Free online VOB to XVID converter

DVD video is commonly stored as VOB files, while older players, editors, and media libraries may require Xvid video in an AVI container. Converting it can reduce the size and make the video usable on hardware that supports MPEG-4 ASP/Xvid but not DVD-Video files.

What the VOB format is

VOB, or Video Object, is a DVD-Video container used on video DVDs and in copied DVD folders. It can contain MPEG-2 video, several audio tracks, subtitles, navigation data, and multiple program segments. DVD-authoring software and DVD recorders create VOB files; you usually find them under VIDEO_TS with names such as VTS_01_1.VOB.

A single film may span several numbered VOB files. The first file can contain menus or a short title, so select the VOB sequence belonging to the main feature. Commercial DVDs may also use encryption; conversion requires media you are permitted to copy and software that can read the source.

What the Xvid format is

Xvid is an MPEG-4 Part 2 video codec, not a container. Xvid video is commonly saved in an .avi file with MP3 audio because that combination works with many older televisions, set-top boxes, game consoles, and Windows-era video applications.

Xvid usually produces a much smaller file than DVD MPEG-2 at comparable viewing quality. Its limitations include less efficient compression than modern H.264 or H.265, limited support for newer devices, and weaker handling of some DVD features such as menus, selectable subtitles, multiple audio tracks, and chapter navigation.

How to actually convert VOB to Xvid

Using FFmpeg

FFmpeg is suitable when the VOB is readable and your build includes the Xvid encoder. Open a terminal in the folder containing the source file and run:

ffmpeg -i input.VOB -c:v libxvid -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k output.avi

The -q:v 4 setting uses quality-based encoding; values around 3–5 are a practical range, with lower values producing larger files. Replace input.VOB with the correct title segment and output.avi with the desired filename.

If the DVD video is interlaced, add the deinterlacing filter:

ffmpeg -i input.VOB -vf yadif -c:v libxvid -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k output.avi

To reduce DVD resolution, add a scale filter while preserving the aspect ratio:

ffmpeg -i input.VOB -vf "yadif,scale=640:-2" -c:v libxvid -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k output.avi

If FFmpeg reports that libxvid is unavailable, install an FFmpeg build compiled with Xvid support or use a desktop converter such as Avidemux: open the VOB, set Video Output → MPEG-4 ASP (Xvid), choose Audio Output → MP3 (lame), select Output Format → AVI Muxer, then save the file.

Handling a title split across VOB files

Process the complete title sequence in numerical order rather than converting only the first segment. For a simple unencrypted sequence, concatenate the files first on macOS or Linux:

cat VTS_01_1.VOB VTS_01_2.VOB VTS_01_3.VOB > title.vob
ffmpeg -i title.vob -c:v libxvid -q:v 4 -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k title.avi

On Windows, use a media application that opens the DVD folder and selects the main title, because ordinary file concatenation is not a reliable replacement for DVD title selection. You can also convert the file on the 101convert.com website for free without installing software.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

DVD sources are normally 720×480 pixels in NTSC regions or 720×576 in PAL regions; increasing that resolution during conversion cannot add detail. Preserve the source frame rate, and use deinterlacing only when the output will be viewed on a progressive display or the source actually contains interlaced frames.

AVI/Xvid may not retain DVD menus, chapters, subtitle streams, or alternate audio tracks. Choose one audio track during conversion; burn subtitles into the video with a filter such as subtitles if the target device cannot load external subtitle files. Test the resulting AVI on the intended player because some devices reject high resolutions, packed B-frames, unusual audio rates, or files larger than 2 or 4 GB.