XCF to VOB

How to Convert XCF to VOB Online

1. Upload Your XCF Files: Drag and drop into the upload box or click "+ Add Files" to pick GIMP project files. Batch is supported — every XCF you add becomes a frame (or its own clip) in the rendered VOB.
2. Pick Merge Strategy and Image Duration: Under "Merge strategy," choose "Merge images" to combine every XCF into one continuous VOB, or "Video per image" to emit one VOB per file. Under "Image Duration," set how long each frame holds — presets cover 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 seconds, with sub-second options for animation timing.
3. Set Resolution and Background Color (Optional): Under "Video resolution," keep original or enter the DVD targets — 720×480 for NTSC, 720×576 for PAL. Pick a "Background Color" (white, black, navy, gray, etc.) so transparent regions of the XCF render to a solid fill instead of dropping to MPEG-2's default.
4. Tune Compression and Convert: Under "File Compression," choose a Quality Preset (Highest through Lowest), Constant Bitrate (DVD-Video allows up to 9.8 Mbit/s for the video stream), Variable Bitrate, or Constant Quality (CRF) 1. Click "Convert," then download the VOB. 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 VOB?

XCF is GIMP's native project format, first released on December 15, 1997, and it stores everything GIMP knows about an image — every layer, channel, path, selection, and guide — in one editable container 2. VOB is the opposite end of the pipeline: it's the DVD-Video object container based on MPEG program stream, the file you place inside VIDEO_TS/ so a standalone DVD player will read the disc 3. Going from one to the other is how you turn a layered design (a wedding album page, a memorial slide, a movie title card) into something a 20-year-old DVD player can actually play.

• Burn photo slideshows for set-top DVD players — VOB is the only video container DVD authoring tools (DVDStyler, DVD Flick, ImgBurn) accept without re-encoding. Hand them a properly sized VOB and they wrap it in VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_*.VOB plus the IFO/BUP files, with no second transcode.
• Archive editable GIMP designs as playable media — Family albums, scanned art, infographics, and layered posters that live in XCF stay editable in GIMP forever, but a VOB copy plays on smart TVs and car DVD systems that don't speak XCF.
• Build title cards and end slates for DVD authoring — A still XCF rendered to a 5-second VOB drops cleanly into DVDStyler's timeline as an intro or outro chapter, sitting alongside MPEG-2 footage at the same 9.8 Mbit/s ceiling.
• Distribute presentations on physical media — Trade-show kiosks, museum loops, and conference halls still run discs. A VOB encoded at 720×480 (NTSC) or 720×576 (PAL) loops on commodity hardware without a network or a player app.
• Convert at the right resolution from one source — XCF can hold huge canvases (GIMP 2.10+ removed the old 4 GB layer ceiling); the converter scales down to the DVD-Video raster (720×480 or 720×576, 4:3 or 16:9) so a 6000-pixel-wide poster doesn't ship as a stretched, off-spec MPEG-2.
• Pair with audio later in a DVD authoring tool — VOB is a multiplex container, but this converter outputs a silent video VOB. Drop it into DVDStyler, add an AC-3 or PCM track, and burn — the standard DVD-Video audio path.

XCF vs VOB — Format Comparison

DVD-Video Resolution & Bitrate Quick Guide

For non-DVD targets, see XCF to PNG, XCF to JPG, or XCF to PDF. To produce a slideshow VOB from already-flattened images, JPG to VOB, PNG to VOB, and BMP to VOB skip the GIMP-flattening step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are GIMP layers preserved in the VOB?

No. VOB is a video container, so each XCF is flattened to a single composited frame before encoding. If you need the layered original, keep the XCF — VOB is a one-way render. Layer effects, masks, and blend modes all bake into the visible composite that GIMP would show on its canvas.

What resolution should I pick for DVD playback?

Match the DVD-Video spec exactly: 720×480 for NTSC (North America, Japan) or 720×576 for PAL (most of Europe, Australia, much of Asia). Authoring tools will reject or re-encode anything else. If your XCF is much larger, the converter scales it down; if it's much smaller, it pads to the target — set "Background Color" so the padding isn't an unexpected color.

What's the max bitrate I should set?

DVD-Video caps the video stream at 9.80 Mbit/s and the combined video + audio multiplex at about 10.08 Mbit/s. For a still-image slideshow VOB, 6–8 Mbit/s CBR is plenty — there's almost no inter-frame motion to encode, and going higher just wastes disc space without improving picture quality.

Will the VOB include audio?

No. This converter produces a silent video VOB from the XCF input. To add audio, drop the VOB into a DVD authoring tool (DVDStyler, DVD Flick, or similar) and attach an AC-3, PCM, MP2, or DTS track during the authoring step — those four are the DVD-Video standard audio codecs.

Can I burn the VOB straight to a DVD that plays in any player?

Not directly. A playable DVD needs the full VIDEO_TS/ folder structure: VOB files plus IFO (information) and BUP (backup) sidecar files. Use a DVD authoring tool to wrap the VOB into that structure, then burn the resulting ISO or folder with ImgBurn, Brasero, or your operating system's built-in burner.

Why is my VOB output split into multiple files?

The DVD-Video spec breaks VOB streams into 1 GiB chunks so older 32-bit systems can read them, and authoring tools reassemble the parts on playback. Long slideshows or high-bitrate encodes will hit that boundary and produce more than one file — that's expected behavior, not corruption.

Should I use NTSC or PAL?

Pick the standard your target player and TV speak. NTSC at 29.97 fps is the norm in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. PAL at 25 fps covers most of Europe, Australia, India, and large parts of Africa. Modern multi-region DVD players read both, but legacy car DVD systems and older home decks may reject the wrong region's signal.

How long should each XCF show on screen?

For a paced photo slideshow, 5 seconds per frame is a common default — long enough to read a caption or take in a composition, short enough to keep momentum. Bump to 7–10 seconds for designs with dense detail (maps, family-tree pages, infographics) or drop to 1–3 seconds for animation-style flicker effects. The "Image Duration" preset has both ranges plus sub-second options.

Can I convert a multi-page GIMP project (one XCF per slide) in one pass?

Yes. Upload every XCF together and set "Merge strategy" to "Merge images" — the output is a single VOB with each XCF appearing for the duration you set, in upload order. "Video per image" produces one VOB per XCF, which is what you want when each slide becomes a separate DVD chapter.