XCF to MPEG

How to Convert XCF to MPEG Online

1. Upload Your XCF Files: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select one or more GIMP project files (.xcf). Batch is supported — every layered project becomes a frame in the output video.
2. Pick Merge Strategy and Image Duration: Under "Merge strategy," choose "Merge images" to stitch all uploads into one MPEG slideshow, or "Video per image" to emit one MPEG per XCF. Set "Duration" per image (defaults to 5 seconds; presets cover fractions of a second through 10 seconds).
3. Set File Compression and Background Color (Optional): Under "File Compression," pick "Quality Preset" (Highest → Lowest), "Target file size (%)", "Specific file size", "Constant Bitrate", "Variable Bitrate", "Constant Quality" (CRF), or "Constraint Quality". Under "Background Color," pick a fill (default Black) shown wherever the flattened XCF doesn't cover the frame.
4. Set Resolution, Convert and Download: Under "Video resolution," keep original dimensions, choose a fixed preset (480p / 720p / 1080p / 4K), or enter a custom Width × Height. Click "Convert" and download. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared.

Why Convert XCF to MPEG?

XCF is GIMP's native project format, released December 15, 1997 and named after the eXperimental Computing Facility at UC Berkeley where GIMP originated. It's a single-app format — Krita and Photopea read it, ImageMagick reads only single-layer non-indexed images, and almost nothing else opens it natively. MPEG (MPEG program stream, the same container behind .mpg) is the opposite: MPEG-1 is one of the most widely supported audio/video formats ever shipped, and MPEG-2 is the encoding standard for DVD-Video. Turning a stack of XCF compositions into an MPEG slideshow is how you make GIMP work playable on hardware GIMP can't reach.

• DVD-Video authoring — DVD-Video uses MPEG-2 program stream wrapped as VOB at up to 9.8 Mbit/s video / 10.08 Mbit/s total. An MPEG output from layered XCF storyboards drops cleanly into DVD authoring tools (DVDStyler, ffmpeg -target dvd).
• Set-top boxes and old TVs — Standalone DVD players, older Blu-ray players, and many smart-TV USB media players still decode MPEG-1/2 reliably even when they choke on H.265, AV1, or modern MP4 profiles.
• Kiosk and digital-signage hardware — Long-deployed signage players (some still running embedded Linux from the mid-2000s) ship MPEG-2 decoders in firmware; an MPEG slideshow plays without codec packs.
• VLC, Windows Media Player, QuickTime fallback — When recipients can't install software, MPEG is the safe bet: every desktop player decodes it without extras, and any MPEG-2 decoder can also play MPEG-1.
• Stop-motion and frame-by-frame projects — Animators who paint each cel as a separate XCF (with non-destructive layers preserved) can publish the timed sequence as MPEG with a chosen per-frame duration without exporting to PNG first.
• Long-archive masters — MPEG-1/2 are mature, frozen ISO/IEC standards (ISO/IEC 11172 and 13818); files written today will still decode in 20 years even if H.266/VVC adoption stalls.

If you need a more modern container, see XCF to MP4 (H.264 in MP4 for web/mobile) or XCF to WebM (VP9/AV1 for browsers). The output here is MPEG; for the identical conversion under the alternate extension see XCF to MPG.

XCF vs MPEG — Format Comparison

MPEG-1 vs MPEG-2 — Which Encoding to Pick

xconvert's default codec selection produces an MPEG-PS output suited to standalone playback. If you specifically need DVD-spec MPEG-2, see XCF to MPEG-2.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MPEG the same as MPG?

Yes. Both extensions identify the same MPEG program stream container defined in MPEG-1 Part 1 / MPEG-2 Part 1. .mpg was historically used because old DOS/Windows file systems were limited to three-character extensions; .mpeg is the longer modern form. Players treat them identically. xconvert exposes both: this page outputs .mpeg, XCF to MPG outputs .mpg.

Will the output play on a regular DVD player?

The MPEG file by itself plays on most DVD players that support data-disc playback (a USB stick or DVD-R with .mpeg files). To make it play as a standard DVD-Video disc — with menus and chapter support that any DVD player loads — you also need to author it: burn the MPEG-2 program stream into a VIDEO_TS folder using DVDStyler, DVD Flick, or ffmpeg's -target dvd flag. xconvert produces the MPEG; authoring is a separate step.

Are GIMP layers preserved or flattened?

XCF projects are flattened on the way in — every layer, mask, and adjustment is composited to a single image frame, then that frame becomes one second (or however long you set "Image Duration") of MPEG video. If you need to keep layers editable, keep the XCF source and only use the MPEG as an export. The original XCF is untouched.

What about transparency? My XCF has alpha channels.

MPEG-PS doesn't carry an alpha channel, so transparent regions are filled with the "Background Color" you pick (default Black). If your composition relies on transparency over an external background, choose a chroma-key color (lime green is conventional) and key it out in your editor afterward. For true alpha output, export to a format that supports it — PNG via XCF to PNG or a modern video format with alpha (ProRes 4444, VP9 alpha) is a better fit than MPEG.

How long can each XCF show on screen?

The "Duration" control sets per-image display time. Presets range from 1/60 second (one frame at 60 fps) up to 10 seconds, with common slideshow values like 3, 5, and 7 seconds. For a 12-image batch at 5 seconds each you get a one-minute MPEG. There's no soft limit on combined duration, only the practical upload/processing budget.

What resolution should I pick for DVD-compatible output?

DVD-Video specifies 720×480 (NTSC, 29.97 fps) or 720×576 (PAL, 25 fps). For DVD authoring choose those exact dimensions in the "Video resolution" → "Width x Height" fields and pair them with XCF to MPEG-2 so the output is DVD-spec MPEG-2 rather than generic MPEG-1. For desktop/web playback any preset (720p, 1080p) works — DVD specs are only relevant if you're actually burning a Video DVD.

Why is the MPEG output much larger than my XCF files?

XCF stores compressed pixels for a small number of stills; MPEG encodes those stills repeatedly across every frame of video duration. A 5-second slideshow at 25 fps is 125 encoded frames per still, so even at high compression MPEG output dwarfs the source XCF set. To shrink it, lower the Quality Preset, switch File Compression to "Variable Bitrate" with a target average around 2–4 Mbit/s, or drop resolution from 1080p to 720p.

Can I add background music or narration?

Not from this page — xconvert's image-to-video flow generates a silent MPEG. Add audio after conversion in any video editor (DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut, Kdenlive, OpenShot are all free) by importing the MPEG plus your audio track and re-rendering. If you only need a soundtrack mixed and trimmed, see xconvert's Audio Cutter for prep work.

Should I use MPEG or switch to MP4?

For modern playback (browsers, phones, social media, cloud storage previews) pick MP4 — see XCF to MP4. MP4 with H.264 decodes natively in every browser and gets you ~10× better compression at the same visual quality. Choose MPEG only when the target is a standalone DVD player, a legacy hardware decoder, an older signage box, or a long-archive copy where format stability outweighs file size.