How to Convert a TS File to MKV
By Joshua Bailey
The TS (short for transport stream) file format is used in many DVD, Blu-ray and home video discs. While the discs offer great quality, the TS file container is not always compatible with your computer, home theater PC or media player, like PopCorn Hour or WDTV. To fix this, all you need to do is change the file container. This is a quick and easy process because you are not transcoding the file format into a new one, just placing it into a newer, more accepted container like the MKV.
Step 1
Download and install the free software (see the link in the Resources section). The download is called MKVToolnix, but the actual program that it installs is called MKVMerge GUI. Open the software once it is completely installed. There will be an icon on your desktop for easy access.
Step 2
Locate the "Add" toward the top and to the right of the software main menu. It will be located near a large open box with the heading "Input File." When you click the "Add" button, a new window will open that gives you access to your computer's files. Locate your TS movie file and select it, and then click "Open." Your file will load into the program, with both its video and audio files loading as separate tracks.
Step 3
Click the "Browse" button at the bottom of the software main menu near the "Output Filename" box. Here you need to locate a place on your computer where you want to save the new MKV file. By default, it will save the MKV in the same directory as the TS file. Click "Save" when you have named your file and selected a place to save it.
Step 4
Press the "Start Muxing" button to begin the process. This will be a very quick process, as it merely involves muxing the file into a different container. Muxing consists of taking video and audio files out of one file container, which is the TS in this case, and placing them into a new container, the MKV.
Step 5
Locate your new MKV file when the process completes, and double-click it to play. Your movie file can now be played in many more different players because of the wide use of the MKV format.
References
Writer Bio
Joshua Bailey resides in Pennsylvania and has been a professional writer since 2007. His writing focuses on topics in film, entertainment, music and religion. Bailey has been published on eHow and has written numerous articles for three universities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in business and creative writing from Moravian College.