.

The interface may seem daunting at first, but the buttons are all clearly labeled. Just upload the video and follow the instructions.

Conversion:

1. Go to the site and click the Choose File button.
2. Select the DAT file you want to convert and click Open. Then click the blue Upload Video! button at the bottom of the box.
3. After uploading, the site will redirect you to the editing interface. From here, you can edit your video using any of the buttons listed at the top. When you’re ready to convert, click the blue Convert! button below the viewer.
4. Your converted video will appear in the Output Video box below. To download the video, click the Save icon at the bottom right.