Use AVCHD To Burn HD Video On Regular DVDs
If you like acronyms, particularly for digital media, you’re going to get your fill here. In this case, we’re talking about Advanced Video Coding High Definition (AVCHD) and like other acronyms it can be a bit confusing. The essential message is that you can shoot and edit high-definition (HD) video with AVCHD camcorders, and then burn that video to a Standard Definition (SD) Digital Video Disc (DVD) quickly and easily and then playback the DVD in a HD Blu-ray (BD) player and view it on a big screen 1080p HD display.
It’s possible to burn HD content with RealPlayer Plus onto Standard Definition (SD) DVD recordable media. Additionally, that version of RealPlayer also offers accelerated downloads and transfers. Since nearly everyone has a DVD recorder, and Blu-ray burners are still a bit quirky and more expensive, this should be welcome news for home video users.
WHAT IS AVCHD AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
The AVCHD acronym isn’t new to the digital video world. It’s been around for six years since Sony and Panasonic developed the AVCHD camcorder to be the successor to High Definition Video (HDV). AVCHD camcorders use miniature (8 cm vs. the normal 12 cm) recordable DVD, Hard Disk Drives (HDD), or removable Secure Digital (SD) solid-state memory cards instead of tape. There are also versions with non-removable memory, and versions with combinations of these storage devices. AVCHD uses a superior codec, H.264 (the most popular in the world), compared to the older MPEG-2 standard used by HDV.
AVCHD is closely related to Blu-ray. AVCHD uses the MPEG Transport System (MTS) as its native file format, stemming from the same family as Blu-ray’s M2TS format. ACVHD can also play the popular MP4 format. They both use the H.264 for video compression and there are even Some AVCHD camcorders that use MP4 directly. There are endless disputes as to whether MTS or MP4 is better. The consensus is the quality is essentially identical.
AVCHD TECHNOLOGY 101
As previously noted, not all media players recognize and play the native AVCHD file format, MTS. If the player can’t see it, it certainly can’t burn a DVD. This also creates headaches for some video editing systems. Editors may not be able to just insert the memory card from an AVCHD camcorder into the computer and always expect it to work. If your system reads AVCHD/MTS and can burn onto DVD, you’re fine, and many do. But if it can’t, or the video editor doesn’t read MTS, the original material needs to be transcoded. Some editing software can read and edit the MTS format, plus create the AVCHD DVD disc.
That said, you could still make AVCHD DVDs using the MP4 format. A growing number of AVCHD camcorders record directly to MP4. Some are referred to as AVCHD Lite, meaning they don’t do 1080p, only 720p HD. That may be changing with newer 1080p cameras that will allow you to switch between the two. Also, look for High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) to make an impact.
DOWNLOAD, CONVERT AVCHD VIDEOS
There are a ton of HD videos available online that you can download and convert to AVCHD videos so that you can burn them to regular DVDs and play them in a compatible Blu-ray player. For example, Vimeo has a large selection of sample AVCHD content. Both AVCHD’s MTS and MP4 file formats support 720p, 1080i, and 1080p video resolutions. When downloading videos you should try to capture it at the highest resolution (1080p) possible. However, that said if your video player or TV only supports 720p resolution then that’s the format you should select when downloading a video.
RealPlayer Plus does not recognize MTS files. When using RealPlayer Plus to burn HD video onto a regular DVD, look for HD content in the MP4 format like the Vimeo screenshot below. If the resolution you want is only available as an MTS file, you will need to convert the MTS to the MP4 format using third-party software in order to burn an AVCHD DVD with RealPlayer Plus.
After downloading the HD MP4 file into the RealPlayer library you can use RealPlayer Plus to burn an AVCHD DVD that can be played back in a compatible Blu-ray player. In general, burn DVDs at slow speeds for better results and use high-quality DVD-R media such as Verbatim or Sony. It’s still less expensive than purchasing a Blu-ray DVD burner and blank Blu-ray discs.
When the AVCHD DVD disc is completed, test it in a compatible Blu-ray machine. Don’t be discouraged if the first version doesn’t work property, it can often be the result of a simple formatting problem with one of the video clips.
