Convert old camcorder video to MP4
Tapes, memory cards and DVDs from the 2000s hold video in formats phones and browsers no longer open. This guide covers what those files are and how to turn a whole folder of them into MP4 in one go.
Which format is your camcorder using?
AVCHD camcorders from Sony, Panasonic and Canon record .MTS (or .M2TS) files — H.264 video inside a transport stream. Players choke on the container, not the video, so converting to MP4 is fast and loses nothing.
Older DVD camcorders and captured VHS produce .VOB, .MPG or .MPEG (MPEG-2). These are re-encoded to H.264, which shrinks them by roughly two thirds at the same visible quality.
.AVI and .WMV come from Windows Movie Maker, early digital cameras and webcams. .3GP is the format of pre-smartphone mobile phones; .MOV is what iPhones and QuickTime produce.
Why MP4
MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is the one combination every phone, TV, browser and editing app plays without extra software. It is also what YouTube, Google Photos and iCloud expect on upload.
We add the fast-start flag so the file begins playing before it has fully downloaded, and we keep the original resolution and frame rate unless you ask otherwise.
Converting a whole folder
The converter accepts multiple files at once. Select every clip from the card, pick MP4, and each one runs as its own job so a single corrupt file never blocks the rest. A typical 4 GB card of AVCHD clips finishes in a few minutes.
Want a still from a clip — a thumbnail for a photo album, or one frame for a print? The MP4 to JPG and MTS to JPG pages pull a single frame at any timestamp.
Camcorder and DVD conversions
Related tools
How to do it
- 1Select your clips
Drag the .MTS, .MPG, .VOB or .AVI files onto the page. You can add a whole folder at once.
- 2Choose MP4
Pick MP4 as the target. Leave the options alone for a faithful copy, or set a width to downscale for sharing.
- 3Download
Each clip is delivered as it finishes. Files are encrypted in transit and deleted automatically after 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Will converting MTS to MP4 reduce the quality?
No. AVCHD already uses H.264, so the video stream is copied into the MP4 container without re-encoding. The result is pixel-identical.
My DVD has several VOB files for one movie — do I convert each?
Yes, convert them in one batch; they arrive as separate MP4s in disc order. If you want a single file, use the merge tool on the results.
How large a file can I upload?
Individual files up to the standard upload limit shown on the converter. Long tapes captured as one 8 GB file are best split into chapters first.
Is there a watermark or sign-up?
Neither. Every conversion is free, and we never open or keep your footage — it is deleted within 24 hours.