MOV to AVCHD Converter

How to Convert MOV to AVCHD Online

1. Upload Your MOV File: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select MOV recordings — iPhone clips, QuickTime exports, ProRes masters, or DSLR captures all work. Batch is supported, so drop in a folder of MOVs 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. 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.
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. Don't downscale below 720p if the disc must play on an older Sony or Panasonic camcorder. 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 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 MOV to AVCHD?

MOV is Apple's QuickTime container — the native output of iPhone, iPad, Final Cut Pro, and most prosumer cameras that ship with QuickTime support. 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 convert MOV → AVCHD:

• Re-importing edited footage into a Sony or Panasonic camcorder — Sony Handycam, FX-series, and Panasonic HC-X / AG-AC bodies only re-ingest video that matches the AVCHD spec exactly. After cutting an iPhone or Final Cut MOV master, converting to AVCHD lets you place the 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 — Sony Vegas (pre-13), Pinnacle Studio, Panasonic-bundled editors, and several legacy broadcast tools only accept native AVCHD MTS — they reject MOV outright, especially MOVs that carry ProRes or Apple Animation tracks. Converting first lets the legacy NLE see the footage as a proper AVCHD clip.
• Stripping ProRes or HEVC baggage for camcorder playback — A MOV mastered in ProRes 422 or HEVC won't decode on a 2014 Handycam. Re-encoding to AVCHD-compliant H.264 + AC-3 produces a stream that every AVCHD device handles cleanly.
• Sharing footage on TVs without a media server — Burn the BDMV folder to a USB stick, plug into a 2010-or-later Sony, Panasonic, or Sharp TV, and AVCHD plays natively. The same MOV often fails because the TV lacks ProRes or HEVC decode.
• Long-form storage that survives format obsolescence — AVCHD is a published spec from the Blu-ray Disc Association. Storing masters as MTS in BDMV folders means any computer, NAS, or future Blu-ray player will still read them, while ProRes-in-MOV requires Apple-aware software to remain useful.

MOV 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

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.

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.

My MOV uses ProRes — will it convert?

Yes. ProRes 422, ProRes 4444, and ProRes Proxy all decode on the way in and re-encode to AVCHD-compliant H.264. Expect a notable size drop because ProRes is an intra-frame mastering codec (large) and AVCHD H.264 is a heavily inter-frame delivery codec (small). Alpha-channel content from ProRes 4444 is flattened — AVCHD has no alpha support.

What if my MOV is 4K — can I keep the resolution?

No. AVCHD caps at 1080p (1920×1080 progressive, 1440×1080 interlaced). The converter downscales 4K MOV sources to 1080p when AVCHD is selected. If you need to keep 4K, output to MP4 or MKV instead.

Will my iPhone HEVC MOV convert correctly?

Yes. iPhone recordings (HEVC inside a MOV wrapper) decode on input and re-encode to AVCHD's required H.264. The audio track is re-encoded from AAC to AC-3. Dolby Atmos / spatial audio metadata is dropped — AVCHD targets stereo or 5.1 AC-3 only.

Why is the converted MTS file larger than the original MOV?

If your MOV used HEVC (the iPhone default since iOS 11), AVCHD's mandatory H.264 re-encode is roughly 30-50% less efficient — same visible quality, larger file. Drop the CRF to 25-28 or pick the Low quality preset to claw the size back. Conversely, ProRes MOVs shrink dramatically — a 90-minute ProRes 422 MOV typically lands at 6-10 GB in AVCHD at default settings.

Will my audio tracks transfer?

Only the primary audio track converts (re-encoded to AC-3). MOVs carrying multiple language tracks or commentary tracks see only the first stream survive — AVCHD consumer devices expect a single primary audio stream. If you need every track preserved, keep the source MOV or convert to 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.