DAT to AAC Converter

Convert DAT (Video CD video (DAT)) files to AAC online, for free, with nothing to install.

To convert DAT to AAC, select or drop your .dat file above, check that AAC is chosen as the output, and click Convert. This conversion runs on our server, and your files are deleted 72 hours later.

What is a DAT file?

DAT – Video CD video (DAT). DAT is the film of a Video CD: MPEG-1 pictures and sound in the files AVSEQ01.DAT, AVSEQ02.DAT… of the disc's MPEGAV folder, stored as CD-ROM XA sectors. Most players and editors made today do not open it; as MP4 it plays on any phone, TV or computer. Many programs also use .dat for their own data, and only Video CD tracks can be converted.

DAT Converter →

What is an AAC file?

AAC – AAC audio. AAC is the successor of MP3: it sounds better at the same size. A bare .aac file is a stream of AAC frames; the usual home of AAC is the M4A file. Converting makes a new file: the sound is decoded and written again, so converting from a lossy format never brings back what was lost.

AAC Converter →

How to convert DAT to AAC

  1. Click Select File, or drop your .dat files anywhere on this page. You can add several at once.
  2. Check that AAC is chosen as the output format. On this page it is picked for you.
  3. Click Convert. When a file has to go to our server, the button says Upload and convert instead.
  4. Click Download next to each file when it's done.

DAT vs AAC: how they compare

DATAAC
LayoutMoving pictures and soundA stream of sound
EditableIn video editors, once convertedIn audio editors
Created byPhilips, Sony, JVC and Matsushita, 1993MPEG, 1997
Best forFilms and home videos on Video CDs (VCD)Music on phones and streaming

Good to know

  • Take the films from the MPEGAV folder of the disc (AVSEQ01.DAT, AVSEQ02.DAT…), one file for each. The files in the CDI, EXT, SEGMENT and VCD folders are the disc's menus and player program, not the film.
  • The sound of the video is made into an AAC file; the pictures are left out. Only the first sound track is converted.

Frequently asked questions

Is converting DAT to AAC free?

Yes. Everyone gets 25 free credits a day, with no account needed. Conversions on our server use one credit per started minute of work, so most cost a single credit. Credits reset at midnight UTC.

Are my DAT files uploaded anywhere?

This conversion runs on our server, because converting video needs ffmpeg, which does not run in a browser. Your file is sent over an encrypted connection, and both it and the result are deleted 72 hours after the conversion. The server has no internet access while it works on your file.

How large can the DAT file be?

Up to 1 GB per file. This conversion runs on our server, which accepts files up to that size.

Will the AAC look the same as the DAT?

Only the sound is kept: the pictures are left out, and the AAC is made from the first sound track.

Can I convert several DAT files at once?

Yes. Add as many files as you like; they are converted one after another, and each one gets its own Download button.

Convert DAT to other formats

Convert other files to AAC

All video formats

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