Why will this not play in QuickTime or Photos

[DominikHoffmann]

I have a video with the .MTS file name extension, which seems like it is for M2TS videos. In VLC the info for that video shows

I thought that the Apple ecosystem had no problem with H.264-encoded video, with MPEG-4. I am obviously missing something.

 

[Nermal]

QuickTime (and by extension, Photos) can handle H.264, but not MKV [Edit: Oops, didn't read properly! I'm not sure whether Subler'll read M2TS so the rest of this post might not be helpful]. You'll need to repack the video into an MP4 container.

I find that the easiest way is to grab Subler, drag the MKV onto it, then do a Save As into MP4. This won't recompress the video, just change the packaging.

You might also run into issues with the audio, as I'm not sure whether AC-3 is supported directly.

 

[lin2log]

The .mts file extension typically indicates an AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) video file, which is a container format not natively supported by QT. The codec used within is irrelevant. You need to re-wrap it in a container format that QT supports, such as .mov or .mp4. There are endless commercial and online converters for this. Alternatively, you can use Final Cut Pro, which "understands" .mts files, to import and edit them.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

I believe Handbrake can convert it.

 

[!!!]

Try changing the file extension to just .ts

I believe Handbrake can convert it.

The codec is already supported, no need to convert it, just re-mux (change the container).