mts2mp4.sh

#!/bin/sh
#
# Convert from a MTS to a mp4 file using HandbrakeCLI
# Handbrake available from, for example, http://handbrake.fr/downloads2.php
#
# Renames files as prefixYYYYMMDD_basename.mp4 in the current directory.
# If you have an AVCHD directory, for example, you could run
#    mts2mp4 /Volumes/SDCARD/PRIVATE/BDMV/STREAM/*.MTS
# to convert from your SDCARD into your current directory (on OS X).
#

prefix=${USER}_

# Exit the entire script on signal.
trap 'exit' 1 2 15

# Abort on any conversion error (or if file is missing!)
set -e

for f in "$@"
do
    # Name the output file based on the file modification time.
    # (The ctime may have been affected by the time the file was copied, chmod, etc)
    eval $(stat -s $f)
    of=$prefix$(date -j -f %s $st_mtime +%Y%m%d)_$(basename $f .MTS).mp4

    time nice HandbrakeCLI --preset="Normal" -i $f -o $of
done