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Video format

VOB converter

A .vob file is a Video Object from a DVD's VIDEO_TS folder, holding the disc's actual movie data. Each .vob multiplexes MPEG-2 video, audio, subtitle subpictures, and navigation commands, split into pieces of about one gigabyte to satisfy the DVD specification.

Private for supported formats — processed in your browser

Convert supported files

Runs on your device

Drop VOB files here

Batch files can each use a different output. Nothing uploads for local conversions.

Working inputs include camera RAW, browser-local audio/video, PDF, CBZ/CBR comics, office documents, ebooks, markup, 3D models, structured text, images, and archives.

Where VOB comes from

The DVD-Video specification that defines VOB files was finalized by the DVD Forum in 1996, with the first players and discs reaching Japan that November. The format outlived expectations, remaining the dominant movie medium for over a decade until streaming and Blu-ray displaced it.

How VOB works

  • An MPEG-2 program stream variant extended with navigation packs (PCI/DSI) that DVD players use for menus and seeking
  • Video is MPEG-2 at up to 9.8 Mbps, 720x480 for NTSC or 720x576 for PAL
  • Audio tracks may be AC-3, DTS, LPCM, or MP2, with up to eight per title
  • Subtitles are stored as bitmap subpictures, up to 32 selectable streams
  • Commercial discs add CSS encryption, which home-burned discs lack

When to use VOB

  • Backing up home-movie DVDs before the media degrades
  • Converting wedding and event discs to MP4 for sharing
  • Extracting soundtrack audio from concert discs
  • Joining a title's split VOB segments into one continuous file

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Contains the disc's content exactly as authored, with all tracks intact
  • MPEG-2 decodes in any desktop player without licensing hurdles
  • Multiple audio languages and subtitle streams survive the rip

Limitations

  • Files split at roughly 1 GB boundaries and must be rejoined for continuous playback
  • CSS encryption blocks direct conversion of commercial discs
  • Interlaced MPEG-2 content needs deinterlacing to look right on modern screens

Compatibility

VLC and most desktop players open .vob files directly, but phones, TVs, and browsers do not, since the format assumes a DVD player's navigation logic. Home-burned discs convert freely to MP4, while retail discs carry CSS encryption.

None inside the VOB itself; titles, chapters, and menu logic live in the accompanying IFO files on the disc.

Convert VOB to another format

Convert other formats to VOB