Trim VOB

How to Trim a VOB File Online

1. Upload Your VOB File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to load a VOB ripped from a VIDEO_TS folder. The tool accepts the multi-gigabyte single-VOB rips produced by HandBrake or MakeMKV as well as the 1 GiB segmented files (VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, etc.) that come straight off a DVD.
2. Set the Trim Range: Open "Trim" and pick "Time Range," then enter a start time and a duration. The page accepts hours/minutes/seconds/milliseconds or plain seconds — e.g. start 00:02:00.000 with duration 01:30:00.000 to keep a 90-minute feature after skipping the 2-minute FBI warning.
3. Adjust File Compression (Optional): Default is Original quality. Choose a "Quality Preset" (Highest, Very High, High, Medium, Low, Very Low, Lowest), target a "Specific file size" in MB or KB, set "Target file size (%)", or fine-tune with "Constant Quality" (CRF) for MPEG-2 / MPEG-4, "Constant Bitrate," "Variable Bitrate," or "Constraint Quality."
4. Resize and Download: Under "Video resolution" keep the original DVD frame size (720x480 NTSC or 720x576 PAL), pick a preset (1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p), enter exact width/height, or scale by percentage. Click "Trim." The cut runs in your browser session — no sign-up, no watermark, files cleared on close.

Why Trim a VOB File?

VOB (Video OBject) is the DVD-Video container defined in the DVD Forum's DVD-Video Book. It is a constrained MPEG program stream multiplexing MPEG-2 (or MPEG-1) video, AC-3 / DTS / MPEG-1 Audio Layer II / linear PCM audio, subpicture (subtitle) streams, and DVD navigation packs into a single file. Because the DVD-Video spec caps each VOB segment at 1 GiB (1,073,741,824 bytes), feature films routinely live across VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, VTS_01_3.VOB and so on inside the VIDEO_TS folder. Trimming lets you carve out the segment you actually want without re-authoring the whole DVD.

• Skip the FBI / Interpol warning and trailers — Most commercial DVDs lead with 60-120 seconds of unskippable copyright notices and previews. A start offset of 120 s on the first title VOB removes them in one pass.
• Extract one chapter from a ripped disc — When you rip a DVD with MakeMKV or DVD Decrypter, each title arrives as one or more VOBs. Use the chapter timestamp from the IFO file as your start, and the next chapter offset as your end, to isolate that scene.
• Cut end credits or post-credits stingers — Trim from 0 to the credit roll start to drop several minutes of unused tail before archiving.
• Stay inside the DVD-Video spec for re-authoring — Authoring tools like DVDStyler and IfoEdit expect MPEG-2 in a program-stream VOB. Trimming as VOB keeps the file ready for burning back to a DVD-R without a transcode pass.
• Stitch together a highlight reel from a TV box set — Pull a 30-90 second clip from each disc, then merge them in a separate pass.
• Reduce a backup library — A two-hour MPEG-2 VOB at 6 Mbit/s is roughly 5.4 GB. Trimming the bonus features and language tracks you don't need cuts archive size dramatically.

VOB vs MP4 vs MKV — Container Comparison

Property	VOB	MP4	MKV
Container family	MPEG program stream (constrained)	ISO base media (MPEG-4 Part 14)	Matroska
Video codecs allowed	MPEG-1, MPEG-2 only	H.264, H.265, AV1, VP9, MPEG-4 ASP	Anything (H.264, H.265, AV1, VP9, MPEG-2, ...)
Audio codecs allowed	AC-3, DTS, MPEG-1/2 Audio, LPCM	AAC, AC-3, MP3, ALAC, Opus	Anything (AAC, AC-3, DTS, FLAC, Opus, ...)
Max single file size	1 GiB (DVD spec)	4 GiB classic / unlimited with 64-bit atoms	Unlimited
Subtitle support	Subpicture bitmap streams only	Timed text (mov_text), VobSub	SRT, SSA/ASS, VobSub, PGS
Chapter markers	In companion IFO, not inside VOB	Native (chap atom)	Native
Use case	DVD-Video discs, re-authoring	Streaming, mobile, web, social	Archival, multi-track encodes

