XCF to AVCHD Converter

How to Convert XCF to AVCHD Online

1. Upload Your XCF Files: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select one or more GIMP .xcf documents. Layered XCFs are flattened during conversion — keep your master .xcf for re-editing. Batch upload is supported, and files are processed in your browser session.
2. Pick Merge Strategy and Image Duration: Choose Merge images to combine every XCF into one AVCHD slideshow, or Video per image to emit a separate .mts per file. Set Image Duration (default 5 seconds per frame) anywhere from 1/60 second to 10 seconds, and pick a Background Color (default black) for letterboxed images that don't fill the frame.
3. Set Resolution and Quality Preset (Optional): Pick a Fixed Resolution preset — 1920×1080 (1080p) is the AVCHD sweet spot, with 1280×720 and 720×480 also spec-compliant. Set Quality Preset to Very High (recommended for camcorder import), High, Medium, Low, or Lowest, or switch to a target file size in MB.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. xconvert encodes H.264 video plus AC-3 audio inside an AVCHD-compliant .mts wrapper. No sign-up, no watermark, no file count cap.

Why Convert XCF to AVCHD?

XCF is GIMP's native format, the only file type that preserves every layer, channel, path, selection, and guide intact (Wikipedia). AVCHD is the camcorder-and-Blu-ray spec that Sony and Panasonic introduced in 2006 — H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video plus Dolby AC-3 audio wrapped in .mts or .m2ts streams (Wikipedia). Converting XCF straight to AVCHD lets you bake GIMP-composited stills — title cards, storyboard frames, photo edits, mockups — into a video stream that drops onto an AVCHD camcorder's SD card or burns to Blu-ray without re-encoding.

• Blu-ray slideshow authoring — AVCHD streams can be burned to standard DVD-R or BD-R media and played back on most Blu-ray Disc players and the PlayStation 3 without transcoding, making it the path of least resistance for living-room playback.
• Camcorder timeline inserts — Sony, Panasonic, Canon, JVC, Hitachi, and Leica camcorders all expect AVCHD source files; dropping a .mts slideshow alongside camera footage means your NLE treats both clips identically.
• HD photo montages — Encode GIMP-edited stills at 1920×1080 with a 5-second hold per frame to build a wedding, family, or portfolio montage that ships as a single HD video file.
• Pre-edit storyboards — Convert XCF storyboard panels into a 24p AVCHD reel so directors and DPs can scrub through pre-vis on the same monitors they use for dailies.
• Layered compositions for video — XCF preserves transparency and blend modes that JPG/PNG flatten away; converting straight to video lets you compose the artwork in GIMP and skip a manual flatten-and-export round trip.
• Archive-ready masters — AVCHD's 24 Mbit/s ceiling (28 Mbit/s on version 2.0) keeps slideshows visually crisp at a fraction of an uncompressed master's size.

XCF vs AVCHD — Format Comparison

AVCHD Quality Preset Guide

Cross-reference: if you need pure video output, Convert XCF to MP4 gives broader player support; for flat image export use XCF to JPG or XCF to PNG; to re-wrap finished AVCHD as MP4 later, see AVCHD to MP4; to shrink an existing .mts, use Compress AVCHD.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my GIMP layers survive the conversion?

No — AVCHD is a video format, so layers, channels, paths, guides, and selections are flattened into rendered frames during encode. Each frame is a composite of whatever's currently visible in your XCF (respecting layer visibility, opacity, and blend modes). Keep the original .xcf on disk if you might re-edit; xconvert never modifies your upload.

What resolution should I pick for AVCHD-compliant output?

AVCHD officially supports 1920×1080 (1080i/1080p), 1440×1080, 1280×720, 720×480, and 720×576. 1920×1080 at 24p is the safest choice for Blu-ray and modern camcorder import. If your XCF is a different aspect ratio (square portrait, ultrawide poster, etc.), the Background Color option fills the letterbox so the encode stays at a spec-compliant frame size.

How long is each image shown in the slideshow?

By default 5 seconds per frame. The Image Duration dropdown ranges from 1/60 second (essentially one video frame, useful for stop-motion XCF sequences) up to 10 seconds per still. For a 60-image slideshow at the 5-second default, you'll end up with a 5-minute video; at 10 seconds it doubles to 10 minutes.

Why does the converted file have a .mts extension instead of .avchd?

There is no .avchd file extension. AVCHD is a specification; the actual streams are written as .mts (or .m2ts once copied off the camera, e.g. into a BDMV folder). Both extensions contain MPEG-2 transport stream packets wrapping H.264 video and AC-3 audio, and both play in VLC, MPC-HC, Premiere Pro (CS4 and later), Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, and on PlayStation 3 / Blu-ray players that advertise AVCHD support.

Will my AVCHD slideshow burn directly to a Blu-ray or DVD?

Yes, provided you author the disc with AVCHD folder structure (BDMV/STREAM/*.MTS). Most Blu-ray players and the PS3 recognize AVCHD discs authored on either BD-R or red-laser DVD media without re-encoding, though older Blu-ray decks occasionally refuse AVCHD-on-DVD — check your player's manual. Tools like multiAVCHD, tsMuxeR, or Blu-ray authoring suites handle the disc layout.

Can I batch-convert hundreds of XCF storyboard panels in one shot?

Yes. Upload all XCFs at once and pick Merge images to produce a single .mts slideshow with consistent settings across every panel, or Video per image to emit one .mts per XCF (useful when each panel is its own scene and you want to edit them on a timeline). xconvert holds files in your browser session — there's no per-account quota and no watermark.

Why is AVCHD a larger file than MP4 for the same content?

AVCHD is tuned for camcorder and Blu-ray fidelity, encoding at up to 24 Mbit/s (28 Mbit/s for v2.0 progressive modes). Consumer MP4 deliverables often run 5-10 Mbit/s with newer codecs (H.265, AV1) that compress more aggressively. As a rough benchmark, a 30-minute 1080p AVCHD clip lands near ~300 MB while the equivalent MP4 is closer to ~100 MB. Pick AVCHD when fidelity and Blu-ray compatibility matter; pick MP4 when file size or web upload matters.

What audio does the AVCHD output carry if I converted from XCF (which has no sound)?

xconvert writes a silent AC-3 audio track so the output remains AVCHD-spec compliant — AVCHD players expect audio packets in the transport stream even when there's nothing to hear. If you want narration or music, edit the produced .mts in your NLE and lay a new track underneath.

Will the output play on iPhone, iPad, or in QuickTime?

AVCHD historically isn't a first-class citizen on Apple's consumer playback stack — iOS Photos, QuickTime Player, and iMovie don't always recognize .mts directly. Final Cut Pro X does. If your destination is Apple devices, convert to MP4 instead via XCF to MP4, or re-wrap the finished AVCHD with AVCHD to MP4.