TS files: broadcast streams from recorders and camcorders
What a transport stream is, why a truncated recording still plays, and why converting re-encodes. Convert TS in your browser, no upload.
At a glance
- Type
- Video
- Container format
- Yes
- Extensions
- .ts, .m2ts
- MIME type
- video/mp2t
- Common codecs
- h264, h265, aac
- Also known as
- MPEG Transport Stream
A TS file is an MPEG transport stream — a format designed to be broadcast rather than stored. Data is cut into small fixed-size packets, each self-contained, so a receiver tuning in halfway through a programme can still start decoding. That design is why satellite recorders, DVRs, AVCHD camcorders and stream-capture tools write TS, and why a TS recording that was cut off mid-broadcast still plays up to the cut where an MP4 would be unopenable.
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It is also why TS is awkward everywhere else. Editors stumble on it, phones will not open it, and the format carries broadcast-era structures that nothing else wants. The video inside is often already H.264, so a stream copy would seem possible — but transport streams routinely carry irregular timestamps, mid-stream parameter changes and channel switches that make a straight copy produce a file that stutters or cannot be seeked. Re-encoding is slower and produces something dependable.
The audio is usually AC-3 or AAC, and AC-3 is frequently 5.1 surround. Since MP3 has no surround mode players handle reliably, a multichannel track is downmixed to stereo on the way out. For a recorded programme that keeps dialogue clear; for a concert broadcast it flattens the mix. If you only want the soundtrack, extracting audio has a 2 GB ceiling against the 667 MB for a video conversion, because the output is a fraction of the source.
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FAQ
What is a TS file and why do I have one?
A broadcast transport stream. Satellite and cable recorders, DVRs, AVCHD camcorders and most stream-capture tools write TS because it survives being cut off mid-transmission.
Why re-encode instead of repacking?
Because transport streams often carry irregular timestamps and mid-stream changes that a straight copy turns into a file that stutters or will not seek. Re-encoding costs time and produces a dependable result.
My recording is incomplete — will it convert?
Usually yes. Transport streams are built to remain usable when truncated, so a recording that stops abruptly generally converts up to that point.
Are M2TS files supported?
Yes. M2TS is the Blu-ray and AVCHD variant of the same container, accepted here alongside TS.
What happens to 5.1 audio?
It is downmixed to stereo, because MP3 has no reliable surround mode. Dialogue stays clear; a concert mix loses its separation.
Is there a size limit?
About 667 MB for a video conversion, which a long high-definition recording can exceed. Extracting just the audio allows up to 2 GB.