AVCHD PLAYERS
AVCHD can be burned to both HD Blu-ray discs and SD DVD (AVCHD DVD) discs, but the discs can only be played in Blu-ray AVCHD players and PS3 machines. Not all Blu-ray players are compatible with AVCHD. Typically, an AVCHD logo will be displayed either on the front, top, or rear of the machine to confirm this. Older models may not handle AVCHD. All the new gear on the market now will.
ARE YOU READY TO BURN HD VIDEO ON DVDs?
Shooting and displaying your own HD video has never been easier. Being able to use RealPlayer Plus to make AVCHD DVD discs provides a simple path to doing this. As you get better, you may want to step up to burning directly onto Blu-ray for the extra capacity. But for now, an hour of your homemade HD videos on one DVD is likely going to be perfect for most people.
If you’re in the market for an AVCHD camcorder, more brands and more models with more features are available than ever before. Have you heard of AVCHD before? Did you know HD videos could be burned onto regular DVDs to play on the big screen HD system at home? Let us know in the comments below.
6 Comments
Add a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You may take a look at this step by step guide, it’s regarding how to convert and burn avchd video to DVD. I followed it and successfully burned DVD to play on my home DVD player, it’s easy to understand, I think it deserves a try. (URL deleted by TV.)
Wow! Thank you! I permanently needed to write on my website something like that. Can I take a fragment of your post to my site?
maccolar,
You seem to be getting your file formats and acronyms mixed up. I looked at the step-by-step on your site. It has nothing to do with AVCHD. The instructions there are for putting AVI, DivX or Xvid onto a DVD-Video disc. Your comment above notes you “successfully burned DVD to play on my home DVD player…” If you had made an AVCHD DVD disc, it could NOT be played on DVD player. A Blu-ray player or PS3 machine able to play AVCHD (not all can) is required.
…TV
It would difficult to prevent you from using an excerpt. Just provide the proper attribution, along with a link back this RealPlayer blog. Thanks.
…TV
After paying $1000 for an AVCHD camera, why would I not be willing to pay for Blu-ray discs to maintain the quality?? I feel totally skunked by the manufacturers of same because they have not followed up with the technology to watch and share this video. I’ve used Sony and Adobe S/W and a number of other lesser known, but the results leave a lot to be desired. So, now I have my expensive camera and a bunch of MTS files, but no way to show the high quality video except through the camera!? That is no better than Super 8.
Jeff,
Several issues going on here, so we’ll see if I can help.
On you initial comment about your $1,000 AVCHD camera, “…why would I not be willing to pay for Blu-ray discs to maintain the quality?” — there’s NO reason at all. The manufacturers haven’t “skunked” anybody.
Using Sony as an example (who, with Panasonic developed AVCHD), complete ‘hardware/software: shoot-edit-burn-play-display’ AVCHD to Blu-ray workflow solutions are available. Again, use Sony, and follow the path of h/w & s/w and you see that the job can be done, end-to-end at the best quality AVCHD is capable in delivering on Blu-ray discs.
NOTE: AVCHD camcorder brands and models have different, selectable, bit rates for different quality. Some are also switchable between Constant and Variable bit rate capture. Those setting will affect quality, and can be varied again at capture, ingest/edit and burn stages.
I don’t know what problems you’re running into with either Sony or Adobe s/w. If MTS is a stumbling block, convert to MP4/H.264 for editing and Blu-ray burning. The quality is the same, and some AVCHD camcorders are switchable between the two.
That’s for putting AVCHD on Blu-ray Discs, and then playing back on Blu-ray machines that are AVCHD capable.
Unfortunately, neither free RealPlayer 16 or Plus burn Blu-ray. The topic was burning AVCHD to DVD. These also need to be played on Blu-ray machines. AVCHD DVDs can’t handle the higher bit rates AVCHD on Blu-ray media provides. But, high bit rate is not necessarily the best measure of quality, and if the content is managed properly throughout the workflow, it’s doubtful you’d see a difference between AVCHD on DVD or Blu-ray anyway. BD primary advantage is greatly increased storage space.
Get back to me if you’re still hitting snags, or if I’m not addressing your comment correctly.
…TV