MTS to MPEG-2 Converter

MTS vs MPEG-2 — Which Should You Convert To?

Typing "MPEG-2" by name usually means you have a specific target in mind: a standard DVD, a broadcast or institutional system, or playback hardware that predates H.264. MTS is the AVCHD transport stream your Sony or Panasonic camcorder records — H.264 video at up to 1920x1080. MPEG-2 (ISO/IEC 13818, from the mid-1990s) is the older standard those legacy systems expect. The short version: if you are authoring a DVD or feeding an MPEG-2-only device, convert; if you just want footage that plays everywhere, MTS-to-MP4 keeps your quality and is the better choice.

Side-by-side Comparison

When to Pick MTS (Keep H.264)

• You want to edit or archive the footage at full HD without re-encoding into an older codec.
• Your playback target is a phone, laptop, or smart TV — H.264-in-MP4 plays there natively, so MTS to MP4 is the better conversion.
• File size matters: H.264 needs roughly half the bitrate of MPEG-2 for comparable quality.

When to Pick MPEG-2

• You are authoring a standard DVD — DVD-Video accepts MPEG-2 video only, so this conversion is required.
• You are feeding a broadcast chain, capture card, or institutional system that ingests MPEG-2 specifically.
• Your playback hardware or editing software predates H.264 and only reads MPEG-2 program streams.

How to Convert MTS to MPEG-2

1. Upload Your MTS File: Drag and drop your .MTS clip onto the page, or click "Add Files" to browse. You can queue several clips and they convert with the same settings.
2. Set the Video Codec to MPEG-2: Open the options and choose MPEG-2 under Video Codec — it is the codec DVD players and legacy MPEG-2 systems expect. MPEG-1 is available for very old targets but caps quality.
3. Set Audio Codec and Video resolution: For DVD-bound output pick AC3 under Audio Codec, and if you are authoring a DVD set Video resolution to Width x Height and type 720 x 480 (NTSC) or 720 x 576 (PAL) — the Preset Resolutions list sets height alone and lets the width follow your source's aspect ratio, so it cannot land on a DVD-legal frame.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert and download your MPEG-2 file. No sign-up, no watermark.

DVD-Video MPEG-2 Targets at a Glance

If the output is DVD-bound, these are the settings the DVD-Video spec requires — set Video resolution and Audio Codec to match before converting:

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MPEG-2 better than MTS for DVD authoring?

For a DVD it is the only option, not just the better one — DVD-Video stores video as MPEG-2, so a DVD-authoring program will not accept the H.264 inside an MTS file directly. For any non-DVD purpose, MTS (H.264) is the more efficient and more widely playable format, so "better" depends entirely on whether a DVD or MPEG-2-only system is your target.

Will I lose quality converting MTS to MPEG-2?

Some loss is unavoidable because you are re-encoding from efficient H.264 into less-efficient MPEG-2 — MPEG-2 needs roughly twice the bitrate to match the same picture. At a high enough bitrate the result can look very close to the source. If you also downscale to DVD resolution, the drop from 1080p to 720x480 or 720x576 is part of the format change, not an encoder fault.

What bitrate should MPEG-2 use for a DVD?

DVD-Video caps video at 9.8 Mbit/s and the combined audio-plus-video stream at 10.08 Mbit/s. In practice a video bitrate in the rough 4-8 Mbit/s range keeps standard-definition MPEG-2 looking clean while leaving room for audio; push higher only if a short clip needs maximum fidelity. Set Constant Bitrate or a generous Variable Bitrate under File Compression.

Can MPEG-2 carry the AC-3 audio my AVCHD file already has?

Yes. AVCHD records AC-3 (Dolby Digital), and AC-3 is allowed by the DVD-Video spec at up to 448 kbit/s, so choosing AC3 under Audio Codec keeps DVD-compatible audio. MP2 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer II) is the alternative for the broadest legacy compatibility.

What resolution does DVD-Video require?

DVD-Video is standard definition only: 720x480 at 29.97 fps for NTSC, or 720x576 at 25 fps for PAL. Type one of those frames into Width x Height before converting — the Preset Resolutions list sets height alone and lets the width follow your source's aspect ratio — otherwise DVD-authoring software will reject a full-HD or off-spec MPEG-2 file.

How is this different from converting MTS to MPG or MPEG?

They produce the same MPEG-2 video — MTS to MPG and MTS to MPEG just write the more common .mpg / .mpeg file extensions, while this page writes .mpeg2. Pick whichever extension your DVD-authoring tool or target device asks for. To go the other way, MPEG-2 to MTS converts MPEG-2 back into an AVCHD-style stream.

Is the MPEG-2 output ready to burn, or do I still need authoring software?

You still need DVD-authoring software. This converter produces a DVD-compliant MPEG-2 stream — the right codec, resolution, and bitrate — but a playable DVD is a specific disc structure: a VIDEO_TS folder with VOB, IFO, and BUP files, plus any menus and chapters. Authoring tools such as DVDStyler take a compliant MPEG-2 file and build that structure, after which a burner writes it to disc. So think of this step as preparing the correct video, not as producing a finished disc image. Setting the NTSC or PAL resolution and AC-3 audio here keeps the authoring step from having to re-encode.

What happens to my file after I convert it?

Your MTS is uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion. In our testing, a 2-minute 1080i MTS clip re-encoded to DVD-resolution MPEG-2 produced a roughly 60-90 MB file depending on the bitrate chosen. Files are never shared or made public, and there is no sign-up or watermark.