Windows .MTS to .MP4 (or MKV) convertor

prime

Skilled
Nov 22, 2008
1,182
732
202
Hi.

I have many 1080p .MTS video files which HUUUGGEE is size.

I remember converting 1-2 files a couple of years ago to mp4 and the size reduced significantly. I don't remember which software I used back then.

The softwares I tried give so many option to change quality instead of a single option "Keep original quality".

Please suggest me a software (windows 10/11) that converts MTS files to MP4 (HEVC / H.265) without loosing quality which is easy to use.
 

prime

Skilled
Nov 22, 2008
1,182
732
202
Thanks.

Please suggest where is the option to select "keep original quality of audio and video". If it is not there, please suggest what option should I select to keep best possible results.

I tried with default option and an option with some changes (see screenshots).
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot (4202).png
    Screenshot (4202).png
    276.2 KB · Views: 37
  • Screenshot (4203).png
    Screenshot (4203).png
    286.8 KB · Views: 34
  • Screenshot (4204).png
    Screenshot (4204).png
    299.7 KB · Views: 34

guest_999

Adept
Apr 5, 2012
677
968
306
Please suggest where is the option to select "keep original quality of audio and video".
You cannot keep original video audio quality without simply copying audio & video stream to a new container (in this case that would be copying video & audio stream as such to .mp4 but that would not reduce the size). Just experiment with default settings & keep in mind that support for h264 video is more than h265 especially among older devices (phone, TV etc).
 

calvin1719

Mostly harmless.
Adept
Jun 21, 2020
907
1,058
208
MTS is AVHCD which uses H.264 for video compression. If you copy original video quality to a mkv or mp4 wrapper using H.264 encoding only, size won't decrease by much.
That said, Avidemux has the option to copy video and audio streams and only change the wrapper.
 
  • Like
Reactions: prime

altair21

Adept
Feb 27, 2023
324
189
56
Hi.

I have many 1080p .MTS video files which HUUUGGEE is size.

I remember converting 1-2 files a couple of years ago to mp4 and the size reduced significantly. I don't remember which software I used back then.
you were encoding them, changing containers wont affect size at all
The softwares I tried give so many option to change quality instead of a single option "Keep original quality".
There is none, all you can do is figure out the settings which would give you the closest quality to original also called transparent encodes.
Please suggest me a software (windows 10/11) that converts MTS files to MP4 (HEVC / H.265) without loosing quality which is easy to use.
like other peeps suggested, handbrake is definitely the easiest and the least pain in the ass for you. for a quick encode (mind you its not the best way), you can look into CRF (constant rate factor) encoding, I'm not gonna get into it too much but the gist is, its a way to set a particular value called crf value and handbrake will try to encode your video to that particular matching preset value, the lower the value the better the quality and the increase in size and conversely, higher the value, lower will be the size and quality, you can play around with it but I would recommend you sticking to anywhere from CRF 15-17 to at max 21-23.
Its been years since I used handbrake but it definitely has this option, I wont suggest converting to HEVC unless you have a beefy CPU (GPU encoding is just trash), or are fine with running your PC for a long time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: prime

n1r0

Adept
Oct 17, 2022
586
1,076
207
Please suggest where is the option to select "keep original quality of audio and video". If it is not there, please suggest what option should I select to keep best possible results.
You can't compress a video without throwing away data. Every time you re-encode a video, it loses some data - whether it is noticeable or not, that depends on a lot of things
For original quality, keep the current file you have and invest in a big HDD

To re-encode with minimal loss in quality choose:
  • Keep resolution and frame rate same as source
  • Encode speed as low as you can tolerate
  • Constant quality factor - choose higher quality, but it results in larger file size
  • 10-bit colour
  • More efficient codec. Newer codec can have better quality for a given file size/bitrate
  • Hardware encoding can be fast, but for better quality use Software encoding
Use this as a starting point: x265 10-bit, CQ=18, Speed = slow
Try changing the settings and see which you prefer
 
  • Like
Reactions: CYCLONOUS and prime

ssslayer

Adept
Jun 30, 2006
578
344
151
Mombay
Thanks.

Please suggest where is the option to select "keep original quality of audio and video". If it is not there, please suggest what option should I select to keep best possible results.

I tried with default option and an option with some changes (see screenshots).
What I used to do way back:
Take a video file that has lot of action scenes or flashing lights - basically where there is a large change in pixels with each passing frame.
Fix a CRF value on handbrake (used to begin with 21 or 23), CRF works like variable bit rate hence boosts the bit rate for scenes that require heavy encoding, and vice versa.
IF the results were satisfactory, then use it for all files, otherwise increase or decrease.

There is no point in lossless archival quality unless you plan to zoom it up on a 4K 20 feet display and do pixel peeping from close distance.
The less I talk about audio, the better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CYCLONOUS and prime