DVD Specifications Cheat Sheet

Property	Value	Source
DVD-Video governing body	DVD Forum	DVD-Video Book spec
DVD-5 (single layer) capacity	4.7 GB (4.38 GiB)	DVD spec
DVD-9 (dual layer) capacity	8.5 GB (7.92 GiB)	DVD spec
Max video bitrate (MPEG-2)	9.8 Mbit/s	DVD-Video spec
Max video bitrate (MPEG-1)	1.856 Mbit/s	DVD-Video spec
Combined max bitrate	10.08 Mbit/s	DVD-Video spec
Per-VOB file cap	1 GiB	DVD-Video Book
Max audio tracks	8	DVD-Video spec
Max subpicture (subtitle) tracks	32	DVD-Video spec
NTSC resolution	720x480 @ 29.97 fps	DVD-Video spec
PAL resolution	720x576 @ 25 fps	DVD-Video spec
Aspect ratios	4:3 and 16:9 anamorphic	DVD-Video spec

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my DVD movie split into VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, and VTS_01_3.VOB?

The DVD-Video spec caps a single VOB at 1 GiB, so the authoring software splits longer titles across consecutive numbered segments. The IFO file in the same folder tells a DVD player how to chain them for seamless playback. When you trim, upload only the segment that contains your target timecode, or merge them first with a tool that can concatenate MPEG program streams.

How do I find the start time of a specific chapter?

Open the title in VLC (Media > Open Disc, point at your VIDEO_TS folder) or in MPV with --chapter-merge-threshold, then check the chapter time in the player. Most DVD rippers also export a chapter map (chapters.txt) alongside the VOB. Plug that timestamp into the start field — VOB timestamps line up with what your player shows because the navigation packs are preserved during ripping.

Will the AC-3 5.1 surround track survive the trim?

Yes — if you keep the default Original codec settings, the audio stream is copied verbatim. If you change "Audio codec" to a stereo-only choice (MP3, MP2) the surround mix is downmixed to 2.0. To preserve Dolby Digital 5.1 for re-authoring, leave the audio codec at AC-3 / Default.

Should I trim as VOB or convert to MP4 first?

If you plan to re-burn a DVD or load the clip into DVDStyler / IfoEdit, trim as VOB so the file stays in MPEG-2 program-stream form. If the clip is destined for a phone, the web, or a video editor like Premiere or DaVinci Resolve, you will get a smaller, more universally compatible file by going through VOB to MP4 or VOB to MKV instead.

Why does my trimmed VOB look softer than the source?

DVD video is interlaced 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) at 4:3 or 16:9 anamorphic. If you pick a 1080p or 720p resolution preset, the tool upscales — which never adds detail, only pixels. Keep "Video resolution" on "Original" to preserve the source frame size. Softness can also come from CRF / bitrate settings that re-encode too aggressively; choose "Highest" quality preset or "Constant Quality" with a low CRF.

Are DVD subtitles preserved when I trim?

Subpicture streams (the bitmap subtitles inside the program stream) are not re-muxed by this tool — the trimmed VOB carries only video and audio. If you need the subtitles, extract them first with VobSub or Subtitle Edit (they save out as .sub + .idx), trim the VOB, then re-mux into MKV with the subtitle pair attached.

Can I trim a copy-protected DVD VOB?

Encrypted VOBs (CSS-protected, ripped without decryption) will not decode. You need to rip the disc with a tool that strips CSS first — MakeMKV, HandBrake (with libdvdcss installed), or DVD Decrypter — and feed the resulting plain VOB into the trimmer. xconvert does not decrypt DRM.

What is the difference between trimming and cutting out a middle section?

Trimming with a single time range keeps one contiguous segment and discards everything outside it. To remove a section from the middle (e.g. drop a 5-minute interview at the 30-minute mark of a 90-minute feature), you need two passes: trim 0:00 to 30:00, trim 35:00 to 90:00, then concatenate the two outputs. The single-range trim here does not support multi-range "cut and join" in one step.

How do I shrink a 4.5 GB VOB to fit on a 4.7 GB DVD with menus?

A DVD-5 is 4.7 GB (4.38 GiB) total, and you need 100-300 MB of headroom for menus and IFO/BUP files. Use this trimmer with "Target file size" set to around 4,000 MB, or trim out unneeded content first and then run Compress VOB for a second-pass size pass. Keep the video codec on MPEG-2 to stay inside the DVD-Video spec.