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Question 1: "Can i convert my MTS video files to use in windows movie maker directly from the camera?

Ive just bought a JVC Everio and when i download the video clips, they are in MTS format. I have read on forums that i need to convert this to a usable file to use in a basic video editing program like Windows LIve Movie Maker but do i need to donvert them all separately or can i upload all the video clips in an avi or wma format, straight from the camera?"

Question 2: "What software will convert MTS (AVCHD) files to MOV format?
I hear Handbrake is good, but the project requires me to use MOV only files in Final Cut Pro to edit. So what FREEWARE can do this without losing frames, sound and picture quality?" -from Yahoo! Answer

Do you also fight against the “tough” MTS files? Firstly, let’s read the brief introduction about the MTS file format.

MTS format is a high-definition MPEG, AVC, H.264 transport stream video file format which is commonly used by HD camcorders such as Sony Handycam, Canon Vixia series, Panasonic.

To Windows 7 users, MTS (AVCHD) file type isn’t a headache file format, for Windows 7 has native support for AVCHD/MTS/M2TS videos. The AVCHD movie can be playable on Windows Media Player (WMP11). However, if you are running on Windows XP or Vista, you will come across such hassle. You can try freeware like VLC media player for it is claimed to support the AVCHD video file. I used it, but the video will not be true to the original.

Anyway, a third-party MTS video converter can help you a lot, for it can directly convert MTS to WMV or MTS to MOV, AVI, MKV, etc. In the way, you can go on editing MTS source file in Windows Movie Maker or Windows Live Movie Maker.
Also, it has rich output presets for you like Windows Media Player, iPad, iPhone, etc.

For those who are Mac users, you can use the Mac version of VLC. If you try to convert MTS on Mac, MTS Converter for Mac can be your right choice. It can easily convert MTS to MOV, MP4, DV, MKV, or HD video like H.264, MPEG, etc. Plus, it also has optimized settings for devices like iPad, Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab/smartphone, iPhone, HTC mobilephone, etc, and user-friendly programs like iMovie, Final Cut Pro, QuickTime, etc.

Step 1: Click button "Add File" to add the MTS video files you want to convert.

Step 2: Specify the output format as WMV under the menu of "Profile", and set the output destination folder.

Tip: More optional settings allows you to do the editing job. For example: you can go to "Clip" to trim a certain time-length segment, cut out the black edges by "Crop" Windows.

Step 3: Hit "START" button to do the conversion from MTS to WMV.

In the pop-up window, there are two options provided for your preference: "Shut down computer when conversion completed" or "Open output folder when conversion completed" there.

Tips on How to play back AVCHD MTS files from camcorder?

Computer playback — any media and target format that is supported by a particular computer hardware and software can be watched on a computer monitor or TV set. Presently, the open-source VLC media player will play AVCHD video files, as well as a wide variety of additional formats, and is freely available for most modern operating systems (including Linux, Mac OS X, MS Windows) and some mobile platforms. On both Mac OS and MS Windows systems, the default media players from Apple (QuickTime) will not play AVCHD natively. Some Windows 7 editions are able to import and play AVCHD video natively, having files with extensions M2TS, MTS and M2T pre-registered in the system. (Windows 7 starter edition does not support AVCHD files itself, and a third-party player must be installed.) In editions of Windows 7 which do support AVCHD files, Windows Media Player is able to index content of these files, while Windows Explorer is able to create thumbnails for each clip. Windows 7 does not support importing of AVCHD video metadata such as thumbnail images, playlists, and clip index files. Joining AVCHD video files during the import is not supported either.