MPEG to VOB Converter

What happens when you convert MPEG to VOB

• If the video inside the MPEG is already MPEG-2, the tool first copies the streams straight into the VOB. That takes seconds and loses nothing.
• If a copy is not possible, it re-encodes to MPEG-2 video with Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio at 48 kHz, the streams a DVD uses, which is slow in a browser: expect several times the video's length for HD footage, less at lower resolutions.
• The picture keeps its size, and frame rates other than 25 and 29.97 are changed to the nearer one, because DVD video only has those two. A set-top DVD player also needs 720 by 576 (PAL) or 720 by 480 (NTSC) inside a disc structure, so to burn a DVD, give the VOB to DVD authoring software such as DVDStyler.

How to convert MPEG to VOB online

1. Press "Choose MPEG files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
2. Adjust the settings if you need to: resolution and quality control the size of the result. The defaults suit most people.
3. Press "Convert to VOB". The first audio or video conversion downloads the converter engine, about 32 MB, which your browser then keeps for next time.
4. Save each VOB with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.

Why convert MPEG to VOB?

MPEG files usually come from DVD-era video, Video CDs and older camcorders. People convert them to VOB because VOB is the file type DVD authoring software and DVD players work with.

In short, MPEG is good at what it was made for, and VOB is the more practical choice when the file has to play, upload or edit somewhere else. MPEG does not play in most browsers; plays in VLC and desktop players, while VOB does not play in browsers; plays in VLC and DVD software.

How to convert MPEG to VOB on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

On Windows

Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your MPEG files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each VOB is saved to your Downloads folder. If you prefer a desktop program, VLC can also convert MPEG to VOB: choose Media, then Convert / Save.

On a Mac

Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the MPEG files from Finder onto the drop zone and the VOB files land in Downloads.

On iPhone and iPad

Open the page in Safari and tap Choose MPEG files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted VOB appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Video.

On Android

Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose MPEG files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The VOB is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it. Keep the screen on while a long video converts, because Android may pause a tab in the background.

Best settings for MPEG to VOB

VOB is written as MPEG-2 video with Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio at 48 kHz, the streams a DVD uses. The Resolution setting is the one to reach for: 1080p keeps full HD detail, 720p is plenty for phones and laptops and roughly halves the size, and 480p suits email and old devices. Leave Resolution on Keep original and Quality on Standard, and an MPEG whose video is already MPEG-2 is copied into the VOB rather than re-encoded, which is fast and loses nothing.

The quality levels map to the H.264 CRF scale where the target uses H.264, and to fixed high-quality settings for older codecs such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Part 2, WMV and Theora. Re-encoding always costs a little detail, so convert from the best copy of the MPEG you have.

MPEG vs VOB: the differences

About MPEG and VOB files

What is an MPEG file?

MPEG-2 is the video format of DVDs and broadcast TV. It needs roughly twice the bitrate of H.264 for the same picture, so converting to MP4 usually shrinks the file a lot.

What is a VOB file?

VOB files are the video chunks inside a DVD's VIDEO_TS folder, each capped at 1 GB, so one film is split across several. Commercial DVDs are encrypted and will not convert; home-burned discs will.

MPEG to VOB not working? Common problems

• The conversion is slow. Audio and container changes take seconds, but re-encoding video runs on your own processor. Lower the resolution to 720p, close other tabs, and keep the device plugged in.
• The tab stops or reloads on a very large file. Browsers limit how much memory one tab can use, around 2 GB and less on phones. Split long recordings or convert them on a computer.
• The VOB will not play on an old device. Try the other formats offered for MPEG, or choose 720p, which older players handle more reliably.

Convert MPEG to VOB with ffmpeg

This converter runs ffmpeg inside your browser. If you would rather use the ffmpeg command line on your own computer, this command produces an equivalent VOB with the same kind of settings:

ffmpeg -i input.mpeg -c:v mpeg2video -q:v 3 -c:a ac3 -b:a 192k -ar 48000 -f vob output.vob

Replace input.mpeg with the name of your file. For a whole folder of MPEG files, run the command in a loop, or drop them all on the converter above, which processes them one after another.