Free online TREC to MJPG converter

Camtasia stores screen recordings as TREC files, but many video tools and hardware workflows accept Motion JPEG instead. Converting the recording to an MJPEG stream in an AVI container makes it usable in editors, playback software, and systems that require frame-by-frame JPEG video.

What the TREC format is

TREC is TechSmith Camtasia's proprietary recording format. Camtasia uses it for screen captures that may contain desktop video, microphone audio, webcam footage, cursor data, and recording metadata. TREC files are commonly created by Camtasia Recorder and encountered when a recording has been saved but not yet exported to a standard delivery format.

TREC is not a normal video stream that general-purpose converters can reliably decode directly. Open the file in the Camtasia version that created it, or use the built-in converter on 101convert.com if you do not have Camtasia installed.

What the MJPG format is

MJPG, or Motion JPEG, stores each video frame as a separate JPEG image. It is supported by some capture devices, video editors, scientific imaging systems, and older playback workflows.

MJPEG is simple to decode and permits accurate frame-by-frame editing, but it usually produces much larger files than H.264 or H.265 at comparable visual quality. MJPEG is commonly stored in an .avi file with the MJPG video codec; a raw .mjpg file normally contains video only and may not preserve the TREC recording's audio.

How to convert TREC to MJPG

Using Camtasia and FFmpeg

1. Open the .trec file in Camtasia.
2. Choose Export or Share, select a local MP4 export, and retain the original resolution and frame rate. Save the intermediate file as recording.mp4.
3. Install FFmpeg, then run:
   ffmpeg -i recording.mp4 -c:v mjpeg -q:v 3 -c:a pcm_s16le recording_mjpg.avi
4. Check the result with:
   ffprobe recording_mjpg.avi
   The video stream should report codec mjpeg. The AVI file uses uncompressed PCM audio for broad compatibility.

FFmpeg cannot generally decode TREC directly, so the Camtasia export step is required before transcoding. If an application specifically requires a raw MJPEG stream rather than an AVI file, use:

ffmpeg -i recording.mp4 -an -c:v mjpeg -q:v 3 recording.mjpg

This raw output omits audio and may not include timing information expected by all applications.

Using the built-in online converter

On 101convert.com, select the video conversion tool, upload the TREC file, choose MJPG as the output format, and start the conversion. Download the generated file and verify that its extension and codec match the software or device that will receive it. Large screen recordings may take longer to upload and process than to convert locally.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Conversion cannot restore detail lost during the initial TREC export. The workflow above normally involves an MP4 intermediate file, followed by JPEG compression, so export from Camtasia at the source resolution and frame rate and avoid resizing before the MJPEG step.

In FFmpeg, lower -q:v values produce higher JPEG quality and larger files; values from 2 to 5 are a practical starting range. MJPEG files can be several times larger than H.264 files, so check available storage before converting long recordings.

Some devices accept only AVI/MJPEG combinations with particular pixel formats, frame rates, or audio codecs. If playback fails, try adding -pix_fmt yuvj420p, removing audio with -an, or exporting the AVI at the device's required frame rate.