Free online WTV to VOB converter

What the WTV format is

WTV, or Windows Recorded TV Show, is a container used by Windows Media Center to save television recordings. It can contain MPEG-2 or H.264 video, AAC or AC-3 audio, subtitles, program metadata, and broadcast copy-protection information. WTV files are commonly found in Windows Media Center recording folders and on older Windows PCs with TV tuner hardware.

A WTV file may be standard-definition or high-definition, and its actual codecs depend on the broadcast and recording configuration. Some recordings are protected with DRM; those files may not decode or convert unless playback authorization is available.

What the VOB format is

VOB, or Video Object, is an MPEG program-stream container used by DVD-Video. Files normally appear in a disc's VIDEO_TS folder alongside .IFO navigation files and .BUP backups. VOB can carry DVD-compliant MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 video, AC-3, MPEG audio, or PCM audio, plus subtitles and navigation data.

VOB is appropriate for authoring a physical DVD or playing DVD-Video content with software and hardware DVD players. A file renamed from .mpg to .vob is not necessarily a valid DVD-Video VOB; proper DVD authoring adds navigation and formatting data.

How to actually convert WTV to VOB

Using the online converter

1. Open the WTV-to-VOB converter on 101convert.com; the service can be used free without installing software.
2. Choose the WTV file and select VOB as the output format.
3. Start the conversion and download the resulting VOB when processing finishes.
4. If the purpose is a physical DVD, use a DVD-authoring program to create a VIDEO_TS folder rather than copying the single VOB directly to a data disc.

Using FFmpeg and a DVD authoring program

For a local workflow, first convert the WTV recording to DVD-compatible MPEG-2, then author the result. FFmpeg must be built with WTV demuxing and the required codecs:

ffmpeg -i recording.wtv -target ntsc-dvd -b:v 6000k -maxrate 9000k -bufsize 1835k -b:a 192k dvd-video.mpg

Use -target pal-dvd instead for a PAL DVD. The ntsc-dvd and pal-dvd targets set DVD-oriented frame size, frame rate, pixel aspect ratio, MPEG-2 encoding, and audio parameters, but the result is still an MPEG program stream rather than a fully authored disc.

Open dvd-video.mpg in a DVD authoring application such as DVDStyler, set the television standard to NTSC or PAL, create the menu if needed, and choose Burn or Generate DVD files. The program will produce the required VIDEO_TS directory containing one or more VOB files, IFO files, and BUP files.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

• DVD-Video is standard-definition. Converting an HD WTV recording down to DVD resolution permanently removes detail; converting it to VOB does not preserve HD quality.
• DVD video normally uses 720×480 pixels at 29.97 fps for NTSC or 720×576 pixels at 25 fps for PAL. Select the standard that matches the intended player and source timing.
• The conversion may re-encode video when the WTV uses H.264, a non-DVD resolution, or an incompatible frame rate. Re-encoding reduces quality and takes longer than a container-only conversion.
• A recording with DRM or broadcast copy protection may fail even when an unprotected WTV file converts normally. Do not bypass access controls; use an authorized, playable source.
• DVD authoring can split long content across several VOB files, commonly near the DVD file-size limit. This is normal and does not indicate damaged output.