Convert TS to MOV Online
Convert TV recordings and MPEG-TS files to QuickTime MOV for Final Cut Pro editing. Free, no server uploads.
.ts, .mts · up to 100 MB
What you can do
From TV recorder to Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro and iMovie
MOV with H.264 imports directly into Final Cut Pro X and iMovie without additional intermediate conversions.
100% private
Your TV recordings never leave your device. Conversion happens in local WebAssembly.
MPEG-2/H.264 → MOV
The MPEG-TS stream is demultiplexed and the broadcast video is re-encapsulated in QuickTime for the Apple ecosystem.
DVR to editable file
Convert DVB-T, DVR, and IPTV recordings to MOV for editing, trimming, or archiving.
How it works
Three steps, no hassle
Upload your TS file
Drag or select the .ts — DVR recordings, IPTV captures, digital TV recorder files, or broadcast streams. No signup.
H.264 re-encoding in the browser
The MPEG-TS transport stream is demultiplexed, the H.262/MPEG-2 or H.264 video is re-encoded to H.264 and encapsulated in the QuickTime MOV container via WebAssembly.
Download your MOV
A .mov file ready to import into Final Cut Pro, edit in iMovie, or play in QuickTime Player without installing additional broadcast components.
FAQ
Got questions?
MPEG-TS (MPEG Transport Stream, defined in ISO/IEC 13818-1) is the standard transmission format for digital television. Designed in 1994 for robust digital video transmission over error-prone channels (such as satellite, cable, or terrestrial antenna), it differs from storage-oriented formats (MP4, MOV) in that it is optimized for continuous transmission: it allows synchronization of multiple streams (several simultaneous programs on the same channel), error recovery, and transport of broadcast metadata. Digital TV recorders (DVRs, digital TV recorders, IPTV boxes) capture and store the transport stream directly as it arrives from the broadcast, without re-encoding, generating .ts files.
Not generally. Although Final Cut Pro can import some .ts with H.264 in specific configurations, compatibility is inconsistent due to the Transport Stream format's complexity (which can contain multiple programs, several audio tracks, teletext subtitles, and broadcast metadata). The recommended route for using TV recordings in Final Cut Pro is converting them first to MOV with H.264, which is a native Final Cut Pro import format without complications.
Digital TV .ts files can contain MPEG-2 Video (H.262, ISO/IEC 13818-2), the standard-definition (SD) digital television video standard and many first-generation HD channels; H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC, ISO/IEC 14496-10), the current standard for most HD and Full HD TV broadcasts; and H.265/HEVC (ISO/IEC 23008-2), used in 4K and UHD TV broadcasts on the most modern broadcast systems. Modern IPTV .ts files almost always use H.264 or H.265.
Yes. Once converted to MOV with H.264, the TV recording imports into iMovie without issues for trimming, basic editing, or creating compilations. iMovie accepts MOV with H.264 as one of its main import formats. For more advanced editing (color correction, effects, multicam), Final Cut Pro imports the same MOV with the same native functions.
It depends on the IPTV provider. Terrestrial DVB (DVB-T/T2) recordings and most non-premium cable don't have DRM. Pay IPTV streams may use systems like Widevine, operator DRM, or Conditional Access System (CAS) scrambling. DRM-free .ts files (personal DVB-T recordings, technical test captures, public domain broadcast files) are convertible without restrictions.
The Transport Stream includes transmission protocol overhead (fixed 188-byte packets with sync headers and error correction), multiple program tables (PAT, PMT, NIT, EIT), and potentially several multiplexed programs. Additionally, video in broadcast .ts is rarely optimized for storage: the bitrate is that of the broadcast channel (5-20 Mbps for SD/HD), not a compressed archive file. Converting to MOV can significantly reduce file size if the H.264 bitrate is adjusted to the appropriate level for the content.
Convert TS to MOV: bring TV and DVR recordings into the Apple workflow
The MPEG-TS (Moving Picture Experts Group Transport Stream) format, defined in ISO/IEC 13818-1 and originally published in 1994, is the transmission standard for terrestrial, cable, and satellite digital television worldwide. DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) systems, used in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee), the terrestrial digital TV standard for North America, transmit their video signals encapsulated in MPEG-TS transport streams. Each transport stream can contain multiple simultaneous programs, identified by PID (Packet Identifier) program identifiers, along with service information tables (PAT, PMT, NIT, SDT, EIT) describing the multiplex structure, programming metadata (EPG, Electronic Programme Guide), and auxiliary data streams such as teletext subtitles or HbbTV data service. Digital TV recorders — from the first hard disk-based digital TV DVRs of the late 2000s to current IPTV receivers — capture the transport stream as it arrives from the broadcast, storing the .ts directly without re-encoding to preserve original quality and minimize processing.
The need to convert .ts to MOV originates in the gap between the broadcast world and consumer and prosumer video editing. The .ts files are native to the television broadcasting world: they contain the broadcast video exactly as the channel transmitted it, but in a format that consumer video editing tools (iMovie, Final Cut Pro) are not designed to handle natively. Final Cut Pro can import H.264 in MOV or MP4, ProRes, AVCHD, and professional camera formats; but the MPEG-TS Transport Stream, with its broadcast protocol overhead, multiple PIDs, and service metadata, is a transmission format, not an editing file format. Converting to MOV extracts the relevant video and audio content from the transport stream, eliminates broadcast overhead, and produces a clean, self-contained file that Final Cut Pro and iMovie can import without friction for editing, archiving, or distribution.
The technical process of converting .ts to MOV involves two stages. The first is demultiplexing: the MPEG-TS transport stream is analyzed to identify the video and audio PIDs of the desired program, separating those elementary streams (ES) from the protocol overhead and other multiplexed programs. The second stage is transcoding or remuxing: if the video is MPEG-2/H.262 (the standard codec for SD television and many first-generation HD channels), it is re-encoded to H.264 for universal compatibility; if it is already H.264, it can be directly remuxed into the MOV container without additional quality loss. Audio, typically in AC-3 (Dolby Digital, ATSC) or MPEG-1 Layer II (DVB) format, is transcoded to AAC for the Apple ecosystem. The result is encapsulated in the QuickTime MOV container, which is the native import format of Final Cut Pro X and Apple's entire video production ecosystem. Convertir.ai performs this process entirely in WebAssembly in the browser, without transmitting recording data to external servers.