HEVC to AVCHD Converter

How to Convert HEVC to AVCHD Online

1. Upload Your HEVC File: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select HEVC sources — iPhone recordings (the iOS 11+ default), Android "High Efficiency" captures, GoPro HERO 7+ clips, drone footage, or pre-encoded H.265 masters all work. Batch is supported, so drop in a folder of HEVC files at once.
2. Pick a Quality Preset or CRF: AVCHD locks the video codec to H.264 (the only codec the spec allows) and the audio to AC-3 by default. Choose a Quality Preset (Highest → Lowest), target a percentage of the original size, set an exact file size in MB, or fine-tune with CRF (18 = visually lossless, 23 = default for camcorder playback, 28 = smaller MTS for archival). For Blu-ray-style disc authoring, Highest or CRF 18-20 keeps headroom for a clean master because HEVC → H.264 always loses some efficiency.
3. Set Resolution and Trim (Optional): AVCHD is an HD-only spec — pick a resolution preset (1920×1080, 1280×720, or 1440×1080) or scale by percentage. 4K HEVC sources must downscale to 1080p; AVCHD has no 4K mode. Use the trim section to enter a start time and duration in HH:MM:SS.sss to cut to just the segment you want on disc.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files process in your browser session — no sign-up, no watermark — and download as MTS / M2TS streams ready to drop into the AVCHD BDMV/STREAM/ folder structure.

Why Convert HEVC to AVCHD?

HEVC (H.265) is the modern high-efficiency codec used by every iPhone since the iPhone 7 (iOS 11, 2017), most Android flagships, GoPro HERO 7 and later, and DJI drones — it delivers the same visible quality as H.264 at roughly half the bitrate. AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) is the consumer HD camcorder spec developed by Sony and Panasonic in 2006: H.264 video plus AC-3 audio inside an MPEG-2 Transport Stream (.mts / .m2ts), arranged in a strict BDMV/ directory structure. The most common reasons to re-encode HEVC down to AVCHD:

• Re-importing edited footage into a Sony or Panasonic camcorder — Sony Handycam, FX-series, and Panasonic HC-X / AG-AC bodies will not ingest HEVC. They only re-accept video that matches the AVCHD spec exactly. Converting to AVCHD lets you place an edit back on the camcorder's SD card under PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM/ for tape-style archival.
• Authoring AVCHD discs that play on any Blu-ray player or PS4 / PS5 — Drop the resulting MTS into BDMV/STREAM/ on a regular DVD-R or BD-R and standalone Blu-ray players from 2008 onward, plus PS4 and PS5, will play the disc like a real Blu-ray. No Blu-ray burner required when the runtime fits a DVD.
• Feeding older AVCHD-only NLEs that reject H.265 — Sony Vegas (pre-13), Pinnacle Studio, and Panasonic-bundled editors only accept native AVCHD MTS and have no HEVC decoder. Converting first lets the legacy NLE see the footage as a proper AVCHD clip.
• Playing iPhone HEVC on older Smart TVs and Blu-ray players — A 2012-era Sony Bravia or Panasonic Viera can't decode HEVC, but it plays AVCHD natively from a USB stick. Converting iPhone footage to AVCHD makes it play on every TV in the house without a media server.
• Archiving to a published, royalty-paid spec — AVCHD is a stable Blu-ray Disc Association standard. HEVC playback in 20 years still depends on an HEVC-licensed decoder; AVCHD MTS in BDMV/ will read on any computer or Blu-ray-aware device for the foreseeable future.
• Producing input for AVCHD-only disc-authoring apps — multiAVCHD, tsMuxeR, and ImgBurn's AVCHD template only accept compliant H.264 + AC-3 streams. Re-encoding HEVC up-front avoids the "codec rejected" dialog these tools throw at H.265 input.

If you want to keep HEVC's efficiency and only change the wrapper, convert to HEVC MP4 or HEVC MKV instead — those keep the H.265 stream intact.

