10 KB MKV sample

An MKV file of exactly 10,240 bytes. It is a valid Matroska video file, generated by this site. Compare its checksum and test it with the parser used by your application. Use it wherever you need a 10 KB sample, test or dummy MKV file.

Download

sample-mkv-10kb.mkv

10 KB10,240 bytes

Download 10 KB MKV

Created in your browser in a few seconds, then checked against the SHA-256 checksum. The file is not uploaded anywhere. No sign-up.

Type
video/x-matroska
SHA-256
84d46cdbc4ac06a38cfa39fac066b984836c695c33c29a28c452468b34ba4025
Delivery
Created in your browser from static generator assets (how it works).

What is in this file

5 frames (0.2 s) of a synthetic test pattern with a frame counter, looping every six seconds, in one H.264 (AVC) video track. The index of key frames comes before the picture data, so a player can seek without reading the whole file. 543 bytes of an EBML Void element bring the file to the exact size.

Dimensions640 × 360 px
Duration0.2 s
Frame rate30 fps
Video codecH.264 (AVC), Main profile
AudioNo audio track
Document typematroska
Clusters1, one for each key frame
Seek indexCues element before the first cluster

First bytes of the file

The first 64 bytes of sample-mkv-10kb.mkv as a hex dump: offset, bytes, then the same bytes as text. The MKV signature is 1A 45 DF A3.

00000000  1a 45 df a3 a3 42 86 81  01 42 f7 81 01 42 f2 81 |.E...B...B...B..|
00000010  04 42 f3 81 08 42 82 88  6d 61 74 72 6f 73 6b 61 |.B...B..matroska|
00000020  42 87 81 04 42 85 81 02  18 53 80 67 01 00 00 00 |B...B....S.g....|
00000030  00 00 27 cc 11 4d 9b 74  b3 4d bb 8e 53 ab 84 15 |..'..M.t.M..S...|

Preview

MKV files cannot be shown in a browser. Download the file and open it in an application that reads MKV, such as VLC and mpv.

Where 10 KB matters

A 10,240-byte file that still arrives in the first round trip of a new connection. These are the default limits a file of this size is useful for testing:

SystemLimitNote
TCP initial congestion windowAbout 14.6 KB (10 segments)A 10 KB response fits in the first flight of packets; the 25 KB sample does not.
nginx and Apache request headers8 KB per header line by defaultData this large must go in the request body.
webpack asset modules8 KB by defaultAssets over the threshold are emitted as files instead of data URIs.

All 10 KB sample files

Use this file for

  • Checking email size handling
  • Checking transcoding and remuxing pipelines
  • Verifying type detection between MKV and WebM

Testing notes for MKV

  • A file with no Cues element still plays but cannot seek quickly. Recordings that were interrupted, and live captures, are often like this.
  • MKV and WebM share a signature. Detection has to read the document type inside the EBML header: "matroska" or "webm".

MKV format reference

Technical details

File namesample-mkv-10kb.mkv
FormatMKV (Matroska video)
Extension.mkv
MIME typevideo/x-matroska
Size10,240 bytes (10 KB)
KindBinary
Signature1A 45 DF A3
SHA-25684d46cdbc4ac06a38cfa39fac066b984836c695c33c29a28c452468b34ba4025
Created2026-10-23
ValidationSee the listed size and SHA-256. Small downloads are checked in the browser; verify streamed downloads manually. A hash match does not prove parser compatibility.
PreviewNot available for this file; details only
SourceGenerated in your browser by this site's generator; not copied from elsewhere
LicenceFree to use, modify and redistribute (terms)
CategoryVideo

Check the stated structure and checksum against your application requirements. As with any download, scan the file with your own security tools before opening it. How files are made and checked

Verify your copy

This file is created in your browser, so it has no direct URL for curl or wget. The generator is designed to produce reproducible bytes. After saving, compare the checksum with the SHA-256 value above.

sha256sum sample-mkv-10kb.mkv     # Linux
shasum -a 256 sample-mkv-10kb.mkv # macOS

On Windows, run Get-FileHash sample-mkv-10kb.mkv -Algorithm SHA256 in PowerShell. For scripts and pipelines, save the file once and keep your own copy.

Related files

Questions about this file

Is this file exactly 10 KB?
Yes. It is 10,240 bytes, which is 10 KB in the binary units that operating systems and server limits use (1 KB = 1,024 bytes).
What is inside the 10 KB MKV file?
5 frames (0.2 s) of a synthetic test pattern with a frame counter, looping every six seconds, in one H.264 (AVC) video track. The index of key frames comes before the picture data, so a player can seek without reading the whole file. 543 bytes of an EBML Void element bring the file to the exact size.
Which media type should a server send for MKV?
Most software uses video/x-matroska. RFC 9559 registered video/matroska in 2024, and an allow-list should accept both.