TS to MXF Converter

How to Convert TS to MXF Online

1. Upload Your TS File: Drag and drop, or click "+ Add Files" to select one or more .ts MPEG transport streams from your computer. Batch conversion is supported — every file inherits the same output settings.
2. Pick Codec and File Compression: The default codec for MXF output is MPEG-2 with PCM 16-bit audio — the standard pairing for SMPTE MXF interchange. Switch to H.264 if your NLE (Avid Media Composer, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro) expects long-GOP AVC inside an MXF wrapper. Under File Compression, the default Quality Preset is "Very High"; pick Constant Bitrate, Variable Bitrate, Specific file size, or Constant/Constraint Quality if you need to target a delivery spec.
3. Set Resolution and Trim (Optional): Use Video resolution with Keep original, choose a Preset Resolution (up to 1920x1080 by default), scale by Resolution Percentage, or enter a custom Width x Height. Under Trim, leave "Unchanged" or set a Time Range to lift a sub-clip — useful when only one chapter of a long DVB recording needs to ingest.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert." Files process on our servers and the resulting MXF lands in your downloads. No watermark, no sign-up, no file count cap.

Why Convert TS to MXF?

TS (MPEG Transport Stream, defined in ISO/IEC 13818-1) is the carrier format for terrestrial, satellite, and cable broadcasting (DVB, ATSC, ISDB) and for IPTV. It is built to survive packet loss on a noisy RF link — every 188-byte packet is self-contained. MXF (Material eXchange Format, SMPTE ST 377-1, first released September 2004) is the format your post-production world expects: it ships full timecode, descriptive metadata, and a stable wrapper that Avid, Sony XDCAM, Panasonic P2, and Canon XF systems all read natively. Going from TS to MXF turns a broadcast-grade delivery file into a post-grade ingest file.

• Avid Media Composer ingest — Avid bins prefer MXF/OP-Atom over loose TS. Re-wrapping your DVB or ATSC capture as MXF lets the project import without "media offline" errors and keeps timecode aligned across audio and video tracks.
• DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro round-trips — Resolve, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro all decode MXF cleanly. Feed them MPEG-2 422P@HL or H.264 in MXF and they treat the asset as a first-class clip rather than a stream that needs conforming.
• XDCAM and P2 archive parity — If your facility already standardises on Sony XDCAM HD422 (MPEG-2, 50 Mbps in MXF) or Panasonic DVCPRO HD on P2, converting an inbound TS to MXF puts the new asset on the same shelf as the rest of your library.
• Long-term broadcast archive — TS is optimised for delivery, MXF for preservation. The MXF wrapper carries production metadata via SMPTE Key-Length-Value (KLV) encoding, which is what FIAF/EBU-recommended archives capture alongside the essence.
• Captioning and timecode survival — TS can carry SCTE-20/SCTE-128 captions and PCR-based timing that desktop NLEs often strip; rewriting into MXF with a clean continuous timecode track gives the edit suite a reliable in/out reference.
• Vendor interchange between facilities — MXF was designed as a platform-agnostic interchange standard. Shipping a deliverable as MXF to a broadcaster, OTT operator, or post house is the lowest-friction handoff for AS-02 / AS-11 DPP-style specs.

TS vs MXF — Format Comparison

Codec Choice Inside the MXF Wrapper

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my MXF open in Avid Media Composer?

Generally yes if you pick the MPEG-2 default codec — Avid has shipped MPEG-2 long-GOP and IMX decoders for years and treats the result as a standard MXF clip. If you need OP-Atom specifically (Avid's internal media folder layout), you may still need an AMA link or a consolidate-to-OP-Atom pass inside Media Composer after import; our converter writes a standard OP1a-style MXF that Avid AMA-links to without issue.

Should I keep the H.264 codec from my TS or transcode to MPEG-2?

If your TS already carries H.264 (common for DVB-T2 and ATSC 3.0), keeping H.264 inside the MXF wrapper is faster and lossless because the essence is rewrapped, not re-encoded. Pick MPEG-2 only if your destination facility specifically requires it (XDCAM HD422 deliverables, older AS-11 specs). Otherwise H.264-in-MXF is the modern, smaller choice.

Why is my MXF much larger than the original TS?

A few reasons. First, TS uses MP2 or AC-3 compressed audio at 192-448 kbps; MXF defaults to PCM 16-bit at roughly 1.5 Mbps per stereo pair — that alone can add hundreds of MB per hour. Second, if you transcode to a higher-bitrate codec (e.g., MPEG-2 50 Mbps for XDCAM HD422) you will inflate the video too. To keep size near the source, leave Quality Preset on "Very High" and stay on H.264.

Can I rewrap (remux) without re-encoding to avoid quality loss?

If the codecs already inside your TS (H.264 video, AAC audio) are compatible MXF essence types, the converter rewraps the streams rather than transcoding — there is no generational loss. If the source uses a codec MXF cannot carry (rare in modern broadcast), a transcode happens automatically. Picking the default codec for your output extension generally triggers the rewrap path.

Does the converter preserve timecode from the TS PCR?

Transport streams carry timing via the Program Clock Reference (PCR) but rarely embed broadcast-grade SMPTE timecode tracks. The MXF output starts a continuous timecode track at 00:00:00:00 unless you provide a start TC in advanced options. If you need frame-accurate hand-off to a colourist, set the TC on the deliverable before sending or note the original record TC in a sidecar.

Will my Closed Captions / DVB subtitles survive the conversion?

DVB subtitles (bitmap) and SCTE-20/SCTE-128 line-21 captions from a TS source are not currently mapped into MXF caption tracks (SMPTE 436M VANC). If you need captions in MXF, export them as a sidecar SRT/STL before conversion and re-link them in your NLE timeline.

Can I convert multi-program TS files where the recording contains several channels?

The converter targets the first program in the TS by default. If your file contains multiple programs (a full DVB mux capture, for example), demultiplex it first with TSDuck or a similar tool, then upload the single-program TS that contains the program you want as MXF.

What is the maximum file size I can upload?

You can upload large broadcast captures in a single batch — common DVB-S2 or ATSC recordings up to 4-8 GB convert routinely. For very long captures (full-day off-air recordings), split into per-program or per-hour chunks first using a stream segmenter; this also speeds conversion because each chunk processes independently.

What about reverse direction or other related conversions?

For the reverse, see MXF to TS. If your source is AVCHD camcorder footage rather than a broadcast capture, MTS to MXF is a closer match. If you ultimately want a desktop-friendly format instead of MXF, try TS to MP4 or TS to MOV.