AVCHD Converter

How to Convert AVCHD to Any Format

1. Upload Your AVCHD File: Drag and drop the .mts or .m2ts clip from your camcorder's AVCHD folder, or click "Add Files". Batch is supported — drop in several clips and each one converts in parallel.
2. Pick an Output Format and Quality Preset: Open the Video File Extension dropdown and choose your target — MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI, MP3, and 25+ more. Leave the Quality Preset on "Very High (Recommended)", or switch to Specific file size to cap output at an exact MB target, Constant Bitrate for predictable streaming sizes, Variable Bitrate for smaller files at equal quality, or Constant Quality (CRF) to tune by perceptual quality.
3. Resize, Trim, or Change Codec (Optional): Under Video resolution keep original or pick a preset (1080p, 720p, 480p…) or a custom Width × Height with aspect locked. Under Trim, switch to Time Range and enter start + duration. Advanced users can override the Video Codec (H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, MPEG-4) and Audio Codec.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared.

Popular AVCHD Conversions

• AVCHD to MP4 — the universal target for editing, playback, and sharing
• AVCHD to MOV — for Final Cut Pro and Apple-device workflows
• AVCHD to MKV — multi-track container for archiving with subtitles
• AVCHD to WebM — smaller, royalty-free files for the open web
• AVCHD to AVI — legacy Windows editors and players
• AVCHD to MP3 — pull the soundtrack out as an audio file

Why Convert an AVCHD File?

AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) is the HD camcorder recording format that Sony and Panasonic jointly introduced in 2006. It is not a single file — it is H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video paired with Dolby AC-3 (Dolby Digital) or uncompressed linear PCM audio, wrapped in an MPEG-2 transport stream. On the camera that stream lands as a .mts file (or .m2ts once imported with software like PlayMemories Home), buried inside a Blu-ray-derived BDMV folder with a STREAM subdirectory and playlist files that stitch the clips together.

That folder structure is exactly why people convert. The video itself is high quality, but the AVCHD container and its directory layout confuse a lot of consumer software:

• Editing and playback compatibility — Many editors, phones, web players, and smart TVs won't open a raw .mts/.m2ts cleanly. Converting to MP4 re-encodes the H.264 video (keeping the same codec family by default, at a visually-lossless preset) into a container almost everything reads natively, which is by far the most common AVCHD conversion.
• Apple workflows — Final Cut Pro and iMovie prefer the MOV container; converting AVCHD to MOV makes clips import without the "incompatible media" prompt.
• Smaller files for the web or sharing — AVCHD records at a high bitrate (typically up to ~24 Mbit/s, and up to 28 Mbit/s for AVCHD 2.0 Progressive), so a few minutes of footage is large. Re-encoding to a WebM or a tightly-encoded MP4 cuts size sharply for upload or embedding.
• Archiving with subtitles or multiple audio tracks — MKV carries multiple tracks in one file, which suits long-term storage of edited footage.
• Audio only — Lectures, interviews, and concert clips often only need the sound, so converting AVCHD to MP3 drops the video entirely.

Which Format Should You Convert AVCHD To?

The best target depends on where the footage is headed next. AVCHD's video is already H.264, and MP4, MOV, and MKV all carry H.264 natively — the conversion re-encodes the video rather than stream-copying it, but it keeps the same codec family by default at a visually-lossless preset, so quality holds up for practical purposes. Here is how the common targets compare:

When in doubt, MP4 is the safe default: it re-encodes the existing H.264 at a visually-lossless preset and plays on essentially everything made in the last 15 years.

AVCHD Format at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

What format should I convert AVCHD to for editing and playback?

MP4 in almost every case. AVCHD already holds H.264 video, and MP4 is the container that the widest range of editors, phones, browsers, smart TVs, and consoles read natively, so converting AVCHD to MP4 gives you a file that "just opens" while keeping the same H.264 codec family by default. If you specifically edit in Final Cut Pro or iMovie, convert AVCHD to MOV instead — Apple's editors prefer the MOV wrapper. Choose MKV only when you need to keep multiple audio or subtitle tracks for archiving.

Is MTS the same as M2TS, and are they both AVCHD?

Yes — .mts and .m2ts are the same AVCHD format with the same H.264 + AC-3 streams inside an MPEG-2 transport stream; the only real difference is naming and how the file got onto your computer. A camcorder writes .mts directly to its memory card, while importing through manufacturer software (or storing on a Blu-ray) typically produces .m2ts. There is no quality difference between them, and this converter accepts files from the AVCHD folder either way.

Why is one long AVCHD recording split into several files?

AVCHD camcorders record to SD cards formatted as FAT32, and FAT32 caps any single file at 4 GB. To record past that limit, the camera "spans" a long take across several sequential .mts clips, typically breaking every 10 to 30 minutes at AVCHD's usual 17–28 Mbit/s bitrates. Each segment is a complete, playable clip, so you can drop the whole set in at once and convert them in one batch — each file converts in parallel. To rejoin the pieces into one continuous video, either import the original AVCHD folder into an editor that reads the spanned structure (most non-linear editors stitch the segments back together automatically), or convert each clip to MP4 first — the default preset keeps the picture visually identical — and join the MP4s in your editor. Cameras that let you format the card as exFAT avoid the 4 GB split on future recordings.

Will converting AVCHD to MP4 lose quality?

Not visibly at default settings, but the video is always re-encoded — there is no stream-copy remux mode. AVCHD's video is H.264, and so is the default for an MP4 output, so the codec family stays the same and the default "Very High" preset encodes at the visually-lossless tier, making the output hard to distinguish from the source. If you downscale the resolution, lower the bitrate, or switch to a different codec (say H.265 or VP9), you trade some further quality loss for a smaller file. Keeping the Quality Preset on "Very High" and the original resolution keeps the re-encode visually indistinguishable in normal viewing.

What audio does AVCHD use, and what happens to it when I convert?

AVCHD uses Dolby AC-3 (Dolby Digital) or, less commonly, uncompressed linear PCM. When you convert to MP4 or MOV, the audio is re-encoded to AAC by default, which keeps broad compatibility; when you convert to MP3 it is decoded and re-encoded as MP3. If you need to preserve surround channels, pick an output and codec that supports AC-3 so the multichannel track survives — re-encoding to a stereo AAC track will fold surround down to two channels.

How do I shrink an AVCHD clip to share it online?

AVCHD records at a high bitrate, so a short clip is large. The most direct route is to convert to MP4 and switch the Quality Preset to Specific file size, entering your target in MB — useful for hitting an attachment cap such as Discord's 10 MB free tier (50 MB on Nitro Basic, 500 MB on Nitro) or Gmail's 25 MB limit. For more headroom at the same size, combine downscaling (1080p → 720p) with the H.265 codec. If you only need to shrink without changing the container, the dedicated Video Compressor is the most direct tool; to cut footage down first, use the Video Cutter.

Can I just extract the audio from an AVCHD recording?

Yes. Choose MP3 as the output format and the converter drops the video track and re-encodes only the audio — handy for pulling the sound out of a lecture, interview, or concert clip. The dedicated AVCHD to MP3 page walks through the audio-extraction settings, including bitrate selection.

Are my uploaded camcorder files kept private?

Yes. Files are uploaded over an encrypted (TLS) connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. There is no sign-up, no watermark on the output, and your footage is never shared or made public. In our testing, a 60-second 1080p AVCHD clip recorded at roughly 24 Mbit/s converts to a default "Very High" MP4 in well under a minute, with upload time — not processing — being the main wait on large multi-gigabyte files.