How to Convert Video to DVD Format (VOB/MPEG-2) in 2026

DVD Format in 2026: Still Relevant?

Yes — more than you might expect. While streaming dominates modern entertainment, DVD remains relevant for specific use cases: archiving family videos for older relatives with DVD players, distributing training materials in environments without internet access, creating keepsake discs for weddings and events, producing demo reels for auditions, and making copies of home movies that can play on any television with a DVD player.

DVD also has a unique advantage: it is a physical format that does not require an internet connection, a subscription, or a specific app to play. A properly authored DVD works in any standard DVD player manufactured in the last 25 years.

The challenge is that DVD uses MPEG-2 video and specific resolution and framerate standards that differ significantly from modern video formats. This guide walks you through the complete process of converting any video file into a proper DVD-compatible format.

DVD Technical Specifications

DVD video follows strict standards. Every DVD must conform to these specifications, or the disc will not play in a standard DVD player.

Step 1: Convert Video to MPEG-2

The first step is converting your source video to the MPEG-2 format that DVD players expect.

FFmpeg Conversion to NTSC DVD Format

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -target ntsc-dvd \
  -aspect 16:9 \
  output.mpg

The -target ntsc-dvd flag automatically sets the correct resolution (720x480), frame rate (29.97 fps), video codec (MPEG-2), audio codec (AC3), and bitrate constraints. This is the simplest approach and works for most source files.

FFmpeg Conversion to PAL DVD Format

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -target pal-dvd \
  -aspect 16:9 \
  output.mpg

Advanced Conversion with Custom Settings

For more control over quality and encoding:

# NTSC with high quality
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -vf "scale=720:480:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=720:480:-1:-1:black,setsar=32/27" \
  -r 29.97 \
  -c:v mpeg2video -b:v 6M -maxrate 8M -bufsize 1835k \
  -g 15 -bf 2 \
  -c:a ac3 -b:a 192k -ar 48000 -ac 2 \
  -f dvd output.mpg

# PAL with high quality
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -vf "scale=720:576:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=720:576:-1:-1:black,setsar=16/15" \
  -r 25 \
  -c:v mpeg2video -b:v 6M -maxrate 8M -bufsize 1835k \
  -g 12 -bf 2 \
  -c:a ac3 -b:a 192k -ar 48000 -ac 2 \
  -f dvd output.mpg

Key parameters explained:

• -g 15 (NTSC) or -g 12 (PAL): GOP (Group of Pictures) size — must be a multiple of the frame rate for DVD compliance
• -bf 2: Number of B-frames between reference frames
• -bufsize 1835k: VBV buffer size required by DVD specification
• -setsar: Sets the Sample Aspect Ratio for correct 16:9 display on 720-wide pixels

Handling Different Source Formats

If your source video is in MKV, MOV, AVI, or WebM format, the same commands work — FFmpeg handles the input format automatically. For specific conversion guidance:

• MKV sources: See our how to convert MKV to MP4 guide
• MOV sources: See our how to convert MOV to MP4 guide
• WebM sources: See our how to convert WebM to MP4 guide

For a one-step format conversion before DVD encoding, the Video Converter handles all input formats.

Step 2: Calculate Video Duration for Disc Capacity

A single-layer DVD (DVD-5) holds 4.7 GB. The maximum video duration depends on your bitrate:

For a typical 2-hour movie on a single DVD, a video bitrate of 4-5 Mbps gives good results. For shorter content (30-60 minutes), use 6-8 Mbps for maximum quality.

Step 3: Add Subtitles (Optional)

DVD supports subtitle tracks as bitmap overlays. You can either burn subtitles into the video or add them as a separate stream during authoring.

Burn Subtitles Into Video

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "subtitles=input.srt,scale=720:480" \
  -target ntsc-dvd -aspect 16:9 output_with_subs.mpg

This embeds the subtitles permanently into the video. They cannot be turned off during playback, but this approach is simpler and compatible with all DVD players.

For more on subtitle workflows, see our how to add subtitles to video guide.

Step 4: DVD Authoring (Creating the DVD Structure)

Converting to MPEG-2 gives you a video file, but a DVD disc requires a specific directory structure with VOB, IFO, and BUP files. This process is called DVD authoring.

Using dvdauthor (Free, Command Line)

# Create the XML configuration
cat > dvd.xml << 'EOF'
<dvdauthor dest="dvd_output">
  <vmgm />
  <titleset>
    <titles>
      <pgc>
        <vob file="output.mpg" />
      </pgc>
    </titles>
  </titleset>
</dvdauthor>
EOF

# Set the video format
export VIDEO_FORMAT=NTSC  # or PAL

# Author the DVD
dvdauthor -x dvd.xml

This creates a dvd_output directory containing the VIDEO_TS folder structure that DVD players expect.

Using DVD Authoring Software

For a graphical approach with menus, chapters, and multiple titles:

• DVD Styler (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free, open source, includes menu templates
• DVD Flick (Windows) — Free, simple interface, one-click burning
• Burn (macOS) — Free, basic DVD authoring and burning
• iDVD (legacy macOS) — Apple's discontinued but still functional DVD creator

Adding Chapter Markers

Chapters allow viewers to skip between sections of the video. In dvdauthor:

<dvdauthor dest="dvd_output">
  <vmgm />
  <titleset>
    <titles>
      <pgc>
        <vob file="output.mpg" chapters="0,5:00,10:00,15:00,20:00" />
      </pgc>
    </titles>
  </titleset>
</dvdauthor>

This creates chapter markers at the beginning, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and 20 minutes.

