Cut MPEG-2

How to Cut MPEG-2 Files Online

1. Upload Your MPEG-2 File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select your .mpeg2, .mpg, .mpeg, or .m2v file. DVD rips, Hauppauge / TiVo broadcast captures, ATSC .ts recordings re-saved as MPEG-2, and camcorder MPEG-PS files all work. Batch is supported.
2. Set Start and End Times: Enter Start Time and Duration (or Start / End) under the Trim section. Times accept plain seconds (e.g. 30.5) or HH:MM:SS.sss format for hour-plus DVD rips and broadcast captures. The cutter snaps near the nearest I-frame; with the default settings it then re-encodes only the GOPs touched at each cut point so the output is frame-accurate.
3. Pick Quality and Codec (Optional): Default keeps MPEG-2 video and MP2 audio for DVD-Video compatibility. Use Quality Preset (Highest → Lowest), Target file size (%), Specific file size (MB), Constant Bitrate, Variable Bitrate, Constant Quality (CRF), or Constraint Quality. To keep DVD authoring tools happy, hold the bitrate at 4-8 Mbit/s — DVD-Video peaks at 9.8 Mbit/s for video and 10.08 Mbit/s total per the spec. For modern playback, switch Video Codec to H.264 or H.265.
4. Cut and Download: Click Cut. Files process in your browser session — no sign-up, no watermark — and download individually or as a ZIP.

Why Cut MPEG-2 Files?

MPEG-2 is the video format of DVD-Video, ATSC and DVB digital TV broadcasts, the original HDV camcorder tapes, and many older PVR / DVR captures. Files are typically .mpg / .mpeg (program stream, used by DVD), .m2v (elementary video), or .ts (transport stream, used by broadcast and HDV). Common reasons to cut MPEG-2:

• Removing commercials from DVR / TiVo / Hauppauge recordings — broadcast captures interleave 4-8 minutes of commercials per half hour. Cutting saves 25-40% of file size and viewing time before archiving.
• Pulling a clip out of a DVD VOB / MPEG-2 rip — extract a single scene, song, or chapter from a 4-8 GB DVD rip without re-authoring the whole disc.
• Trimming HDV camcorder footage — Sony / Canon / JVC HDV tapes capture as 1440×1080 MPEG-2 transport stream at ~25 Mbit/s. Cut out the dead seconds while the camera was settling, the lens cap moments, or off-topic shots before editing.
• Splitting long broadcast captures into per-program files — overnight recordings often span multiple shows. Cut each into its own file so titles, dates, and durations are accurate when imported into Plex / Jellyfin / Emby.
• Preparing a clip for re-authoring to DVD — if you're burning back to DVD-Video, keep MPEG-2 / MP2 at 4-8 Mbit/s so the output stays inside the 9.8 Mbit/s DVD video ceiling and works with authoring tools like DVDStyler.
• Repacking for modern playback — phones, browsers, and modern smart TVs don't always decode MPEG-2 cleanly. Cut the segment you need and re-encode to H.264 or H.265 in the same pass.

MPEG-2 Container and Extension Variants

Extension	Container	Typical source	Notes
.mpg / .mpeg	MPEG Program Stream	DVD VOBs, video editor exports	DVD-Video stores these as .vob on disc
.m2v	MPEG-2 elementary video	DVD authoring intermediates	Video only — no audio track
.ts / .m2ts	MPEG-2 Transport Stream	ATSC / DVB broadcast, HDV tapes, Blu-ray (.m2ts)	188-byte packets, robust to errors
.vob	DVD-Video container	Direct DVD rip	MPEG-2 PS plus DVD-specific data

Bitrate Targets by Output Use

Use case	Codec	Target bitrate	Why
Re-author to DVD-Video	MPEG-2	4-8 Mbit/s	DVD spec caps video at 9.8 Mbit/s, total 10.08 Mbit/s
Archive broadcast capture	MPEG-2	6-12 Mbit/s	ATSC over-the-air peaks at 19.39 Mbit/s
Web / modern playback	H.264	2-5 Mbit/s @ 1080p	~50% smaller than MPEG-2 at same quality
Smallest file, modern device	H.265 / HEVC	1.5-3 Mbit/s @ 1080p	~40% smaller than H.264
Editor intermediate	MPEG-2	15-25 Mbit/s	Matches HDV / DV intermediate workflows

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the cut snap to a keyframe (I-frame)?

