How to watch a .ts video file on an iPad

.mp4encodingitunesquicktimevideo

I've got a .ts video file on my harddrive, and I would like to transfer it to my iPad to watch it there. Here's some data about the file in question:

  • Size: 3.5 GB
  • 1 Video Stream: h264, 1920×1080
  • 2 Audio Streams:
    • 1st: AC-3, 5.1, German
    • 2nd: AC-3, Stereo, English

I only care about the English language track, getting rid of the German 5.1 audio would be fine.

If possible, I would like to avoid re-encoding the video due to the amount of time it takes. Re-encoding the audio (e.g. to AAC) would be fine.

Two questions:

  • Is there an app for the iPad that would allow me to watch the video without making any changes? Free solutions preferred.
  • If not, is there a process to convert the video (or the container) to a format that is natively understood by iTunes and the iPad? I know that the AC-3 audio may be a problem. Command line solutions are fine. No online conversion services, please.

I've tried the following using ffmpeg (installed through Homebrew):

ffmpeg -i in.ts -c:v copy -c:a aac -b:a 384k -strict -2 -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:1 out.mp4

It converted the file, copying the video, and re-encoding the audio to AAC. The resulting file plays fine in QuickTime, but can't be imported into iTunes. I've read about the moov atom and its placement in the file, and the problems with ffmpeg to place it in the right location. Is this what I'm seeing here?

Best Answer

Handbrake should do everything you need:

HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.

It will re-encode the video but it does it relatively quickly, and re-encoding audio formats/selecting audio tracks and subtitles is all possible. Great software, free too.

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