Watch AVCHD mts/m2ts video files on mac freely

AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) is a file-based format for the digital recording and playback of high-definition video.

Developed jointly by Sony and Panasonic, the format was introduced in 2006 primarily for use in high definition consumer camcorders. Favorable comparisons of AVCHD against HDV and XDCAM EX solidified perception of AVCHD as a format acceptable for professional usage. Panasonic released the first professional AVCHD camcorder in autumn of 2008, followed by Sony in the first quarter of 2010.

AVCHD 1080i is available on most AVCHD camcorders. For some models this is the only recording mode offered. AVCHD-SD is used in the shoulder-mount Panasonic HDC-MDH1, available on Southern-Asian markets, as well as on its North American AG-AC7 cousin. Several new models from JVC like the GZ-HM650, GZ-HM670 and GZ-HM690 can record AVCHD-SD video too. AVCHD-SD is not compatible with consumer DVD players, because it employs AVC video encoding instead of MPEG-2 Part 2. AVCHD-SD can be played on a Blu-ray Disc player.

MTS and M2TS are both file extensions for the high definition digital video camera recorder format, AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition). AVCHD was jointly established by Sony Corporation and Panasonic Corporation in 2006 for use in their digital tapeless camcorders.

Though both MTS and M2TS are file extensions for the same AVCHD and both support 720p and 1080i HD video formats, there is a slight difference between the two. In the M2TS file, the video file is saved in the high definition Blue-ray BDAV format. Video data on the Blue-ray discs can be saved in one of the three video codecs – MPEG2 Part 2, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, or SMPTE VC-1; and the audio data in either Dolby digital, DTS, or the uncompressed Linear PCM. The M2TS file extension is written as 'xxxxx.m2ts' where the ‘xxxxx’ are a five digit number corresponding to the audio-visual clip.

Below are the video and audio file formats and codecs that QuickTime Player can playback in Mac OS X v10.6.x or OS X Lion:

Video
File format:QuickTime Movie (.mov),MPEG-4 (.mp4, .m4v),MPEG-2 (OS X Lion only),MPEG-1,3GPP,3GPP2,AVI,DV
Codecs or components:MPEG-2 (OS X Lion only),MPEG-4 (Part 2),H.264,H.263,H.261,Apple ProRes,Apple Pixlet,Animation,Cinepak,Component Video,DV,DVC Pro 50,Graphics,Motion JPEG (Mac OS X v10.6.x only),Photo JPEG,Sorenson Video 2,Sorenson Video 3


Audio

File format:iTunes Audio (.m4a, .m4b, .m4p),MP3,Core Audio (.caf),AIFF,AU,SD2,WAV,SND,AMR
Codecs or components:AAC (MPEG-4 Audio),HE-AAC,Apple Lossless,MP3,AMR Narrowband,MS ADPCM,QDesign Music 2,Qualcomm PureVoice (QCELP),IMA 4:1,MACE 3:1 (Mac OS X v10.6.x only),MACE 6:1 (Mac OS X v10.6.x only),ALaw 2:1,ULaw 2:1,24-Bit Integer,32-Bit Integer,32-Bit Floating,Point,64-Bit Floating Point



For mac user, they want to watch avchd file on mac,then how to get AVCHD MTS files off HD Video cameras/camcorders to Mac?

With AVC HD camcorders, you typically need to connect the HD video camera to your Mac using a USB cable, firewire or iLink(Sony). Once connected and powered on, the camcorder should appear on the desktop as a new disk. The location of the films on the camcorders disk will vary depending on manufacturer. It is desirable that you copy the movies to your Mac hard disk before converting or editing.

If you want to playback your video to computer, you will find most AVCHD camcorders are with high definition M2TS/MTS format. This format itself is good even perfect, but for Mac users, they must pay some effort to make it works well with their PC or Book. From QuickTime, iMovie, FCP, iDVD to YouTube, AVCHD M2TS format is not a fully compatible format. Even the latest iMovie'11 and FCPX. It can do nothing when the M2TS can't be detected by them. You should to convert avchd video on mac,there are many softwares can help you do this,AVCHD converter mac is one of the software.