Video to TS Converter

How to Convert Video to TS Online

1. Upload Your Video File: Drag and drop, or click "+ Add Files" to pick MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM, FLV, WMV, AVCHD, MPEG-2, M2TS or any of the 35+ accepted video formats. Batch is supported — queue several clips and convert them in one pass.
2. Pick Video Codec and Quality Preset: The default H.264 (AVC) is the safest choice for HLS, IPTV, and broadcast pipelines; switch to H.265 (HEVC) when your downstream player supports it and you want roughly half the bitrate at the same quality. Use the Quality Preset dropdown (Lowest / Low / Medium / High / Very High) for one-click control, or open File Compression to dial in Constant Bitrate, Variable Bitrate, Constant Quality (CRF), Specific file size, or an exact target size in MB.
3. Resize, Trim, or Set Resolution (Optional): Keep the source resolution, pick a Preset Resolution (240p / 360p / 480p / 576p / 720p / 1080p / 1440p / 2160p / 4320p), scale by Resolution Percentage, or enter a custom Width x Height. Trim with a start time plus duration in HH:MM:SS.mmm — useful for cutting a single ad-segment-friendly chunk.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files process on our servers without watermarks, account sign-up, or hidden caps. Output is a standards-compliant MPEG-TS file ready for HLS packaging, broadcast ingest, or direct playback.

Why Convert Video to TS?

TS (MPEG Transport Stream) is the container defined by ISO/IEC 13818-1, first published in 1995 and most recently revised in 2022. It packages audio, video, and metadata into 188-byte packets — a size chosen for compatibility with the ATM telecom networks of the 1990s — and is the backbone of DVB, ATSC, and ISDB digital broadcast worldwide. Unlike MP4, which stores its index ("moov atom") in one block, TS is designed to be tuned into at any point, which is why it remains the default segment format for HLS streaming and IPTV.

• HLS streaming origin masters — Apple's HTTP Live Streaming traditionally chunks video into 2–10 second .ts segments listed in an .m3u8 playlist. Converting your master to TS first makes downstream packaging with FFmpeg, Bento4, or Shaka Packager a one-pass operation.
• IPTV and set-top box delivery — Carrier-grade STBs and middleware (Minerva, Verimatrix, MediaKind) ingest MPEG-TS over UDP multicast or RTP. MP4 is rarely accepted upstream.
• Broadcast ingest (DVB / ATSC / ISDB) — Master Control playout systems and ad insertion (SCTE-35) workflows are built around TS. If your studio's traffic department asked for "transport stream," this is the file they mean.
• Camcorder and Blu-ray archival — AVCHD camcorders and Blu-ray discs already use the M2TS variant of MPEG-TS. Converting a finished edit back to .ts keeps you in the same family and avoids a re-mux later.
• Stream resilience over lossy networks — The TS packet header includes a continuity counter and PCR (Program Clock Reference) so a receiver can resync after dropped packets. That's why satellite and terrestrial broadcasters never moved to MP4.
• Concatenation without a remux — TS files can be joined byte-for-byte (cat a.ts b.ts > combined.ts) when they share the same codec and PIDs. That's far simpler than fixing an MP4 moov atom after a split.

TS vs MP4 — Format Comparison

Video Codec Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the .ts file I produce play in VLC and other media players?

Yes. VLC, MPC-HC, PotPlayer, and mpv all play MPEG-TS natively. If you need playback in browsers or Premiere Pro, remux to MP4 instead — most desktop editing software prefers MP4's moov atom for fast seeking. See TS to MP4 for the reverse direction.

Should I pick H.264 or H.265 for my TS output?

Pick H.264 unless you know the entire downstream chain handles HEVC. HLS has supported HEVC in fMP4 segments since iOS 11 (2017), but classic .ts segments with HEVC are still inconsistently handled by older STBs and CDN packagers. H.264 is the universal default for transport stream.

What bitrate should I target for 1080p TS?

For H.264 1080p30: 4–6 Mbps is a typical streaming ladder rung; broadcast masters usually run 8–15 Mbps. For H.265 at the same resolution: 2–4 Mbps streaming, 5–8 Mbps mastering. Use Constant Quality (CRF) 20–23 for H.264 or 23–26 for H.265 if you want quality-locked instead of size-locked output.

Why is TS still used when MP4 is more popular?

Because TS was designed for unreliable transmission. Each 188-byte packet carries a continuity counter, and the stream sends a PCR (Program Clock Reference) several times per second so a receiver that tunes in late or recovers from a dropped packet can re-lock the clock. MP4 has no such mechanism — it assumes the whole file arrives intact and in order, which is fine for downloads but not for live broadcast.

Can I use this TS file as an HLS segment directly?

The output is a valid MPEG-TS file, but for HLS you still need to slice it into 2–10 second segments and generate an .m3u8 playlist (typically with ffmpeg -hls_time 6 -hls_playlist_type vod). The conversion here gives you the codec-compliant master; an HLS packager handles segmentation and playlist generation.

Will subtitles and multiple audio tracks survive the conversion?

Closed captions embedded as EIA-608/708 in the source video are preserved when re-encoded into the TS output. Multiple audio tracks are kept — TS is one of the few containers designed for simultaneous program streams. If you need a specific audio codec (AC-3 for ATSC, AAC for HLS), choose it under the Audio Codec dropdown in Advanced Options.

What's the difference between .ts, .m2ts, and .mts?

All three are MPEG Transport Stream containers. Plain .ts is the broadcast/HLS variant. .m2ts is the Blu-ray Disc Audio-Visual format that adds a 4-byte timestamp prefix to each 188-byte packet (so packets are 192 bytes on disk). .mts is the AVCHD camcorder version of .m2ts. For HLS or IPTV pipelines, you want plain .ts — that's what this converter outputs. To go the other way, see M2TS to MP4 or MTS to MP4.

Is there a file size limit?

Anonymous users can convert files up to the standard xconvert size cap shown on the upload page. Larger files are supported with a free account. Conversion runs on our servers — your browser only handles the upload and download, so a slow CPU doesn't slow the encode.

Does the converter add a watermark or sign-up wall?

No. Output is a clean MPEG-TS file with no overlay, no audio bumper, and no account required. The encoder writes only the codec data plus standard TS metadata (PAT, PMT, PCR) — nothing else.