AVCHD format to be stored in hard disk

[videohelpuser]

I just now completed 40gb of video on my Sony camcorder - HDR-SR5. This stores files in AVCHD format.

I copied the files with the supplied software into my hard disk. I then converted to MPG, but the media properties have changed.

For the files that were directly copied to hard disk, I see properties as 1440 x 1080. However the newly converted MPG shows as 720 x 480. I used the "Hi Quality" option when converting to MPG.

1. What are some of the widely available and popular file formats for 1080 resolution?
2. Are there any converters to convert Sony proprietary file format (m2ts) to common file formats while preserving the 1080 format? m2ts can be played only using Sony's Picture Motion Browser (PMB). I would like to eventually burn Blu-Ray discs from these files.

Thanks.

[guns1inger]

The software has converted the file to a DVD compliant resolution, and at a guess (as not other details have been supplied) to full DVD compliance ready for authoring.

m2ts isn't a Sony propriety format AFAIK, and there are several applications that can happily convert to and from mt2s, or simply repackage video stored in the format to another format without re-encoding.

You can also re-encode 1080 material to mpeg-2 without reducing it to DVD resolution - you just have to know what you are doig, and probably not use the bundled software.

However before you get too far down the conversion track and waste a lot of time and effort, you need to think about what it is you are intending to do with the video. if your plan is to burn bluray at a later date then I would strongly suggest you don't do anything to the video at all, other than perhaps buy and external drive to store it on until such time as you are ready to creating your own Bluray Discs. Any re-encoding will reduce the quality of the video, and if you convert to a non-Bluray compliant format then you will have to convert the video yet again to get it back, further affecting quality.

[Baldrick]

Don't reconvert.

If you want to play try Splash and for authoring the m2ts to a blu-ray try multiavchd or tmpgenc authoring works and for editing use vegas or vegas movie studio.

[guns1inger]

Media Player Classic Home Cinema is another good player for m2ts, especially if you have a suitable gfx card with hardware playback assist.

However your PC is very much at the bottom end of what is useful for any sort of HD work. Playback will most likely be a poor experience, and editng and converting will be slow going.