Step 5: Burn to Disc

Command Line (Linux/macOS)

# Create an ISO image from the DVD structure
mkisofs -dvd-video -o dvd.iso dvd_output/

# Burn the ISO to disc
growisofs -dvd-compat -Z /dev/dvd=dvd.iso

ImgBurn (Windows, Free)

1. Open ImgBurn
2. Select "Build mode"
3. Set the source to your VIDEO_TS folder
4. Set the destination to your DVD burner
5. Under Options, set the filesystem to UDF 1.02
6. Click Build

Disk Utility (macOS)

1. Right-click the ISO file
2. Select "Burn to Disc"
3. Insert a blank DVD
4. Click Burn

Handling Widescreen Content

Modern video is almost always 16:9 widescreen, but DVD's native pixel dimensions (720x480 for NTSC, 720x576 for PAL) use non-square pixels. The aspect ratio is encoded as metadata that tells the DVD player how to display the image.

Anamorphic Widescreen (Recommended)

The best approach is anamorphic widescreen, which uses the full 720-pixel width to store a 16:9 image. The DVD player stretches the image horizontally during playback:

ffmpeg -i input_16x9.mp4 \
  -vf "scale=720:480,setsar=32/27" \
  -target ntsc-dvd -aspect 16:9 \
  output_widescreen.mpg

Letterboxed

If the source is wider than 16:9 (like a 2.35:1 cinematic film), add letterbox bars:

ffmpeg -i input_235.mp4 \
  -vf "scale=720:-2:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=720:480:-1:-1:black" \
  -target ntsc-dvd -aspect 16:9 \
  output_letterbox.mpg

For general aspect ratio adjustments before DVD conversion, the crop video tool and resize video guide cover the fundamentals.

Batch Converting Multiple Videos for DVD

For multi-title DVDs or converting a series of clips:

#!/bin/bash
mkdir -p dvd_ready

for file in *.mp4; do
  [ -f "$file" ] || continue
  name="${file%.mp4}"
  echo "Converting for DVD: $file"
  ffmpeg -i "$file" -target ntsc-dvd -aspect 16:9 \
    "dvd_ready/${name}.mpg" -y 2>/dev/null
  echo "Done: ${name}.mpg"
done

Then create a multi-title DVD:

<dvdauthor dest="dvd_output">
  <vmgm />
  <titleset>
    <titles>
      <pgc>
        <vob file="dvd_ready/video1.mpg" />
      </pgc>
      <pgc>
        <vob file="dvd_ready/video2.mpg" />
      </pgc>
      <pgc>
        <vob file="dvd_ready/video3.mpg" />
      </pgc>
    </titles>
  </titleset>
</dvdauthor>

For more batch processing techniques, see our batch processing guide and how to batch convert files.

Quality Optimization Tips

Deinterlacing Source Material

If your source video is interlaced (common with older camcorder footage), deinterlace before converting to DVD:

ffmpeg -i interlaced_source.avi \
  -vf "yadif=1,scale=720:480" \
  -target ntsc-dvd -aspect 16:9 \
  output.mpg

Two-Pass Encoding for Best Quality

Two-pass encoding analyzes the content first and allocates bitrate more efficiently:

# Pass 1
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=720:480,setsar=32/27" \
  -r 29.97 -c:v mpeg2video -b:v 6M -maxrate 8M \
  -bufsize 1835k -g 15 -bf 2 \
  -pass 1 -an -f null /dev/null

# Pass 2
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=720:480,setsar=32/27" \
  -r 29.97 -c:v mpeg2video -b:v 6M -maxrate 8M \
  -bufsize 1835k -g 15 -bf 2 \
  -pass 2 -c:a ac3 -b:a 192k -ar 48000 \
  -f dvd output.mpg

For more on encoding quality and bitrate selection, see our video bitrate explained guide and compress video without losing quality guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I burn a regular MP4 to a DVD and have it play?

A data DVD with an MP4 file will not play in a standard DVD player. DVD players require the specific VIDEO_TS folder structure with MPEG-2 VOB files. Some modern Blu-ray players and smart DVD players can read MP4 files from data discs, but standard DVD players cannot.

What is the best quality I can get from DVD?

DVD maxes out at 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL). At the maximum bitrate of ~8 Mbps, the quality is comparable to a good SD broadcast. It cannot match HD or 4K, but for standard-definition content, properly encoded DVD video looks clean and sharp on most televisions.

Do I need special software to burn DVDs?

You need DVD authoring software to create the VIDEO_TS structure and burning software to write to the disc. dvdauthor (free) handles authoring, and most operating systems include basic burning capabilities. DVD Styler combines both in a single free application.

Can I put Blu-ray quality on a DVD?

No. DVD is limited to SD resolution and MPEG-2 codec. For HD content, you need a Blu-ray disc (which uses H.264 or H.265 at up to 1080p). If the recipient does not have a Blu-ray player, a USB drive with an MP4 file is a more practical option for HD content.

Conclusion

Converting video to DVD format involves three main steps: encoding to MPEG-2 with DVD-compliant settings, authoring the DVD directory structure, and burning to disc. FFmpeg's -target ntsc-dvd or -target pal-dvd flag simplifies the encoding step, and free tools like dvdauthor and DVD Styler handle authoring and burning.

Always determine your target region (NTSC or PAL) first, calculate the bitrate based on your content duration and disc capacity, and test the disc in an actual DVD player before producing copies.

For converting source material to an intermediate format before DVD encoding, use the Video Converter or the MP4 Converter. For more on video formats and codecs, see our video codecs explained guide and H.265 vs H.264 vs AV1 comparison.