Converting mts to mp4 keeping HD-quality

[Mållgan]

My Canon Legria HF M41-camera produces mts-HD-files (1080i or 720p). I want to convert the mts-files to mp4-files because Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0, which I´m using for editing, does not accept mts-files as inputfiles. Therefor I am looking for a free program which converts the mts-files to HD-mp4-files (1080i or 720i, keeping the HD-quality). Any suggestions?

[Baldrick]

Try a mp4 multiplexer like mymp4boxgui or yamb, open the mts under multiplexer and make a new mp4.
Or use avidemux, open mts, under video and audio choose copy, under format choose mp4, save as a mp4.
Or ffmpeg, command line: ffmpeg -i video.mts -vcodec copy -acodec copy video.mp4

[Mållgan]

Thank you. I wonder if the program"Convert avi to mp4" keeps the HD-format of the input files with no compression and therefor I tried to contact the programowner by email but the mailaddress seems to be wrong. The sizes of the outputfiles seem to be as large as the sizes of the input files.

http://www.convertavitomp4.com/

[jagabo]

Your source isn't AVI. Why would you expect an AVI to MP4 converter to work?

[Mållgan]

"Why would you expect an AVI to MP4 converter to work?" I don´t expect it to work. It works. As I wrote; the program converts mts-files (and other file formats) and produces output-mp4-files with sizes as large as the sizes of the input files. But does the program´s outputfiles keep the input-HD-quality? How can I discover that?

[jagabo]

does the program´s outputfiles keep the input-HD-quality? How can I discover that?

Watch them. Look at the video and audio properties with MediaInfo.

[Mållgan]

MediaInfo-information about one of the videofiles:

The input mts-file:

BDAV:38,3 MiB, 20s. 340 ms
1 videostream: AVC
1 audiostream: AC-3
Maximum overall bitrade: 18.0 Mbps
First videostream: 14,9 Mbps, 1920x1080 (16:9) at 25000 fps, AVC (High @L4.0), (CABAC/2 Ref Frames)
First audiostream: 256 kbps, 1480 Khz, 16 bits, 2 channels, AC-3

The output mp4-file:

MPEG-4 (Base Media): 38.7 MB, 20 s. 160 ms
1 video stream: MPEG-4 Visual
1 audio stream: AAC
Writing application: Lavf52 93.0
First videostream: 16.0 Mbps, 1920x1080 (16:9) at 50000 fps, MPEG-4, Visual (Simple@L1)
First audio stream: 109 kbps, 48.0 KHz, 2 channels


Comments?

[jagabo]

The file has been reencoded with a lossy codec -- which always lossese quality. Especially since you've gone from AVC to MPEG 4 ASP. And there's something weird going on with the frame rates.

Try a simple remux like Baldrick suggested. It will only take a few seconds.

[smitbret]

The file has been reencoded with a lossy codec -- which always lossese quality. Especially since you've gone from AVC to MPEG 4 ASP. And there's something weird going on with the frame rates.

Try a simple remux like Baldrick suggested. It will only take a few seconds.

You'll probably need to convert the .ac3 to .aac for compliance. I don't think AC3 is supported in an .mp4 container by most devices. I'd demux it with TsMuxer then reencode the audio and remux with MeGUI.

[jagabo]

AC3 has been officially supported by the MP4 spec for a few years now.

[smitbret]

AC3 has been officially supported by the MP4 spec for a few years now.

True, but most devices won't playback .ac3 in the .mp4 container. Apple Products, Roku, Android tablets, most BR Players, etc.

[Mållgan]

Convert avi to mp4:
The output mp4-file: First videostream: 16.0 Mbps, 1920x1080 (16:9) at 50000 fps
The input mts-file: First videostream: 14,9 Mbps, 1920x1080 (16:9) at 25000 fps

Question: 50000 fps in the output file but 25000 fps in the input file. What´s the effect on the video-quality?

Question #2: I ran into the program "ImTOO Video Converter Ultimate 6" and tried the trial verision. The program seems to be able to produce output mp4-files with identical "values" as the "values" of the input files. Anyone with knowledge of this program?

[jagabo]

There's no way your videos are really 25000 fps and 50000 fps. My guess the original is 25i (50 fields per second) and after conversion it was 50p. But the frame rates aren't being reported properly. Without seeing the video there's no way to say for sure what's going on.

Once again, try a simple remux. Convert the audio to AAC if your player doesn't like AC3 in MP4.

[Mållgan]

Well, MediaInfo reports 25000 fps and 50000 fps.
I have tried to remux but probably I am not clever enough to succeed.

