XCF to TS

How to Convert XCF to TS Online

1. Upload Your XCF Files: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select one or more GIMP project files. Layers are flattened to a composite during conversion — adjust layer visibility in GIMP first if you need a specific composition. Batch upload is supported.
2. Pick Merge Strategy and Duration: Choose "Merge images" to stitch all uploads into one TS video, or "Video per image" to output a separate .ts file per upload. Set Duration (default 5 seconds per frame) anywhere from 1/60 second up to 10 seconds per image.
3. Set Quality, Resolution, and Background (Optional): Quality Preset defaults to "Very High (Recommended)" — drop to High or Medium for smaller segments suited to HLS bandwidth budgets. Pick Keep original, a Fixed Resolution preset (720p, 1080p, 1440p, 2160p), or enter custom Width/Height with aspect-ratio lock. Set Background Color (default Black) for letterboxed regions when source aspect doesn't match the output frame.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and grab the .ts file. 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 XCF to TS?

XCF is GIMP's native project format, designed to preserve layers, channels, paths, selections, and guides for non-destructive editing — not for distribution or playback. TS (MPEG transport stream, ISO/IEC 13818-1) is a fixed-188-byte-packet container built for error-resilient transmission over broadcast and streaming networks. Converting XCF to TS turns a layered design file into a video segment that decoders, broadcast playout, and HLS players can ingest directly.

• HLS streaming segments — HLS playlists reference short .ts segments (typically 2-6 seconds each) served from a CDN. Rendering a GIMP title card or sponsor frame straight to TS lets you splice it into an existing live or VOD playlist without a separate encode step.
• Broadcast playout slates — DVB and ATSC headends ingest transport streams natively. A station ID, "stand by" slate, or weather graphic exported from GIMP becomes a ready-to-air .ts clip.
• IPTV channel filler — Set-top boxes and IPTV middleware play TS over UDP/RTP multicast. Converting promo art or holding frames to TS provides drop-in fill content between scheduled programs.
• Long-hold title cards — Pair a multi-layer XCF design with a 10-second image duration to produce a single-image TS clip that loops cleanly inside playout automation.
• Digital signage with broadcast hardware — Hardware decoders that expect MPEG-2 or H.264 inside a transport stream can play back XCF-derived signage without a media-server transcode.

XCF vs TS — Format Comparison

Quality Preset and Duration Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is TS better than MP4 for HLS streaming?

TS was designed for unreliable transmission — its 188-byte packets carry their own sync, PCR timing, and PSI/PMT tables, so a segment can be decoded standalone without reading a header. MP4 (fragmented MP4) is now also valid for HLS, but TS is the older, more universally supported segment format and what most legacy players, hardware decoders, and CDN edge tooling assume by default.

Will my GIMP layers be preserved in the TS file?

No. TS is a video container — there is no concept of editable layers. Each XCF is flattened to its current composite (respecting visibility, opacity, and blend modes set in GIMP) before being encoded as video frames. If you need layer fidelity, save the XCF separately or export to OpenRaster (.ora) for editing handoff.

Can I use this to make HLS slideshow segments?

Yes. Set merge strategy to "Video per image" and Duration to your target segment length (commonly 4 or 6 seconds). Each XCF becomes a self-contained .ts clip you can list in an .m3u8 playlist with corresponding #EXTINF durations. For browser playback you'll still need an HLS player like hls.js (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) or native Safari support.

What codec is inside the output .ts file?

The output uses H.264 video by default — the codec required by HLS spec and supported by every mainstream broadcast and streaming pipeline. TS is just the container; the codec is what the decoder reads. H.264 inside TS is the safe baseline for compatibility with DVB, ATSC, IPTV STBs, and HLS players.

How do I get pixel-sharp text from a GIMP design?

Render the XCF at the exact target output resolution in GIMP before converting (Image > Scale Image), then choose "Keep original" resolution here. Scaling images twice — once in GIMP, once in the encoder — softens text. For 1080p broadcast, design your XCF at 1920x1080; for 4K signage, design at 3840x2160.

Why does my converted TS look letterboxed or pillarboxed?

The output frame uses the resolution preset you picked, but your XCF aspect ratio may differ. Areas not covered by the image are filled with the Background Color (black by default). Either crop the XCF in GIMP to match output aspect, or change Background Color from black to a brand color so the bars look intentional.

Can I add audio (music or voiceover) to the TS output?

Not in this single-step conversion — XCF has no audio track and image-to-video produces silent video. To add audio, convert XCF to TS first, then mux audio in a follow-up tool. Alternatively, convert to MP4 and use a video editor for the audio pass before producing the final TS.

Will broadcast hardware play this TS file directly?

Most professional and consumer hardware decoders accept H.264-in-TS at standard broadcast resolutions (720p, 1080i, 1080p) without issue. Some legacy DVB hardware expects MPEG-2 video specifically — if you're targeting a strict ATSC 1.0 or older DVB pipeline, check whether your headend requires re-encoding to MPEG-2 video. The container itself is universally accepted.

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

All three carry MPEG transport streams. .ts is the generic IPTV/HLS extension. .m2ts is the BDAV variant used on Blu-ray discs (with extra timestamp prefixes). .mts is the AVCHD variant used by Sony, Panasonic, and Canon camcorders. They are closely related but not byte-identical — for Blu-ray authoring see MTS to MP4 and M2TS to MP4 for camcorder workflows. For the reverse direction try TS to MP4, or for static-image exports of your XCF use XCF to PNG.