The MP4 AV Container Format
MP4 (or MPEG-4 part 14) is a multimedia container format specified by the Moving Picture Experts Group. It is most commonly used for containing AV streams allowing subtitles, menu and picture data as well.
In my previous posts I have been advocating the conversion of recordings to either the AVI or MKV container format, but I have now seen the light and suggest all recordings be converted to MP4. Here are the reasons why:
- MP4 is better supported by CE devices.
- MP4 is better for streaming.
- MKV is not supported on Humax boxes.
- MKV is a bit of a ‘pirate’ format.
Although the first two points apply over MKV only, AVI are not supported in iTunes, for example, and hence on iOS devices.
You can convert your recordings to MP4 without fuss using AVS Video Convertor – download a trial copy here, and if you like it, purchasing an unlimited license allows you to use all of the other Video and Audio tools, as well.
AVS Video Converter works well in converting .ts files to .m4v but users should be aware before buying the software that it is tied to one particular computer only. I have tied it to my netbook because I cannot carry the Humax to my desktop each time I want to convert a file; but converting a ten minute video to .m4v format at the quality I require takes almost one hour ! If I had the computing power of the desktop, it would take very much less time.
You should contact AVS4You support and have your license transferred from your laptop to your computer: http://support.avs4you.com/
If your going to convert to mp4 why not just use Handbrake.
Other than deciding on output quality it is pretty much select file say where want output to and let it get on with it.
You wrote:
I bought a AVS video converter, version 8.3 following the recommendations on this forum but none of the settings works. Can anybody help me to get this right? thank you.
What exactly does not work? What are you trying to do, and what settings are you making?
I respond: I transfer the files from my new Humax to my PC by using my FTP successfully. Are those videos I want to convert are stored on my PC this way and I try to open one of them in my new AVS video converter, I get an error message saying: “…the specified file contains no video data”. This means that I can’t even open any of the recordings I made on my Humax when trying to convert. I reinstalled the converter several times but still same error message. So, nothing works. I have been in touch with AVS, asking them what the problem is and that this Blog recommends this particular converter, etc… The have been back to me, asking me the file specs from the Humax, which I gave them. I give them to you as well, in case you can explain what is happeing. They are:
- hmt
- nts
- thm
- MPEG-2 TS Video
It is the MPEG-2 TS Video which triggers the error message mentioned above.
Thank you, Gerhard.
Recordings transferred from a HDR-FOX T2 via FTP are not decrypted. AVS VC or any other video conversion application will not be able to deal with encrypted video files. You must copy the recordings to an external USB drive first. Doing this will kick in the ‘onboard’ decrypting routines and then you will be able to convert them using AVS Video Converter as I’ve instructed.