Converting AVCHD video to smaller size

[recordrecorder]

Dear All,


In order to burn them to single-layer DVDs I want to convert two 4.9GB AVCHD (friend's) camcorder videos to smaller (in GB) sized files with maybe less high video but high audio quality, keeping the picture height&width (1440x1080) and, at best, using a freeware tool. The original files have extension .mts, a data rate of 7077kBit/s video and 256kBit/s audio. I assume the future watchers of the videos cannot watch acvhd-formats.


I tried several tools that promised to be able to convert them to a format like .wmv, .mkv, .avi, .mp4, .mpg, .vob ("=DVD format"?) to obtain smaller files, for example hamster, formatfactory, CUDA video converter, DVDVideoMedia Free HD Converter, Avidemux, VLC media player and others, but nowhere I managed to obtain a file without shuttering, a changed height&width, non-in-sync audio/video start, ads in the resulting file or crashes .


Initially my plan was to create a nice DVD in a reasonable time effort where one could select either of the two files, or possibly even chapters inside them, the start of which I would want to determine myself. After lengthy unsuccessful attempts it seemed to me that it might not be possible without advanced knowledge so I redefined my goals to as quickly as possible finish my minimum purpose to convey the video to colleagues and burn a data DVD. Achieving the second task would be a further project then...


My PC features Intel i3 M330 2.1GHz, 4GB RAM, Windows 7 Home SP1, 64bit


I hope someone can provide me with a guided answer since my knowledge in formats is early stage... I guess a great answer would not only include a link to a working tool but also instructions if there is any possibility of easy mistakes...


Thank you very much!

[videobruger]

It's unclear to me whether you want a data-DVD or a video-DVD.

For the former you are free to choose video/audio codecs, container, resolution etc.

For the latter you'll get a DVD playable on a stand-alone DVD player but are however bound by the specifications for such a DVD.

Also it's always helpfull to use MediaInfo for your source (View->Text) and copy-paste the result here or attach it to a post.

[hello_hello]

m2ts files are a pretty standard thing, so in theory they should be easy enough to convert. If I was doing it I'd use MeGUI but it's not the simplest of GUIs to use. Vidcoder/Handbrake are both popular GUIs, probably easier to use and should handle m2ts files without a problem.
If you try one of those programs and still have problems, maybe upload a small sample of video if you can for others to look at. tsmuxer should allow you to open an m2ts file and resave it while splitting it into smaller sections.

[_Al_]

formatfactory, CUDA video converter, DVDVideoMedia Free HD Converter, Avidemux, VLC media player and others, but nowhere I managed to obtain a file without shuttering, a changed height&width, non-in-sync audio/video start, ads in the resulting file or crashes .

Notice your video is anamorph, 4:3 if you cont pixels, there is flag with aspect ratio in it to make it 16:9, that is why you had aspect ratio problems after encoding, when you lost that value. You have to resize it to real 16:9 (or not but set aspect ratio), recommending 1280x720 about 4Mbit/s,but you have to use QTGMC() to get double frame rate if video is interlace, you resize only progressive video, not interlace video, ..., your source is 7Mbit/s but high resolution at the same time, so compressing it to half the size might be too much anyway, do not expect mirracles.

VLC is set to ultrafast in settings is I am not mistaken, and there is more x264 front ends like Ripbot264(needs Avisynth and ffdshow), TX264 or Handbrake, maybe they are better than what you tried,

Chapters you can make in mkvmerge, video is not re-encoded just remuxed.

[Cornucopia]

Please tell us:
1. How long are these videos?
2. Are you wanting settop playable DVD-Video, with menus & chapters, etc?

Scott