[Gavino]

Well, MediaInfo reports 25000 fps and 50000 fps.

You must be confusing a comma with a dot, or vice versa.
MediaInfo reports framerates to 3 decimal places.

[Mållgan]

MediaInfo har forgotten the dot/comma.

[Mållgan]

Thank you for your patience!

Now I managed to use the program TsRemux and remux a mts-file. The program has three output format options: M2TS, TS and Blue-Ray. I want the output format mp4 and I chose the TS-outputformat BUT changed the outputfilenamn to .mp4. The program produced a file with the same size as the input mts-file but the program Adobe Premiere Elements 4 did not accept the input file. Problably Adobe does not consider the input file as a mp4.file. I also tried with the output format Blue-ray but the output was several files but no mp4-file.
How to get a mp4-output-file?

[jagabo]

Again, changing the output name doesn't make the output from TsRemux an MP4 file. Demux to elementary streams with TsRemux, then use YAMB or some other MP4 muxer to make a real MP4 file.

[smitbret]

If only the world of digital video were that simple. You can't just change the filename to .mp4 from .m2ts and have an .mp4 file. Those are containers and it's best to think of them as boxes that hold something, in this case and audio and video stream.

Pretend that you are packing stuff into a closet and you have two boxes to choose from, one measures 6x4 (call it .m2ts) and the other meausures 8x3 (call that one .mp4). You put your stuff (a video and audio stream) into the 6x4 box and try to put it on the shelf but it doesn't fit because it's too wide. So, you then take the stuff out of the 6x4 box and put it into the 8x3 box and, voila, now it fits nicely onto the shelf. That is basically what demuxing and remuxing are, taking the contents of a box and putting it into a different container so that it will fit whatever use you need.

In your case, Adobe Premier Elements is just like your closet and it says that your box has to be 8x3 (.mp4). It's not gonna fit if you just write '.mp4' on the top of the 6x4 box and try to shove it back in there. It's still gonna have the wrong dimensions. You've gotta put it in a new box that really is '.mp4 size'.

You need to demux the original file with TsMuxer and then remux the raw streams into an .mp4 with MeGui or YAMB.

[smitbret]

Upon doing a bit of research, it appears that Adobe Premier Elements does support the import of .mts files. It looks like something else is going on here:

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/862/cpsid_86248.html

[Mållgan]

Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0, which I use, does NOT support .mts-files.

[smitbret]

Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0, which I use, does NOT support .mts-files.

I'm just going off what they post on their website and Adobe claims it does. Wouldn't be the first time a software company had bad info on their website, though.

[Mållgan]

They cllaim that "Adobe Premiere Elements" supports mts-files but they do not state which Adobe-versions.

[poisondeathray]

Well the latest version is 10

4.0 is a few years old. Your .mts file uses AVC compression, and it wasn't supported back then. Even if he re-wrapped it into mp4 it probably wouldn't work. And it doesn't according to this. Export Only.

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/402/kb402540.html


I would consider upgrading your software


You might be able to rewrap in to MOV (quicktime), since import & export is supported according to the chart

e.g.

ffmpeg -i input.mts -vcodec copy -acodec copy output.mov

[smitbret]

OK, new plan, then. Demux the file with TsMuxer. I'm not sure which software to use for this, but using the software on my PC, I'd then remux to .mkv with MKVMerge and then run it through mkv2vob to get a nice .mpg file.

Still may not work if your Premier Elements doesn't support AVC.

[Mållgan]

I am grateful for all your suggestions but finally I made it easy for me and bought the program "ImTOO Video Converter Ultimate 6".

[smitbret]

It's a very good program, but you'll be re-ensoding your files and therefore introducing image degradation. Not only that, but remuxing would be much faster.

Also, Handbrake will do the same thing and is free. I believe ImTOO will force youe to reencode the audio to .aac for any .mp4 conversion.

[Mållgan]

But I can, "at the same time", handle very many input-mts-files with "ImTOO Video Converter Ultimate 6". The program produces output-mp4-files whitch are somewhat larger than the input mts-files which for me indicates that the image degradation cannot be to heavy.

[smitbret]

True.

If I'm correct, ImTOO is the same as Xilisoft which is CUDA enabled. If you have a modern GPU it will greatly speed up your reencodes if you activate it.

Also, .mp4 is a more efficient container than .ts, .mts or .m2ts so the same quality .mp4 should be smaller than your original .mts file. You could safely set it for about a 30-40% reduction in size and probably just as well off. Since you'll be re encoding anyway, you'll probably do well to shrink it a bit anyway.

[Mållgan]

Thank you smitbret.