MPEG-2 typically uses a 12-18 frame GOP — about 0.4-0.6 seconds at 25-30 fps — so I-frames are roughly half a second apart. Cutting exactly between two arbitrary frames requires re-encoding the GOPs that contain the cut points; only the rest of the stream is copied. XConvert does this automatically so the output is frame-accurate at the times you entered. If you set cuts directly on I-frame boundaries, the encoder has even less work to do.

Can I cut without re-encoding to keep 100% original quality?

Pure stream-copy MPEG-2 cutting only works at GOP boundaries, which is rarely where you actually want to cut. XConvert performs a smart-render-style cut: copies most of the stream losslessly and only re-encodes the GOPs at the start and end cut points, so the rest of the video is bit-identical to the source. To keep the re-encoded edges visually identical, pick the Highest Quality Preset or Constant Quality (CRF) at a low value.

What time format should I enter for long DVD rips or broadcast captures?

Use HH:MM:SS.sss for anything over a few minutes. A 90-minute DVD rip is far easier to handle as 01:23:45.500 than as 5025.5 seconds. For short clips, plain seconds (30.5) are fine. The cutter accepts both.

Will cutting break DVD-Video compatibility if I want to re-author to disc?

No, as long as you keep the defaults: MPEG-2 video, MP2 or AC-3 audio, and bitrate inside the DVD spec (≤9.8 Mbit/s video, ≤10.08 Mbit/s total). Per the DVD-Video specification, NTSC discs are 720×480 at 29.97 fps and PAL discs are 720×576 at 25 fps. If you change resolution or codec, the file is still a valid MPEG-2 clip but is no longer DVD-Video compliant.

Should I cut as MPEG-2 or convert to MP4 / MKV in the same pass?

If you're archiving back to DVD or feeding a tool that expects MPEG-2 (DVDStyler, older NLEs, some PVR software), keep the output as MPEG-2. If you're sending the clip to a phone, posting to the web, or archiving to a Plex / Jellyfin library, switch the output to MP4 / H.264 or MKV / H.265 in the same step — it's a single re-encode pass and the file is 40-60% smaller. See MPEG-2 to MP4 or MPEG-2 to MKV if you want to convert without trimming.

My MPEG-2 file is from a TV recording and has multiple audio tracks (English / Spanish / SAP). Will they all be preserved?

When the output stays MPEG-2, all original audio tracks (multi-language, SAP, descriptive audio) carry through. If you switch the output to MP4, only the primary track is reliably preserved — MP4 supports multi-track audio but many players default to the first track only. Stick with MPEG-2 or MKV output for multi-audio sources.

Can I cut a .vob file directly from a DVD rip?

Yes — .vob is MPEG-2 program stream with DVD-specific extras. The cutter accepts .vob as MPEG-2 input. If you have a multi-.vob set (VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, VTS_01_3.VOB) representing a single title, concatenate them first or use VOB cutter. DVD subtitle and chapter information is dropped on cut — keep the original DVD if those matter.

Can I trim multiple files in one job?

Yes — drop in several MPEG-2 files and set per-file or shared cut points. Each file processes in its own pass and downloads individually or as a single ZIP. Useful for trimming an entire season of DVR captures at once, or for splitting a multi-episode tape transfer into per-episode files.

Why is my output file larger than the equivalent H.264 clip would be?

MPEG-2 is a 1990s codec. At the same visible quality, H.264 produces files roughly half the size and H.265 / HEVC roughly 40% smaller again. MPEG-2's advantage is universal compatibility with DVD authoring tools, broadcast-era hardware, and legacy PVRs. If you don't need that compatibility, compress the MPEG-2 to lower its bitrate, or convert to MP4 for a smaller modern-codec output.