VOB to AV1 Converter

How to Convert VOB to AV1 Online

1. Upload Your VOB File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select VOB files from your computer. DVDs split a title across multiple VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB segments (DVD-Video caps each at 1 GiB) — upload them all in one batch and they convert in parallel.
2. Pick a Quality Preset or Target Size: AV1 defaults to the Very High (Recommended) preset under File Compression. Pick Constant Quality and dial CRF 0-63 (28-32 is the AV1 sweet spot for DVD-sourced 480p/576p), set a Specific file size in MB, or use Constant Bitrate / Variable Bitrate for streaming targets.
3. Resize, Trim, or Keep Original (Optional): Under Video resolution, keep the original 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL), choose a Preset Resolution (480p, 720p, 1080p), scale by Resolution Percentage, or set a custom Width x Height. Use Trim with a Time Range to drop DVD menu chapters, FBI warnings, or ads.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert". Files are encoded on our servers (AV1 is CPU-heavy — encoding a 1 GiB VOB to AV1 commonly takes longer than the clip itself), then the finished .av1 or .mkv-wrapped file downloads to your device.

Why Convert VOB to AV1?

VOB is the DVD-Video container defined by the DVD Forum: MPEG-2 video plus AC-3, DTS, or LPCM audio, multiplexed with subtitle and menu navigation data, then chopped into 1 GiB segments to stay compatible with operating systems that couldn't read larger files. A 2-hour DVD typically weighs 4-8 GB of MPEG-2. AV1, the Alliance for Open Media codec finalized in 2018, encodes the same picture at roughly 30% lower bitrate than HEVC and 50% lower than H.264 at matched quality, while staying royalty-free. Re-encoding lets you shrink an old DVD rip without re-buying the disc.

• Massive size savings on DVD rips — A 4 GB VOB folder typically lands around 600 MB-1 GB as AV1 at CRF 30 with minimal visible loss for 480p SD content at typical viewing distances, freeing terabytes if you're archiving a film collection.
• Streamable to a modern browser — Chrome 70+, Firefox 67+, and Edge play AV1 natively in MP4 or MKV; Safari 17+ plays AV1 on iOS 17+ / macOS Sonoma (macOS 14) on A17 Pro and M3-class hardware. VOB does not stream over HTTP — browsers can't open a .vob file directly.
• Hardware-decoded on 2022+ devices — Intel Arc / Xe-LP+, AMD RDNA 2 (RX 6000-series) and newer, NVIDIA RTX 30-series and newer, Apple M3 / A17 Pro, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2+ all have dedicated AV1 decode blocks, so playback is energy-efficient on laptops and phones.
• Future-proof archival — VOB requires MPEG-2 decoders (royalty-bearing until 2018, deprecated from many modern OS bundles); AV1 is royalty-free by design and adopted by Netflix (30% of streams as of December 2025) and YouTube (8K is AV1-only), so playback support is growing, not shrinking.
• Removes DVD navigation cruft — Re-encoding strips .IFO chapter tables, region codes, and forced menu loops; you get a single clean file instead of a directory of .VOB, .IFO, and .BUP siblings.

If you need a more compatible target with broader playback (Apple TV, older Chromecasts, smart TVs from before 2022), convert VOB to MP4 with H.264 instead. To keep DVD menu/chapter structure, VOB to MKV is the better archival container.

VOB vs AV1 — Format Comparison

AV1 Rate-Control Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does AV1 encoding take so much longer than H.264?

AV1's bitstream is dramatically more complex — it supports larger block partitions, more intra prediction modes, and warped-motion / global-motion tools that H.264 doesn't have. That complexity is what gives AV1 its compression edge, but it means the encoder has to evaluate many more options per macroblock. Even modern AV1 encoders (libaom, SVT-AV1, rav1e) run 5-20x slower than x264 on the same CPU. We run the encode server-side so your browser stays responsive; expect a 2-hour DVD to take roughly that long to convert, sometimes longer.

Will my old DVD player play the AV1 output?

No. Standalone DVD players, Blu-ray players older than 2022, and most TVs older than 2022 do not support AV1. If you need disc-player compatibility, convert VOB to MP4 (H.264) or keep the VOB files as-is. AV1 is for streaming, browser playback, and archival on modern hardware.

Should I pick CRF 28 or CRF 32 for a DVD rip?

DVD source is 480p (NTSC) or 576p (PAL) at 4-9 Mbps MPEG-2 — already moderately lossy. CRF 28 will produce a near-transparent AV1 encode (no perceptible quality loss vs source); CRF 32 yields a noticeably smaller file with minor softening that most viewers won't catch on a phone or laptop screen. We recommend CRF 30 as a balanced default. Bumping to CRF 35 makes sense only if you're tight on storage and watching on small screens.

Does this convert encrypted commercial DVDs?

No. We only re-encode the VOB stream you upload. If your VOB files come from an encrypted retail DVD, you'll need to decrypt them first using a tool like MakeMKV or HandBrake on your own machine — and you should only do that on discs you legally own where the law allows (DMCA exemptions and laws vary by country). Files ripped from home-recorded DVDs or unencrypted discs work directly.

What audio codec does the output use?

By default we pair AV1 video with Opus or AAC audio inside an MKV or MP4 container. VOB's original AC-3 (Dolby Digital 5.1) or DTS audio gets re-encoded; multi-channel layouts (5.1) are preserved when the source includes them. If you need lossless audio passthrough, pick FLAC under audio codec settings.

Can I keep the DVD's subtitle tracks?

VOB stores subtitles as "subpictures" — bitmap overlays inside the video stream rather than text. Our converter does not currently extract or burn in subpictures during the AV1 encode. If subtitles are critical, rip them first with a tool like SubtitleEdit or HandBrake's OCR, then upload the result as a separate .srt alongside, or use an MKV-based workflow with VOB to MKV which preserves subtitle tracks better.

How big should my AV1 file be compared to the VOB?

For a typical 2-hour DVD at 720x480 with 6 Mbps MPEG-2 (about 5.4 GB total), AV1 at CRF 30 generally lands between 600 MB and 1.2 GB depending on motion complexity. Animated content compresses tighter; live-action with grain or fast motion sits at the higher end. A film with heavy film grain may need CRF 26-28 to preserve detail, pushing the file to 1.5-2 GB.

Why is my browser not playing the AV1 file?

AV1 playback needs Chrome 70+, Firefox 67+, Edge 75+, or Safari 17+ on M3 / A17 Pro hardware. If you're on older Safari or an Apple device without a dedicated AV1 decoder, software fallback exists but is slow and battery-hungry. The container also matters: AV1-in-MP4 plays in Chrome and Safari; AV1-in-WebM is Chrome/Firefox only and won't open in Safari. If playback fails, try converting AV1 back to MP4 with H.264 for universal compatibility, or compress the AV1 further if file size is the issue.

Can I just trim a section of the VOB instead of converting the whole disc?

Yes. Use the Trim controls with Time Range to pick a start and end — useful for extracting a single chapter, dropping the FBI/Interpol warnings, or skipping the DVD menu loop. For frame-accurate cuts on the source VOB without re-encoding to AV1 first, Trim VOB is a faster lossless option.