HEVC vs AVCHD — Format Comparison

Quality Preset / CRF Quick Guide

Note: AVCHD spec caps peak video bitrate at 24 Mbps for AVCHD 1.0 and 28 Mbps for AVCHD 2.0 (Progressive). If a downstream device rejects the file, drop the bitrate below 24 Mbps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the converted MTS larger than the original HEVC?

Because H.264 is roughly 30-50% less efficient than HEVC at the same visible quality. AVCHD locks output to H.264 — there is no way to keep the H.265 stream and stay AVCHD-compliant. A 4 GB iPhone HEVC clip typically lands at 6-8 GB after conversion. Drop the CRF to 25-28 or pick the Low quality preset to claw the size back, or output to HEVC MP4 if you don't need AVCHD compatibility.

What's the difference between AVCHD, MTS, and M2TS?

They're closely related. MTS is the raw filename extension AVCHD camcorders write directly to SD card. M2TS is the same content used inside the AVCHD BDMV/STREAM/ folder structure on a disc. AVCHD is the overall spec — the folder structure plus the stream format. Our converter outputs the stream that both extensions wrap; pick the .mts or .m2ts variant if you need a specific extension, or stick with AVCHD for the folder-ready file.

My HEVC file is 4K — can I keep the resolution?

No. AVCHD caps at 1080p (1920×1080 progressive, 1440×1080 interlaced). The converter downscales 4K HEVC sources to 1080p when AVCHD is selected. If you need to keep 4K, output to HEVC MP4 or MKV — both handle 4K without re-encoding.

Will the file work on my Sony or Panasonic camcorder?

If the camcorder supports AVCHD ingest (most Sony Handycam, HDR-CX/PJ, FX, and Panasonic HC-V / HC-X models do), yes — copy the converted MTS file into the PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM/ folder on the SD card and the camcorder will see it. Older bodies may also need the index files refreshed; some manufacturer utilities rebuild that automatically.

Can I burn the converted file to DVD and play it on a Blu-ray player?

Yes — that's one of AVCHD's main use cases. Place the MTS file inside BDMV/STREAM/ on a regular DVD-R, add the standard BDMV/ index files (most disc-burning apps add these automatically when you select "AVCHD disc"), and any Blu-ray player from 2008 onward, plus PS4 and PS5, will play it as a Blu-ray-style disc — no Blu-ray burner needed.

What happens to 10-bit HEVC and HDR metadata?

AVCHD is an 8-bit, SDR-only format — the spec predates HDR by a decade. 10-bit HEVC sources are tone-mapped to 8-bit on the way out, and HDR10 / Dolby Vision metadata is stripped. The image will look correct on SDR displays but you lose the HDR grade. To preserve HDR, output to HEVC MP4 or MKV instead.

Will iPhone audio and Live Photo metadata transfer?

The audio re-encodes from AAC to AC-3 (AVCHD's default). The image track converts cleanly. Live Photo motion is dropped — Live Photos are a separate HEIC + MOV pair, and AVCHD has no equivalent format. Spatial / Dolby Atmos audio metadata from iPhone 15 Pro and newer is also flattened to stereo or 5.1 AC-3, since AVCHD only supports those audio configurations.

Why does AVCHD lock me to H.264?

The AVCHD spec is a strict subset of Blu-ray, written in 2006 when H.264 was the only HD codec consumer hardware decoders supported. Adding H.265 or AV1 would break compatibility with every AVCHD camcorder, Blu-ray player, and PS4 ever made. If you need H.265 inside a more flexible container, output to HEVC MKV or HEVC MP4 instead.

Does the file include the BDMV folder structure I need for a disc?

The converter outputs the stream file (the .mts content). The surrounding BDMV/INDEX.BDM, BDMV/MOVIEOBJ.BDM, and BDMV/PLAYLIST/00000.MPL index files are generated by your disc-authoring app (multiAVCHD, tsMuxeR, ImgBurn with AVCHD template, or built-in tools in Vegas / EDIUS). Drop the converted .mts into the authoring app's input list and it builds the folder structure for you.