Publisher to MPEG-2 Converter
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Supports: PUB
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Need help?Convert Publisher (PUB) to MPEG-2
A .pub file is a Microsoft Publisher document — a page-layout design made of text boxes, images, and arranged page elements. MPEG-2 is a video standard. These two formats describe completely different kinds of content, so this is a document-to-video conversion, and it is worth being honest about what that actually produces: the tool renders your Publisher page to a still image and wraps it into a short, silent MPEG-2 clip. The result is one frozen page on screen with no motion and no audio. If your goal is to keep the layout readable, MPEG-2 is almost never the right target — convert to PDF or an image instead (links below).
What the Conversion Actually Produces
- A still frame, not a slideshow of your design intent. Each page becomes one static image held on screen for a set duration (the live tool defaults to 5 seconds per frame). A multi-page
.pubbecomes several frames in sequence; a single-page.pubbecomes one long held frame. - No audio. MPEG-2 output from a document carries an empty or absent audio track — there is no sound in a Publisher file to encode.
- Rendering may be imperfect.
.pubis a proprietary, closed Microsoft format. Tools that are not Microsoft Publisher reconstruct the page from a reverse-engineered reader, so fonts, spacing, or effects can shift. If a layout cannot be rendered, you may get a generic placeholder frame rather than your actual design. - No editable text. Once a page is rasterized into a video frame, the text is pixels. You cannot select, search, or re-flow it.
MPEG-2 Format at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard | ISO/IEC 13818 (a.k.a. ITU-T H.262) |
| First published | 1996 |
| Type | Lossy, interlaced or progressive video |
| Original purpose | DVD-Video, digital TV broadcast (cable, satellite, terrestrial) |
| Container here | .mpeg2 / .mpg MPEG program stream |
| Best for | DVD authoring and legacy broadcast hardware |
| Poor fit for | Carrying a static page-layout document |
Better Targets for a Publisher File
Because Microsoft is retiring Publisher after October 1, 2026 and officially recommends exporting .pub files to PDF or Word beforehand, a layout-preserving format is the practical choice for almost every use case:
| You want to… | Convert to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the exact layout, share or print it | Fixed page geometry, selectable text, opens everywhere | |
| Drop a page into a slide, email, or web post | JPG | One flat image per page, universally viewable |
| Keep crisp edges or transparency | PNG | Lossless raster, sharp text edges |
| Make a frozen-page video clip anyway | MPEG-2 (this page) | Only if a target system literally requires a video file |
How to Convert Publisher to MPEG-2
- Upload Your Publisher File: Drag and drop your
.pubfile or click "Add Files." You can queue several at once. - Choose a Merge Strategy: Pick "Merge images" to combine every page into one clip, or "Video per image" to emit a separate MPEG-2 file per page.
- Set Duration and Quality: Adjust how long each page is held under "Duration" (default 5 seconds per frame), then pick a "Quality Preset" and resolution under Advanced Options.
- Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your MPEG-2 video. No sign-up, no watermark. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my Publisher layout look the same in the MPEG-2 video?
It depends on how cleanly the page renders. Because .pub is a proprietary Microsoft format, a non-Publisher renderer reconstructs the page and may shift fonts or spacing. The page that renders becomes a static frame, so whatever you see is then frozen as-is — there is no way to edit it afterward.
Does the MPEG-2 file have any audio?
No. A Publisher document contains no audio, so the output is a silent video. If a downstream player or DVD tool expects an audio track, it will simply find an empty one.
Why would anyone convert a document to MPEG-2 instead of PDF?
In almost every case you should not. The only realistic reason is a target system — older DVD authoring software or broadcast hardware — that accepts a video file and nothing else. For reading, sharing, or printing, convert to PDF instead; it preserves the layout and the selectable text.
Is MPEG-2 the same as MP4?
No. MPEG-2 (ISO/IEC 13818, 1996) is the older DVD-and-broadcast standard. MP4 is a modern container that usually carries H.264 or H.265 and is far better supported on phones, browsers, and editors. For a frozen-page clip, neither is ideal, but MP4 is more widely playable.
What happens with a multi-page Publisher file?
Each page is rendered to its own frame. With "Merge images" selected, the pages play one after another for the duration you set; with "Video per image," you get a separate MPEG-2 file per page. In our testing, a clean single-page .pub produced a one-scene silent clip with the page held full-frame for the chosen duration.
Microsoft is discontinuing Publisher — what should I do with my .pub files?
Microsoft ends support for Publisher after October 1, 2026 and recommends exporting your files first. The most durable choice is PDF for layout and printing, or JPG / PNG for image use. Keep an MPEG-2 export only if a specific video workflow requires it.