Free online M2T to XVID converter

What the M2T format is

M2T is usually an MPEG-2 transport stream containing HDV video, commonly stored with the .m2t extension. HDV camcorders from Sony, Canon, JVC, and Panasonic recorded this format, and capture utilities saved it when transferring footage over FireWire. M2T files commonly contain 1440×1080 interlaced MPEG-2 video with MPEG audio or another transport-stream audio format. Video editors and players that support MPEG-2 transport streams can open the files directly, but older AVI-based software may require conversion.

What the Xvid format is

Xvid is an MPEG-4 Part 2 video codec rather than a container format. Converted Xvid video is commonly placed in an AVI file, so the practical target is an AVI container encoded with Xvid video and usually MP3 audio. Xvid is supported by many older Windows media players, standalone DVD/DivX-compatible players, and applications designed for MPEG-4 ASP. It generally produces smaller files than HDV MPEG-2 at comparable viewing quality, but newer devices may support H.264 or H.265 more reliably than Xvid.

How to convert M2T to Xvid

FFmpeg provides a direct, repeatable conversion method. Install a build that includes the libxvid and libmp3lame encoders, then verify availability with ffmpeg -encoders. The output filename should use .avi; the extension alone does not make the video Xvid.

1. Place the source file in an accessible folder and identify it as input.m2t.
2. For progressive or already correctly handled footage, run:
   ffmpeg -i "input.m2t" -c:v libxvid -q:v 4 -vf "format=yuv420p" -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k "output.avi"
3. For interlaced HDV intended for computer playback, deinterlace while encoding:
   ffmpeg -i "input.m2t" -vf "yadif,format=yuv420p" -c:v libxvid -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k "output.avi"
4. Open output.avi in a player that reports the video codec as Xvid and check motion, aspect ratio, audio synchronization, and the final file size.

FFmpeg's -q:v 4 requests a quality-based Xvid encode; lower values generally increase quality and file size, while higher values reduce both. Use -q:v 3 or -q:v 2 when preserving more detail matters, and test a short clip before converting a long recording. If FFmpeg reports that libxvid is unavailable, use a build compiled with Xvid support rather than substituting the unrelated MPEG-4 Part 2 encoder unless the destination device accepts it.

For a conversion without installing software, upload the file to 101convert.com, select Xvid as the output, configure the available quality and audio options, and download the resulting AVI file.

Quality and compatibility considerations

Conversion cannot restore detail lost in the original HDV recording. Re-encoding MPEG-2 as Xvid is a second lossy generation, so retain the original M2T file for editing or archival use. Deinterlacing improves playback on progressive screens but discards some temporal detail; preserve interlacing if the output will be authored for an interlaced workflow.

Use yuv420p for broad hardware compatibility and keep the original frame rate unless the target device requires a change. Xvid AVI may have limitations with large files, unusual audio codecs, variable frame-rate footage, or files larger than 4 GB on older software. If the target application accepts modern codecs, H.264 in MP4 is usually a better current distribution format than Xvid AVI.