AVCHD to MPEG Converter

How to Convert AVCHD to MPEG Online

1. Upload Your AVCHD File: Drag and drop your .mts or .m2ts camcorder recording, or click "Add Files" to browse. Batch is supported — drop the whole STREAM folder from your Sony or Panasonic camcorder if you copied it intact.
2. Pick Quality Preset or Bitrate: Default is "Very High (Recommended)". Switch to Constant Bitrate (default 4 Mbps) for predictable DVD-friendly output, Variable Bitrate (target 4, min 2, max 8 Mbps) for better quality at the same average size, or Specific file size if you need a clip to fit a fixed disc budget. DVD-Video tops out at 9.8 Mbit/s for video, so staying under that keeps the file player-compatible.
3. Set Resolution and Trim (Optional): Under Video resolution, keep original to preserve 1080i/1080p, pick a preset (e.g. 720x480 for NTSC DVD authoring, 720x576 for PAL), scale by Resolution Percentage, or enter custom Width x Height. Use Trim → Time Range to cut a clip rather than re-encoding the entire camcorder file.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert", then download each MPEG (or grab them as a ZIP). 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.

Why Convert AVCHD to MPEG?

AVCHD was introduced by Sony and Panasonic in 2006 as the consumer HD camcorder format, packaging H.264 video and Dolby AC-3 audio inside an MPEG-2 transport stream with .mts (camcorder) or .m2ts (after import) extensions. It records up to 24 Mbit/s on AVCHD 1.0 and up to 28 Mbit/s on AVCHD 2.0. The trouble starts when you try to use the file outside the camera's native workflow.

Re-encoding AVCHD to MPEG (an MPEG-2 program stream with .mpg / .mpeg extension, standardized as ISO/IEC 13818 in 1996) trades H.264 efficiency for near-universal playback and authoring compatibility. Common reasons people make the trip:

• DVD authoring — DVD-Video is built on MPEG-2 Part 2 capped at 9.8 Mbit/s, with NTSC at 720x480 and PAL at 720x576. Almost every DVD authoring app expects an MPEG program stream as input, not raw .mts.
• Legacy media players and set-top boxes — older Blu-ray players, DVD recorders, and DLNA appliances often choke on AVCHD's transport-stream wrapper but happily play .mpg.
• Broadcast and editing handoff — terrestrial digital TV, cable, and satellite pipelines still standardize on MPEG-2, so MPEG is the format station traffic and certain NLE round-trips expect.
• Stable seeking and frame-accurate edits — MPEG-2 program streams are designed for random-access storage and tend to scrub more reliably in older editors than long-GOP H.264 from a camcorder.
• Archive on optical media — burning footage to DVD-R as compliant MPEG-2 gives you a playable disc you can hand to a relative without explaining codecs.
• Hardware decoders — many in-car head units, older smart TVs, and embedded devices ship with MPEG-2 silicon decoders but no H.264 high-profile support.

AVCHD vs MPEG (MPEG-2) — Format Comparison

Bitrate and Resolution Guide

If you need smaller files or modern device playback, convert AVCHD to MP4 instead — H.264 in MP4 is roughly half the size of MPEG-2 at the same visible quality. To compress without changing format, see Compress AVCHD or the general-purpose Video Compressor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my MPEG file 2-3x larger than the original AVCHD?

That is expected. AVCHD uses H.264, a codec that is roughly twice as efficient as MPEG-2 at the same perceptual quality. Re-encoding to MPEG-2 inherently inflates the file. To keep size in check, lower the bitrate (4-6 Mbit/s is fine for SD output) or pick MP4 instead of MPEG.

Should I pick MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 as the video codec?

MPEG-2 in nearly every case. MPEG-1 caps at SIF resolution (about 352x240 / 352x288) and is intended for VideoCD-class output — modern DVD players, broadcast chains, and editors all expect MPEG-2. Only choose MPEG-1 if you specifically need a .mpg for a very old appliance.

Will this output burn directly to a DVD-Video disc?

It will be MPEG-2 with the right codec, but DVD-Video has stricter rules: NTSC must be 720x480 at 29.97 fps or PAL 720x576 at 25 fps, video peak no higher than 9.8 Mbit/s, and audio in AC-3, MP2, PCM, or DTS. Set the resolution and bitrate accordingly here, then run the resulting .mpg through a DVD authoring app (DVD Flick, DVDStyler, or your editor's built-in burner) to add menus and a compliant VOB structure.

What about AVCHD's 5.1 surround audio?

AVCHD records Dolby AC-3 in stereo or 5.1. The MPEG output here defaults to MP2 stereo, which is the safer choice for legacy MPEG-2 players. If you need to keep 5.1 surround for home theater playback, MP4 with the audio codec set to AC-3 (the track is re-encoded, but the 5.1 channel layout is kept) is usually a better target than MPEG.

What is the difference between .mts and .m2ts?

Both are MPEG-2 transport streams carrying H.264 + AC-3. Camcorders write .mts directly to the SD card or internal disc; .m2ts is the same payload after the AVCHD folder structure is imported into a Blu-ray-style container on a computer. xconvert accepts both — drop either and the conversion path is identical.

Can I keep 1080p/1080i quality in the MPEG output?

Yes. Leave Video resolution on "Keep original" and bump the bitrate to 12-20 Mbit/s VBR. The result will be a 1080-line MPEG-2 file (sometimes called HD MPEG-2 or for-the-archive MPEG-2). It will not be DVD-Video compliant — DVDs are SD-only — but it will play in VLC, mpv, and any current desktop player.

Does my AVCHD folder structure (PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM) matter?

Only as a way to find the actual video files. Drop just the .mts or .m2ts files from inside BDMV/STREAM/. The surrounding folders, .cpi clip-info files, and .mpl playlist files are not needed for conversion to MPEG and will be ignored if you upload them.

What is the largest AVCHD file I can convert here?

Free uploads are limited to 400 MB per file (1 GB on Basic, 4 GB on Pro), so large 1080p camcorder clips (multiple GB) need trimming first — use Video Cutter or split the original into segments before converting.

Why output MPEG instead of MKV or MOV?

Pick MPEG when the destination expects MPEG-2 — DVD authoring apps, broadcast handoff, hardware decoders without H.264 support, and very old set-top boxes. Pick MKV for archival copies at near-original quality (the video is re-encoded at a visually-lossless preset, keeping the H.264 codec family by default) and pick MOV for handoff to Final Cut Pro or QuickTime-native workflows. MP4 is the right answer for almost everything modern.