DAT to GIF Converter

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

To convert DAT to GIF, select or drop your .dat file above, check that GIF 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 a GIF file?

GIF – GIF image. GIF is a picture format with at most 256 colors. A page converted to GIF is a picture of it, which suits text and simple graphics better than photographs.

GIF Converter →

How to convert DAT to GIF

  1. Click Select File, or drop your .dat files anywhere on this page. You can add several at once.
  2. Check that GIF 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 GIF: how they compare

DATGIF
LayoutMoving pictures and soundA picture
EditableIn video editors, once convertedNo
Created byPhilips, Sony, JVC and Matsushita, 1993CompuServe, 1987
Best forFilms and home videos on Video CDs (VCD)Simple page pictures

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 video becomes an animated GIF of its first 30 seconds, at 10 pictures a second and at most 480 pixels wide, with no sound. GIF has only 256 colors, so photos look grainy.
  • Each page becomes a picture. A document with more than one page comes back as a ZIP with a GIF for each page, drawn at 150 dots per inch unless you choose otherwise in Options.
  • The text in the pictures cannot be selected or searched.

Frequently asked questions

Is converting DAT to GIF 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 GIF look the same as the DAT?

No: it is a short animation of the first 30 seconds at 10 pictures a second, at most 480 pixels wide, with no sound. GIF has only 256 colors.

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.

How long does converting DAT to GIF take?

In our tests a one-minute 1080p video at 8 Mbit/s took about 10 seconds to become a GIF file (only the first 30 seconds are used). Time grows with length and picture size and shrinks for smaller pictures; a video that would need more than about 8 minutes is refused at once, with the time it would take.

Can I choose pages or quality for the GIF?

Yes. Click Options next to the file. Only the settings that make sense for DAT to GIF are shown.

Convert DAT to other formats

Convert other files to GIF

All video formats

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