What is the CPI file format?
A .cpi file contains information about a video stream and the metadata that describe it - it does not hold any video or audio data itself. .cpi files are sidecar files within the proprietary AVCHD structure used by High Definition digital cameras from Sony, Panasonic, and other manufacturers.
The AVCHD folder hierarchy places .cpi files inside a CLIPINF subfolder, while the matching video clip is stored as an .MTS file in the STREAM subfolder. Each .cpi file corresponds one-to-one with a .mts clip and carries structured binary metadata such as:
- Video-related information:
- Frame rate (frames per second)
- Image aspect ratio
- Resolution (width and height in pixels)
- Stream format and ID
- Audio-related information:
- Audio compression codec
- Sampling rate
- Number of channels
- Stream ID and format
.cpi files begin with an HDMV ASCII tag at byte offset 0 - a header also shared with .CLPI Blu-ray clip information files - followed by a version identifier that varies by recorder generation.
The .cpi format was developed jointly by Sony and Panasonic as part of the AVCHD standard. .cpi files are essential when playing back footage on the original camera or when importing into applications such as Final Cut Pro or iMovie that expect a complete AVCHD folder structure, including the clipinf directory. If only a single .mts clip needs to be opened or transcoded directly, the associated .cpi file is usually not required.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWAn AVCHD .cpi is an inert metadata file written by your own camcorder - no executable content, low risk. The only practical hazard is user error: do NOT delete or rename .cpi (or the BDMV/CLIPINF folders) on the card, because some editors rely on them to import, and breaking the AVCHD structure can make footage hard to ingest. A .cpi appearing somewhere odd with a double extension (e.g. file.cpi.exe) would be the only thing to treat with suspicion.
Format details
in a nutshell- DOS Code Page Information file - Unrelated MS-DOS/Windows binary holding bitmap console fonts for character sets (e.g. EGA.CPI); a normal system file, not media.
Programs that open CPI files
Windows5 apps
Adobe Premiere Pro
Paid Use Media Browser → navigate to the AVCHD/BDMV root → import; Premiere uses the clip metadata to bring in the .m2ts streams correctly. 
VLC media player
Open-source You don't open the .cpi - open the matching .MTS/.M2TS in the STREAM folder; VLC plays AVCHD video directly without needing the clip-info file. 
Cyberlink PowerDirector
Paid Import the whole AVCHD folder (PRIVATE/AVCHD or BDMV) - PowerDirector reads the .cpi/.mpls to assemble clips for editing. 
Vegas Pro
Paid Import the AVCHD folder; VEGAS (formerly Sony Vegas, now MAGIX) reads AVCHD clip info to edit camcorder footage. 
Corel VideoStudio
Paid Import from the AVCHD camera/folder; reads clip info to manage the imported clips. 
macOS3 apps
VLC media player
Open-source Open the matching .MTS/.M2TS directly to play AVCHD footage; no need to handle the .cpi. 
Apple Final Cut Pro
Paid Import from the AVCHD folder/camera; Final Cut reads AVCHD metadata and transcodes the clips for editing. 
iMovie
Built-in Use Import Media and point it at the AVCHD camera/folder; iMovie ingests the clips using the AVCHD structure. 
Linux2 apps
VLC media player
Open-source Play the .MTS/.M2TS streams directly; VLC handles AVCHD video on Linux too. 
Kdenlive
Open-source Add the .mts/.m2ts clips from the AVCHD folder to the project; Kdenlive edits the video (it relies on the streams, not the .cpi itself). Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Binary metadata sidecar (not a video or audio container) |
| Magic bytes | 0x48 44 4D 56 (ASCII "HDMV") at byte offset 0 |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Folder location | BDMV/CLIPINF/ within the AVCHD directory tree (e.g., PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV/CLIPINF/ on an SD card) |
| File naming convention | Five-digit zero-padded index, e.g., 00001.CPI, mirroring the companion .MTS clip name |
| Companion clip format | One-to-one pairing with an .MTS clip stored in the BDMV/STREAM/ subfolder |
| Video metadata stored | Frame rate, display resolution (width x height), aspect ratio, video stream format and ID |
| Audio metadata stored | Audio codec, sampling rate, channel count, audio stream ID and format |
| Version identifier | Two-byte version field immediately following the HDMV tag; value varies by camera firmware generation |
| Encoding | Fixed-length binary record structure; not XML or plain text |
| Typical file size | A few kilobytes per clip (metadata only - no video or audio essence) |
| Required for camera playback | Yes - camera firmware reads the CLIPINF .CPI to display clip thumbnails and stream properties |
| Required for NLE import | Necessary for AVCHD folder-based import in Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and Premiere Pro; not required to decode a standalone .MTS stream |
| Co-developed by | Sony Corporation and Panasonic as part of the jointly authored AVCHD specification |
| Released | 2006 (Sony/Panasonic AVCHD camcorder standard) |
| Specification | en.wikipedia.org |
CPI conversions
Community Q&A
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