MTS Compressor

Compress MTS Online — Free, No Watermark

Upload your .mts or .m2ts AVCHD camcorder clip, pick a target size or CRF, optionally switch to H.265 or a lower resolution, then click Convert. Files compress on our servers and download in seconds — free, no sign-up, no watermark. Originals auto-delete after a few hours.

Real result: the median video drops ~45%. High-bitrate AVCHD .mts files shrink a lot when re-encoded at a lower bitrate or to H.265, and the output plays far more widely than raw MTS.

How to Compress MTS Files Online

1. Upload Your MTS File: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select MTS or M2TS files. AVCHD camcorder recordings from Sony, Panasonic, Canon, JVC, and Samsung all work. Batch is supported — drop in an entire SD card export.
2. Pick a Compression Mode: Choose a quality preset (Highest → Lowest), target a percentage of the original size (e.g., 50%), set an exact target file size in MB / GB, or fine-tune with CRF (18 = visually lossless, 23 = default, 28 = small but acceptable).
3. Pick Codec and Resolution (Optional): Default keeps H.264 inside MTS for camcorder workflow compatibility. Switch to H.265 / HEVC for ~40% smaller files. Drop resolution to 720p / 480p for further savings — useful for tablet preview or web upload.
4. Compress and Download: Click Compress. Files process on our servers and download individually or as a ZIP — no sign-up, no watermark.

Why Compress MTS Files?

MTS (and the longer-form M2TS) is the AVCHD camcorder format — used by Sony Handycam, Panasonic Lumix, Canon Vixia, JVC Everio, and most consumer / prosumer camcorders since around 2006. It stores H.264 video in an MPEG-2 transport stream. AVCHD is a 1080p format (24 Mbit/s for AVCHD 1.0; 28 Mbit/s for AVCHD 2.0). Some Sony and Panasonic cameras also write 4K footage to .mts files using non-AVCHD formats such as XAVC S, at 50-100 Mbps. A 1-hour 1080p AVCHD recording is typically 8-15 GB. Common reasons to compress MTS:

• Recovering hard drive space from old camcorder footage — Family vacation archives from 2010-2020 can take terabytes. H.265 re-encoding with CRF 22 typically drops file size 50-70% with minimal visible loss at typical viewing distances.
• Uploading to YouTube / Vimeo / Dropbox — Camcorder MTS often blows past upload size limits. Compressing to a 1-2 GB H.264 / MP4 makes uploads practical.
• Editing on phones / tablets — A 12 GB camcorder MTS is impractical on an iPad. Compressing to a 1-1.5 GB version makes mobile editing in LumaFusion or CapCut viable.
• Sharing with family — Sending raw MTS to grandparents over WhatsApp or email is a non-starter. Compressing to 200-500 MB makes sharing realistic.
• Archival on slower / cheaper storage — Move active edits to fast SSD; archive compressed copies to slower HDDs or cloud storage.
• Preparing for editing software — Some older versions of iMovie, Movie Maker, and Premiere Elements struggle with raw AVCHD bitrates. Pre-compressing eases editing performance.

MTS / AVCHD vs Other Camcorder Formats

Compression Mode Quick Guide

CRF Reference for Camcorder Footage

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I reduce MTS file size?

Re-encode the high-bitrate AVCHD stream at a lower bitrate or CRF, or switch the codec to H.265 (HEVC). Drop the resolution if 1080p isn't needed, and trim unused footage. All of this runs on our servers — and the smaller output also plays on far more devices than raw MTS.

How much can I shrink an MTS / AVCHD file?

Typical reductions: 30-50% at default-quality presets while keeping H.264, 60-75% when switching codec from H.264 → H.265 (HEVC), 80%+ when also dropping from 4K to 1080p. Camcorder footage compresses well because it's recorded at conservative high bitrates designed for editing — re-encoding at CRF 22 H.265 produces visually identical files at a fraction of the size.

Should I compress to MTS or convert to MP4?

Compress to MTS if your editing software (Sony Catalyst, Panasonic HD Writer, certain pro NLE setups) requires the AVCHD container. Convert to MP4 for universal compatibility — phones, smart TVs, web upload, social media. See MTS to MP4 for the conversion path. MP4 with H.265 typically produces the smallest files at the best compatibility.

Will my camcorder play the compressed MTS back?

Probably not for direct camera playback — most camcorders only play files in their original recording bitrate / structure. The compressed MTS plays in VLC, Windows Media Player, QuickTime (with Pro), and any modern video editor. If camera playback matters, keep the original MTS as master and only compress copies.

Will multi-track audio survive (5.1 surround from camcorder)?

Yes when output stays MTS — AVCHD supports Dolby Digital surround. If you switch to MP4 output, surround audio may downmix to stereo depending on the codec choice. Keep MTS output to preserve full surround tracks.

Will scene markers / chapter markers from the camcorder survive?

Yes for MTS-to-MTS compression — chapter markers in the AVCHD structure are preserved. They may not survive a format conversion to MP4 / MKV.

Can I batch compress an entire vacation's worth of MTS files?

Yes — drop in dozens of files at once. They process in parallel withon our servers and download individually or as a single ZIP. Useful for converting a multi-day camcorder export into a manageable archive.

Why are camcorder MTS files so large?

Camcorders record at high bitrates (17-28 Mbps for 1080p AVCHD) to give editors maximum quality headroom for color grading, slow-motion stabilization, and cropping. The "consumer" tier is already much higher quality than streaming-grade footage. After editing, it's standard practice to re-encode to a smaller format for distribution.

Can I trim during compression to get a smaller file?

Yes — use the trim section to extract just the segment you want. Cutting is more effective than tweaking quality for shrinking file size. A 90-minute camcorder recording trimmed to 30 minutes of usable footage is 67% smaller before any quality changes.