How to Convert MTS to MP4 from a Camcorder

Preserve the camcorder recording first

MTS and M2TS commonly appear with AVCHD footage, but the suffix alone does not identify every stream. As a preservation precaution, copy the full card folder structure before working, rather than keeping only a few numbered clips. Leave the camera copy intact until your backup is confirmed.

For a recording split across files, use the camera maker’s or your editor’s documented import workflow to assemble the intended recording. Converting one segment cannot recover the rest of a long event. Compare the duration of the clip or assembled source with the camera recording before export.

Encode a delivery copy in HandBrake

Use a complete, unprotected source that HandBrake can scan. If the recording needs camera-specific assembly, import or assemble it first in an editor that supports it.

1. Open the MTS or assembled source with Open Source. Select the right title and verify its duration.
2. Choose a general MP4 preset appropriate to the destination. Fast 1080p30 is one starting point, but its 30 fps cap may reduce motion in high-frame-rate or deinterlaced footage.
3. Check Dimensions for the expected picture shape and cropping. In Video, use H.264; in Audio, select the intended track and AAC for a conventional sharing copy.
4. If the source is interlaced, inspect motion for comb-like horizontal edges. Review the Filters controls for interlace detection/decomb or deinterlacing, and compare a short sample. Do not deinterlace progressive footage simply because it is MTS.
5. Select a new .mp4 destination and start the encode. Check the beginning, a moving subject and the end in the receiving player.

If smooth 50/60-field motion matters, choose an output rate and deinterlacing mode that can retain it. A 25/30-frame delivery copy is a different decision from preserving each field’s motion.

When rewrapping is worth trying

For streams the output and player support, use Shutter Encoder’s Rewrap function with .mp4 and a new output folder. Rewrap copies selected compressed streams; it does not remove interlacing, normalize colors or fix an unsupported audio codec.

The MKV guide explains why track compatibility still matters after remuxing. For older MPEG footage, use the MPEG/MPG guide.

Camcorder-specific checks

• Horizontal teeth around movement: inspect the interlace filter and field order; do not assume a container change removes them.
• Clip ends mid-sentence: check for additional recording segments.
• People look stretched: preserve the source display aspect ratio rather than blindly forcing square-pixel dimensions.
• Sound drifts near the end: compare the complete input and output timelines, including segment boundaries.

Common questions