Previously I have only used MP4 files in Shotcut. I now have some old films converted to digital and they are .vob files. Windows Media Player opens and plays them ok. Shotcut opens them but only plays the first 20 secs on some and freezes on others. I have the latest version 17-11-07 on a Windows 10 64 bit machine., Does Shotcut not work with .vob as input files? Thanks.
Thanks Steve. I had searched for vob in the forums but this one didn’t show, so thanks for the link. I am puzzled in that contributor said he could load 15 mins of vob file and mine are all less than that but I only got 20 secs. I will try and follow the process described although I am not sure that I understand it exactly. I have tried a file converter from moavi which claimed a free download but turned out to be a 7 day trial which put a banner across the converted video!! I hate that sort of deception so won’t be spending the $70 on thier app. Why can’t they be honest upfront about what they are offering?
‘Download for free’ is not free software 
Like “I’ll bring you some beer for free” (but only the delivery is free, not the beer)
That’s how they try to trick us.
Hi kinloch39. I re-read my posts and I have to admit they are somewhat ‘blurry’ as to exact meaning. I do get about 15 minutes to load into SHOTCUT of a 1Gb .VOB file, which is equal to 29 minutes of footage. The device I use to encode to .VOB defaults to saving each ‘chapter’ in 1Gb file sizes. I’m not sure if this unique to my device - a Daewoo DVD hard drive/DVD standalone domestic (UK) recorder (that’s now quite old). I’ll post the model number if anyone’s curious. I downloaded WINFF using this link http://www.biggmatt.com/winff/ I have no affiliation with the developer and I cannot vouch for the security of this program. Importantly, this appears to be the developer’s website so hopefully you won’t get tricked into downloading something you didn’t intend. Please, always virus check anything you download! Using the program is easy even for a relative novice like me. Drag and drop functionality from the start. I know it works well using WIN 10. I hope this has cleared the matter somewhat.
Thanks . My problem is that I only a Grandad trying to save the original films I took 20 years ago in digital format so that my grandkids might (?) look at them. So I really have no great expertise. The previous conversions were given to me on a hard drive and were already mp4 so I was able to use Shotcut to edit and combine them. When I got these recent conversions they were on dvd in .vob format… Hence my problems. So it looks like it might be easier either to pay for the moavi converter or get the company that made the dvd;s to convert them. But I will try your suggestion first. Let you know. Again thanks.
Just download Handbrake, it’s free (as in ‘freeware’ & Open Source [like Shotcut]) It will transcode the .vob to .mp4
Guys, can’t we do this another way? Suggest importing vob files into Shotcut. Immediately stop the Player. Add clip to Playlist. Then add the next vob, and so on. Go to Export, select a suitable mp4 container, select constant bitrate, select All from Playlist. Might work? -=Ken=-
There are always other ways. What I’m interested in are ways which currently get results and ways which matter to me.
I make suggestions to other posters if I feel it could help them as much as it helps me. I don’t try to reject Shotcut or put people off using it, no. Look - I have a variety of hardware tools in my garage tool box and I have software tools on my computer - that’s the whole point of having single purpose tools, best tool for the job right?. I don’t expect (or even want) Shotcut to do everything, that will likely result in a bloated bug infested nightmare for the user as well as the developer/s.
Having said all that, I haven’t had problems with .vobs to date provided there is no copy protection on the disc, in which case you’re going to need another tool (such as DVDRip)
Agree! If Shotcut stumbles transcoding vob files then next I would try Handbrake which is also cross-platform. OP’s files are home-made. -=Ken=-
I did download WinFF and it works well. Thank you ngc451. It takes the same time to convert as the actual vob file runs. Very straightforward to use. Point it the vob file and tell it where to put the output and press convert! I can’t tell about quality as the files I am converting were made in 1991 of my late mother in law talking about her childhood in Scotland in 1920! So quality was not good to start with but just having them is priceless.
Kenj69. appreciate the comment but don’t understand. There is no’import’ function in Shotcut, just ‘open’ and ‘export’. Am I missing it somewhere? And, as I said, when I open the file I just get the first 20 secs. Putting that into playlist, which I did try, did not introduce any following clips?
Sorry, terminology is important. I should have said, “Open file.” (That does import the file)
It could be said that Shotcut is a visual front end to FFmpeg (although it is much more than that). The simple procedure I posted would use Shotcut as a simple file converter (and easily support a batch of files). Since you are able to use the command line tool, by all means continue since FFmpeg has more capabilities than Shotcut implements. -=Ken=-
kenj69, sorry but I am still confused. All your posts imply that Shotcut WILL open vob files. And that is what I had hoped. I would open the vob files , edit and export as an mp4. However, as I stated at the start of this thread that doesn’t happen. When I open a vob file, from any source (and I have tried 3 different sources) it always plays only about 20 secs of the file. What it does play is very clear with sound but I can’t get to the rest of the file. If it was a size limitation surely I would get more that 20 secs?
So are you able to open vob files? If so, what settings do you use. Are there special settings that I am not using?
Appreciate the help. It is a pain to have to convert all these files first before I can edit them.
I have no problem with drag’n’drop a .vob file into the playlist provided it is not copy protected…
I don’t know why you are having issues. Sorry
It doesn’t take long using something like Handbrake. Besides, sometimes you have no option therefore it becomes and essential step in the overall workflow.
You could have had it all done by now.
I have got it all done by now, thanks. But I have a lot more to do in the future.
Since you say you have the job done this reply may just be for clarity.
Yes, Shotcut will open and play vob files for me. Shotcut automatically plays each file as it is “Opened” and since yours only plays the first 20 seconds for you - you should STOP the Player before it hangs. Then, “Open” the next file and do the same. There are no special settings to get Shotcut to do so. Shotcut may not “like” your vob files for some reason such as copy protection as Steve said. But, files made at home on a DVR should not have that problem. Size of the files should not be a factor. Oddly formed vob files can be - and that’s exactly what copy protection does.
If you want to see if Shotcut will do the job “Open” the shortest vob you can find and stop the Player ASAP. Then, try Exporting as MPEG-2. If Shotcut chokes on it then you will have to use another tool that is more tolerant of your vob files such as Handbrake. HTH
-=Ken=-