AVCHD is an Advanced Video Codec High Definition file extension, a kind of compression format for recording and storing high definition video. Although it has the quality of 1920x1080, this type of file is not supported by most video players on Windows or Mac. How to watch AVCHD on a computer? You can play videos using players or convert them to a supported format. Consider the first method in more detail.
Select the program to open the file with the extension AVCHD.
Advanced Video Codec High Definition is a high-definition HDTV recording standard designed for digital cameras that allows you to record information on 8 and 12 cm compact discs (both on CD and DVD and BD), on hard drives or on memory cards. For the first time the AVCHD format was used by Sony and Panasonic. The introduction of the format allowed the creation of compact amateur camcorders with HD recording. Discs recorded in this format can be played on Blu-ray devices (for example, Sony PlayStation 3), as well as on computers running Windows.
AVCHD format features
What kind of format is AVCHD? An AVCHD file consists of audio and video with subtitles and other auxiliary streams. They are multiplexed into an MPEG stream and stored on the media as binary files. Most AVCHD-enabled camcorders use the Dolby Digital (AC-3) compression scheme, which supports stereo and multi-channel audio. Audio data rates range from 64 kbps to 640 kbps, but mostly 256 kbps and 384 kbps are used. Codec for AVCHD - FFmpeg. It includes the AVCHD decoder in libavcodec, which uses ffdshow, a free and open source media library. This is actually H.264, which decodes AVCHD and some other formats. Libavcodec is used to decode AVCHD for Linux, BSD, OS X, Windows and Solaris.
We open videos in avchd format
Modern developers offer many software and utilities that allow not only to reproduce unpopular formats, but also to encode them into more well-known ones. How to open files in AVCHD? Fortunately, most players allow you to play AVCHD without installing additional components, codecs or encoding video to AVI.
VLC Media Player
VLC is a free transcoder and multimedia player. It is a computer player that supports many file recording formats, including M2TS and MTS, that are nothing more than AVCHD. The usual standard formats supported by Windows are WMV and AVI. You can use VLC to convert avchd files to any format supported by VLC.
Advantages of VLC:
- support for a wide range of formats;
- good converter with hotkeys support;
- easy and flexible;
- can be integrated with streaming channels on the Internet;
- Support Blu-ray and HD.
To play avchd video in VLC directly from the camera, use a cable, connect a video camera or recorder to a computer. Turn on the camera and set it to playback mode. Wait until Windows Explorer finds your device. When the camera is detected, go to the “My Computer” section and open the camera by double-clicking the device icon. Locate the avchd file you want to play and drag it to your desktop or any other folder. You can use the “Media” button in the upper left corner of the VLC interface, and then click “Open File”. Find and select AVCHD files, after which they will automatically start playing.
Media Player Classic
Media Player Classic is a simple, free media player that plays a wide range of different multimedia files. Its appearance resembles the older Windows Media Player, but, unlike it, it plays almost any available media format, including AVCHD.
Benefits:
- simple interface;
- works well on slower machines.
Disadvantages:
- does not support streaming video.
If you have ever tried an older version of Windows Media Player, then you will like this player. Controls are where they should be - the menu is clear and accessible. The player does not require special PC resources - it works quickly and smoothly, even on older computers. Media Player Classic is easier to use and more versatile than most similar applications.
jetAudio
jetAudio is an advanced multimedia player that, in addition to playing audio and video files, offers CD burning, creating Internet radio stations, and converting music and video formats.
Benefits:
- basic tools in one utility.
Disadvantages:
- complex interface.
jetAudio supports many formats, including unpopular ones. In the main window of the program for the most popular music styles, you can adjust the graphic equalizer, apply special effects such as reverb, bass boost or a smooth transition from one song to another. JetAudio includes a utility for ripping audio tracks from CDs. They can be saved in the most popular audio formats or burned to another disc. You can convert audio and record sound from a microphone or other external sources. Fans of Internet radio can not only listen to it, but also start broadcasting their own programs on the Internet.
During video playback, jetAudio can display subtitles, slow down or speed up, change the image format, adjust its speed, or loop through a fragment. Everything works quickly, stably and without reservation. jetAudio is very functional, so the interface contains a huge number of options. Managing the player can sometimes seem complicated. However, this is the price for using such a multifunctional application. If you play and convert audio and video, record and copy CDs, launch a radio station on the Internet, add special effects to your music, record data from external sources, be sure to try jetAudio.
KMPlayer
KMPlayer is an innovative media player that supports a large number of formats, including the required AVCHD.
The application offers a number of basic functions, including displaying subtitles or creating screenshots of reproduced material. Thanks to The KMPlayer, you can set special effects, slow down or speed up the playback speed of a movie, indicate your favorite movie moments and much more. It is important to note that the player has a built-in set of codecs that allows you to view media in the most popular formats without any additional tambourine dances.
The player copes well with playback of both multimedia stored on a local disc, and from a CD / DVD-media or from the Internet. The advantages of the application are enhanced by the support of skins that adapt the appearance of KMPlayer to individual needs, as well as support for external audio and video filters.
Splash 2.0
Splash 2.0 is a free program for playing HD movies, HD camcorder files and DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial) television. It supports AVCHD standard (only in premium version) and TXT, SUB, SRT, SSA subtitles. The utility decodes video using hardware acceleration, has built-in deinterlacing and supports remote control (MCE). It also converts 1080i video to 1080p format and reproduces them without any problems. The player has the tools to quickly convert video files to popular for mobile devices or YouTube formats.
Gom player
GOM Player is a multimedia player that, due to its simplicity and functionality, is becoming increasingly popular. It allows you to play various formats, as well as view movies without the need to download additional filters or codecs from the Internet. In addition, it offers the ability to view incomplete downloaded files. This feature is sure to please P2P users who want to view the recording before downloading the entire content. The player supports streaming playback (WMV, ASF, ASX). Another interesting feature is the ability to take screenshots from any video. The user has access to a number of basic tools: sound filters, image sharpness / blurring, playlist creation, etc.
Zoom player
Zoom Player is a very good multimedia player. You can watch movies from DVDs and files, listen to music and even play unpopular video formats, such as AVCHD. During installation, Zoom Player downloads the latest updates from the server to play the latest video and music formats. The program reads almost all popular multimedia file formats. To do this, do not even need to install additional codecs!
The interface is very simple and intuitive - playback control does not cause any difficulties. Additional configuration is not required. However, if you want to change any settings, there are two configuration modes - advanced and basic. In the advanced mode, you can adjust almost all elements of Zoom Player. The utility can also play files protected from being played by other programs. In case of problems with decoding, the program automatically restarts the process, which protects the computer from hanging.
Which format is better: AVCHD or MP4
Which format is better and more practical - mp4 or avchd? MP4 is more popular and versatile than AVCHD, and is supported by most programs and devices. As the name AVCHD, it was created specifically for the needs of high-definition images, that is, HD. This is a very efficient format, and thus, using it, we get high-quality video. However, although AVCHD can give even better quality than MP4, the latter is more popular, and if necessary, further video processing is worth using it - the files will not only be of good quality, but the size will be smaller. Some cameras, such as the popular Panasonic GH-4, make it possible to record video in both formats.
Advanced Video Codec High Definition, abbreviated AVCHD, is a type of file that was developed by Panasonic and Sony. Therefore, camcorders or HD cameras from these manufacturers record the video in it. To avoid problems with their playback, use one of the applications described.