Free online VOB to FLV converter

An older web player, publishing system, or editing application may require FLV instead of the DVD-native VOB format. Converting can also make DVD footage easier to share, but modern devices usually handle MP4 more reliably than FLV.

What the VOB format is

VOB, or Video Object, is a DVD-Video container that commonly stores MPEG-2 video, AC-3 or MPEG audio, subtitles, navigation data, and multiple program streams. DVD authoring software, commercial movie DVDs, DVD recorders, and disc-backup tools create VOB files. They normally appear in a disc's VIDEO_TS folder alongside .IFO and .BUP files.

A DVD title can be divided into sequential files such as VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, and VTS_01_3.VOB. These files may form one continuous program. VIDEO_TS.VOB generally contains menu video, not the main feature, so selecting an arbitrary VOB can produce only part of the desired content.

What the FLV format is

FLV is a container created for Adobe Flash Player and older browser-based streaming systems. It can hold Sorenson Spark, VP6, or H.264 video and MP3 or AAC audio. Its relatively compact files and support for progressive download made it common on older web platforms.

FLV is now a legacy format. Use it when a specific player or publishing workflow requires it. For current browsers, phones, and media players, MP4 containing H.264 video and AAC audio is usually more compatible.

Convert the file on 101convert.com

1. Open the VOB-to-FLV converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the readable VOB file, or select the relevant title file from the DVD copy.
3. Choose FLV as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the resulting file and test both its video and audio in the intended player.

A title split across several VOB files may require selecting the complete title rather than uploading only its first segment. Commercial DVDs may also be encrypted or copy-protected and might not be readable by an ordinary converter; access and copying must comply with applicable law.

Convert with FFmpeg

FFmpeg is suitable for repeatable conversions and gives control over codecs, quality, dimensions, and audio streams. For one readable VOB file, run:

ffmpeg -i "input.vob" -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0? -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -b:a 128k -f flv "output.flv"

The command encodes H.264 video and AAC audio in an FLV container. Lower -crf values generally improve quality and increase file size; 20 to 23 is a practical starting range. To resize standard-definition footage to 480 pixels high while preserving its aspect ratio, add -vf scale=-2:480:

ffmpeg -i "input.vob" -vf scale=-2:480 -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0? -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -b:a 128k -f flv "output.flv"

When the title spans sequential VOB files, use a DVD-aware application to identify and export the complete title before encoding. Simply joining every file in VIDEO_TS can include menus, duplicate footage, or broken timestamps. If the files are known to be consecutive parts of one title, FFmpeg can read them with a concat input such as concat:VTS_01_1.VOB|VTS_01_2.VOB|VTS_01_3.VOB, but this method is less reliable than title-aware processing.

Convert with desktop software

VLC can handle a readable VOB through Media → Convert/Save. Add the file, choose Convert, select or create an FLV-compatible profile with H.264 video and AAC or MP3 audio, set a destination ending in .flv, and start the process. Profile availability varies by VLC version, so FFmpeg is preferable when exact codec and stream selection matters.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Re-encoding cannot restore detail already lost in DVD MPEG-2 compression and adds another generation of loss. Avoid very low bitrates and repeated conversions.
• DVD video is normally 720×480 for NTSC or 720×576 for PAL. Keeping the source dimensions usually preserves more detail than upscaling.
• Many DVDs contain interlaced video. For progressive displays, deinterlace with FFmpeg's yadif filter, for example -vf yadif; otherwise, motion may show comb-like horizontal lines.
• VOB files can contain multiple audio tracks, subtitles, and angles. The example maps the first video and first audio stream only; select different streams when required.
• Some legacy FLV players reject AAC audio or newer H.264 profiles. If the target does not explicitly require FLV, create .mp4 with H.264 video and AAC audio instead.