Convert .MTS to .MP4 and keep (copy) CreateDate

[javipas]

I'm converting my MTS videos to MP4 through ffmpeg but the process doesn't keep the creation date for the videos. That is annoying, because the application I'm using to manage everything uses that parameter to classify and order all files by date.

If I run

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.\exiftool.exe time:all -a -G0:1 -s VIDEO.MTS

it shows all relevant info here, and what I would need is to get the CreateDate ('[QuickTime] CreateDate' on that command) and copy that timestamp to the CreateDate field on the equivalent VIDEO.MP4.

I would need to do this recursively on a folder that has subfolders, each one with one of more pairs of MTS and MP4 files. I guess that should be done with something like:

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.\exiftool.exe -CreateDate(VIDEO.MTS)>CreateDate(VIDEO.MP4)

But I wonder what would be the exact command.

[Phil Harvey]

I think MTS files have a DateTimeOriginal, not CreateDate.  So a command like this should do it:

exiftool -tagsfromfile %d%f.MTS "-quicktime:createdate<datetimeoriginal" -ext mp4 -r DIR

- Phil

[StarGeek]

I only have one MTS sample handy, but that is the only time based tag in the file.

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C:\>exiftool -time:all --system:all -G1 -a -s Y:\!temp\ccccc\g\testbelow.MTS
[H264]          DateTimeOriginal                : 2017:07:02 11:29:36+02:00 DST

It may also be useful to add the -api QuickTimeUTC option, as my sample includes a time zone and the Quicktime:CreateDate is supposed to be in UTC.  Of course, it depends upon whether the application correctly reads the Quicktime time stamp as UTC or assumes local time.

[javipas]

Thank you StarGeek, Phil. I've tried Phil's command and it has worked flawlessly, problem solved.

This is a godsend, really. I had to manage over 3K old MTS files from 2010-2015 recorded with a Panasonic camcorder and the timestamp problem was really giving me a hard time. I was even considering to do it manually, file by file in the photo app of the device I've just bought for this (Monument 2, import process has some problems like these ones, MTS files aren't well supported).

Thank you so much again. Take care, masters of Exiftool