Windows Live Movie Maker and .MTS video files
Stephen M. Orr
Computer Resource Specialist, Bettie F. Williams Elementary School ( / stevbfw.wikispaces.com)
Hello, all! Over the past few weeks, more and more people have come to me about how to use Windows Live Movie Maker to edit AVCHD (or .mts) video files taken with the Canon HD video cameras given to the principals in 2010. As you have probably figured out, Windows Live Movie Maker (a program now included in the VBCPS images, or available for free download via Microsoft as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite), will not import .mts files “out of the box”, so to speak. While I have been using Premiere Elements to do most of my editing at school, I have done a bit of research and testing, and have come up with a couple of methods for preparing .mts video for use with Windows Live Movie Maker. Both methods are sound – I have successfully converted, imported and editing .mts files using the steps below.
First method: Install a codec that allows the import of .mts files directly into Windows Live Movie Maker for editing.
Download and install FFDShow MPEG-4 codec. It is a free download. Once you have installed it (you should be able to just click OK, OK, etc., until it is finished installing), try playing your .mts file in Windows Media Player. If you can play it, then you should be able to import and edit the .mts file in Windows Live Movie Maker.
Realize that when you use this method, you are still working with a VERY large high definition video file, which can significantly affect your processing time after editing.
Second method: Convert .mts file to an mp4 file, then import to Windows Live Movie Maker for editing.
It is true that this method does take a little longer, since it requires converting the .mts to another format. However, this method will help down-convert the video to a smaller size that is still good-looking, which can help with speeding the editing process a bit. This will be especially helpful if you are stuck using an older desktop or laptop with weak processor and a small amount (1-2 GB) of RAM.
1. Download and install Handbrake. It is free and is my absolute favorite program for converting pretty much anything to a nice .mp4 video file. There are other programs that can do this, such as AnyVideoConverter, but they can leave black bars at the top and sides of your otherwise widescreen video. Plus, if you explore the online guide and forums for Handbrake, you can discover other delightful things you can do with your personally purchased DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
2. Open Handbrake. Click on Source>Video File, and navigate to the .mts file you want to convert. Because of the size of these high definition files, it may take a couple of moments to pull the video into the program.
3. Because of the size of the original file, you will want to adjust a couple of settings to create a smaller file for editing. Do not worry - the video will still be plenty large enough for projecting on to a screen or putting on a DVD.
4. When you first pull a video into Handbrake, it automatically set the output file to reflect the resolution of the high definition file.
5. Click the dropdown menu for Anamorphic to reflect None. Change width to 720, and check Keep Aspect Ratio. The Height setting will automatically change to 400. This means that the video will retain the proper 16:9 ratio without having black bars at the top, bottom and sides.
6. Set your destination to reflect where you want your finished .mp4 video to be saved. I chose to save to the default Videos folder under Libraries.
7. Click Start to begin the encoding process. Handbrake will have a progress bar across the bottom of its window to let you see how things are progressing. While the current video is processing, you can actually click on Source, and import another .mts file, and click Add to Queue. It will then place the new file as next in line to process. You can add multiple files – I’ve added up to 12 different files for processing on other projects I have done.
You have the ability to minimize the Handbrake window so you can work on other things while it processes your file. You can also click on Show Queue to see the progress of all the files you are converting.
8. Once your file has been converted to .mp4, you can then import it into Windows Live Movie Maker. Since you are working with a widescreen (16:9) file, be to go under the Project tab in Movie Maker, and select 16:9 for the aspect ratio.
SAVING YOUR COMPLETED WINDOWS LIVE MOVIE MAKER FILE: I usually save my .wmv files as Windows Phone (small). The resolution is plenty big enough for computers, projectors and processing to DVD, and it retains the widescreen aspect ratio.