Guide
TS to MP4: TV and stream recordings, made playable
Drop a TS file above and get an MP4 that opens on phones, in editors and in social apps. H.264 video is copied in seconds.
In short
- This converter turns a .ts transport stream into an MP4 that phones and editors open.
- H.264 video is copied as it is, so most recordings are done in seconds.
- Older TV recordings hold MPEG-2 video, which is re-encoded once to H.264.
- Nothing is uploaded. Everything runs inside this browser tab.
TS to MP4
Runs in your browser · files never leave this page
Drop a TS file here
or
The engine reads the file first. An H.264 picture with AAC sound is copied into the MP4 with no re-encode. Anything else is written as H.264 + AAC.
Your file never leaves this page. The engine downloads once, the work happens in this tab, and there is no upload, no account and no storage. Close the tab and the file is gone unless you downloaded it.
More free tools: Video compressor · Video resizer · Video to MP4 · Video to MP3 · Video clipper · all tools
What is a TS file?
TS is an MPEG transport stream: the format TV broadcasts and live streams are sent in.
- TS files come from TV recorders, set-top boxes and saved live streams.
- Inside a TS file you find H.264 or MPEG-2 video, with AAC, MP2 or AC-3 sound.
- Phones, editors and social apps often refuse a file that ends in .ts.
What the converter does
It copies what an MP4 can hold as it is, and re-encodes only what it cannot.
- Copied: H.264 video and AAC sound go into the MP4 untouched. No quality loss.
- Re-encoded: any other video becomes H.264 at a high quality setting (CRF 23).
- Sound: any other sound becomes AAC at 160 kbps.
- Web ready: the MP4 is set up to start playing before it fully loads.
What happens to each part of your TS file
The first video track and the first sound track are used. The rest is left out.
| Inside the file | What you get in the MP4 | How long |
|---|---|---|
| H.264 video | Copied as is, no quality loss | Seconds |
| MPEG-2 or HEVC video | Re-encoded once to H.264 | Minutes for a long file |
| AAC sound | Copied as is | Seconds |
| MP2 or AC-3 sound | Converted to AAC at 160 kbps | Seconds |
Inside the file: H.264 video
- What you get in the MP4
- Copied as is, no quality loss
- How long
- Seconds
Inside the file: MPEG-2 or HEVC video
- What you get in the MP4
- Re-encoded once to H.264
- How long
- Minutes for a long file
Inside the file: AAC sound
- What you get in the MP4
- Copied as is
- How long
- Seconds
Inside the file: MP2 or AC-3 sound
- What you get in the MP4
- Converted to AAC at 160 kbps
- How long
- Seconds
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How to convert TS to MP4
Four steps, all in this tab.
TS to MP4 in four steps
Drop your TS file
In the box at the top
The engine reads it
Which video and sound it holds
Copy or re-encode
Only what MP4 cannot hold is redone
Download the MP4
Saved to your device
Limits of a browser tool
Everything runs on your own device, so your device sets the limits.
- File size: up to 500 MB runs comfortably. Bigger files may run out of memory.
- Speed: the engine uses one processor core, so a long re-encode takes minutes.
- First run: the engine downloads once, about 32 MB. After that it starts fast.
- Phones: it works, but a laptop is faster and has more memory.
Questions people ask
- Is TS the same as MTS?
- Close. Both are transport streams. MTS and M2TS come from camcorders; TS usually comes from TV and streams. The converter accepts .ts, .mts and .m2ts.
- My stream is saved as many small .ts parts. What now?
- The converter reads one file at a time. Convert each part to MP4, then join them in order with the free video stitcher.
- Does TS to MP4 lose quality?
- Not when the video is H.264: it is copied bit for bit. MPEG-2 video from older TV is re-encoded once at a high quality setting.
- Why is the MP4 smaller than my TS file?
- When MPEG-2 video is re-encoded to H.264, the same picture needs less data. Copied H.264 video stays about the same size.
- Is my TS file uploaded anywhere?
- No. The tool runs inside this browser tab, so your TS file never leaves your device. Only the engine itself is downloaded, about 32 MB, once per visit.
Want a finished video with captions, not just a converted file? Cutroom edits your clip for you. Your first video is free.