MTS File Format - AVCHD Video File
What is an MTS file?
An MTS file is an AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) video file shoot by typical camcorders. This file format is a standard video format that is used by many AVCHD compatible camcorders such as Sony and Panasonic HD camcorders. MTS allows you to record high-definition (HD) videos to transform or share them on your computer. The MTS file is being applied widely by many professionals and home users as their video file format in this modern era.
MTS Video Format
The .mts is one of the file extensions used for AVCHD videos. The AVCHD format was introduced by Sony and Panasonic in 2006 which is used by many of the famous camcorder brands for their movie shooting devices. The MTS (abbreviated as MPEG Transport Stream) is a container file format that contains audio, video, and other essential data. Since it uses MPEG-4 / H.264 video compression, it can support 1080i and 720p videos. The audio streams in an MTS file may be compressed using the PCM audio which is an uncompressed linear codec or Dolby AC-3 codec.
Difference between MTS and M2TS
Since MTS and M2TS both are related to AVCHD format, there may be some confusion about these formats. Let’s explain the difference between them in some detail:
| Term | MTS | M2TS |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | Designed to be the recording video format from Sony and Panasonic camcorders | Became recognized universally as the best solution available so far to save videos on a Blu-Ray disk |
| The Production of MTS and M2TS File | The output video format by using the AVCHD camcorder is the MTS format | MTS file extension changes to M2TS when MTS recorded data is transferred to the computer for storing the video in a Blu-ray disc |
| Compatibility | Can be easily copied to any kind of video file, without any difficulty | Can’t copy to your computer directly |
| Video Playback | Fewer devices are supporting | Wide variety of devices supporting playback of M2TS files like Sony PlayStation 3s (PS3), Sony Bravia TVs, Western Digital WDTVs, and so on |