CAVS to MPG Converter

CAVS to MPG Converter

A .cavs file is a raw Chinese AVS video stream — the elementary video output of the AVS1 codec (GB/T 20090.2-2006) used in China's broadcast and DVD-player ecosystem. It carries no audio and almost nothing outside China decodes it. This converter re-encodes the AVS1 video into an MPG (MPEG program stream) — MPEG-2 video by default — so the footage plays in ordinary media players, editors, and hardware disc players worldwide.

CAVS Format at a Glance

MPG Format at a Glance

How to Convert CAVS to MPG

1. Upload Your CAVS File: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to add your .cavs clips. Batch is supported — drop in several files and each converts independently.
2. Pick Quality Preset or Bitrate Mode: The default is the "Very High (Recommended)" Quality Preset, which targets near-DVD MPEG-2 output. Switch to Specific file size to cap the result at a fixed MB target, Constant Bitrate for predictable sizing in authoring tools, or Variable Bitrate for smaller files at the same perceived quality.
3. Resize or Trim if Needed (Optional): Under Video resolution keep original, choose a Preset Resolution, scale by Resolution Percentage, or enter a custom Width × Height. Use Trim with a Time Range to cut a segment before encoding.
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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my converted MPG have no sound?

Because a raw .cavs file is a video-only elementary stream — the AVS1-P2 (JiZhun profile) codec defines video coding only, with no audio track inside the .cavs itself. There is nothing for the converter to carry across, so the resulting MPG is silent. This is expected, not a fault. If your original recording had sound, it lives in a separate file or in a different container (an .avs/program-stream wrapper rather than a bare .cavs); convert that wrapped file instead, or add the audio track back in an editor after conversion.

Does CAVS to MPG lose quality?

Yes — it is a lossy-to-lossy re-encode. The AVS1 video is fully decoded and re-encoded into MPEG-2 (or MPEG-1 if you select it); there is no lossless remux path between these codecs. You cannot recover detail the original AVS1 encode already discarded. To keep the loss minimal, leave the Quality Preset on "Very High (Recommended)" or pick a high Constant Quality setting, and avoid repeated round-trip conversions.

Is the CAVS standard still maintained?

AVS1 (GB/T 20090.2-2006) is the original generation and is effectively legacy. China's AVS Workgroup moved on to AVS+ (2012), then AVS2, and now AVS3 for 4K/8K broadcast. AVS1 footage still exists in older Chinese broadcast archives and DVD-era set-top recordings, which is the main reason to convert it to a widely supported format like MPG before the source tooling disappears.

Which version of MPG does this output?

By default, an MPEG-2 program stream multiplexing MPEG-2 Part 2 (H.262) video with an MP2 audio track placeholder. MPEG-2 is the right pick for almost every use — it plays everywhere and feeds DVD/VCD authoring tools. Choose MPEG-1 only when you specifically need VCD-era compatibility. The .mpg and .mpeg extensions are interchangeable; if you want the variant named explicitly, CAVS to MPEG is a separate endpoint producing the same program-stream family.

Will my MPG play on a DVD player?

The MPG file is the source, not a finished disc. For a hardware DVD-Video player the stream must be MPEG-2 at 720×480 (NTSC) or 720×576 (PAL), at or below 9.8 Mbit/s video bitrate, then authored into a VIDEO_TS structure and burned. XConvert produces a compliant MPEG-2 .mpg; run it through a free authoring tool such as DVDStyler to add menus and burn. For a newer disc-free player, copying the .mpg to a USB stick usually plays directly.

What's a better target than MPG for everyday use?

MPG is best when you need legacy hardware or DVD-authoring compatibility. For phones, browsers, and modern editors, an H.264 MP4 is far smaller at the same quality — use CAVS to MP4 to go straight from the source, or MPG to MP4 if you already have the MPG. In our testing, a short standard-definition AVS1 clip re-encoded to MPEG-2 at the default Very High preset produced an .mpg somewhat larger than an equivalent MP4, since MPEG-2 is far less efficient than H.264.

What's the practical file size limit?

There's no fixed file-count cap, and conversion runs on our servers rather than your machine, so the real constraint is upload size and connection speed — a large .cavs simply takes longer to upload before encoding starts. You can queue multiple files in one batch and download them individually or as a single ZIP. To shrink a finished MPG afterward, use Compress MPG. Files are removed from our servers automatically after a few hours.