VOB (DVD video)
Also known as: vob file, DVD video object, .vob, VIDEO_TS
VOB (Video Object) is the container used to store video, audio, subtitles, and menus on DVDs. Found in the VIDEO_TS folder, VOB files hold MPEG-2 video and are capped at 1 GB each, so a DVD movie is split across several numbered .vob files.
- DVD video container in the VIDEO_TS folder
- Holds MPEG-2 video, audio, subtitles, menus
- Capped at 1 GB each, so movies are split
The DVD video format
On a video DVD, the actual movie lives in the VIDEO_TS folder as .vob files. Each VOB is a container bundling MPEG-2 video, audio (such as AC-3 or PCM), subtitles, and menu data into one stream.
The DVD spec limits each VOB to 1 GB, so a feature film is broken into files like VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, and so on, played back in sequence.
Storage and compatibility
MPEG-2 is an older, less efficient codec than modern H.264 or HEVC, so DVD-quality video in VOB form is comparatively large for its standard-definition resolution.
Phones and most web players will not open .vob directly. Transcode the files to MP4 to play and store them efficiently, which also lets you combine the split segments into a single, smaller file.