Question about VCDs
01-24-02 | 02:06 PM
#1
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Question about VCDs
Ok I am new to this whole VCD thing and have no idea what it is about. How are VCDs made and with what kind of technology? Can I download video files off the internet then burn them onto a CD-R and play it in my DVD player (specifically Playstation 2)? Do I need to buy a special type of disc to burn it on or is this entirely impossible? Thanx for your help!
01-24-02 | 02:15 PM
#2
DVD Talk Special Edition
Wrong forum, check this thread:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=177236
http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=177236
01-24-02 | 02:18 PM
#3
This likely belongs in another forum, but to answer your question ... all a VCD (or SVCD or whatever) is is a format specification. They all run off of MPEG or MPEG-2 and have a somewhat basic file structure, etc. You can burn any of these on CDs, extended CDs, DVDs, whatever. The catch is that the player has to understand the file format and directory structure.
The PS2 won't play anything but a DVD or CD-A, and even that is suspect at times. There are hacks to get around this, but they are unstable. My old skool Sony DVP-3000 play VCDs, but nothing more, since SVCD was a new concept at the time. My Pioneer DV-444 plays VCD/SVCD/XVCD/mp3/hubcaps/lids off of tin cans and damn_near anything else I throw at it.
You can find a player that plays VCDs and SVCDs probably in the range of $100 - $200.
Or you can play them on your computer. VCDs play like normal, but SVCDs require an MPEG-2 codec. If you have a software DVD player on your machine, then you're set.
Anyway, there are infinite variations on the file specification, but you can probably find some good info at www.vcdhelp.com. You can download a no-brainer app that makes a simple VCD from an MPEG (or SVCD from MPEG-2), or you can buy a somewhat fancy app that adds a limited menu structure, or you can get VCDImager, learn the specification for the (S)VCD environment and create just about anything you can imagine. I've made SVCDs with lots of animated menus and chapter selection and everything else. Your only limitation is "buttons". On a PC, you can click a button (hotspot) on your (S)VCD, but you don't have arrow key highlighted buttons like a DVD has.
You don't need a special disc, but like with all things in the CD-R world, players and writers will all react differently. Find a disc you like and stick with it.
das
P.S. If you want them to look good, do some research, use the proper conversion utilities, and don't use an automated VCD-maker app like Roxio or Nero. They'll get the job done, but the quality won't be as high as you'd get if you do all the work yourself. I'll be glad to help you with more specific questions when you get further along.
The PS2 won't play anything but a DVD or CD-A, and even that is suspect at times. There are hacks to get around this, but they are unstable. My old skool Sony DVP-3000 play VCDs, but nothing more, since SVCD was a new concept at the time. My Pioneer DV-444 plays VCD/SVCD/XVCD/mp3/hubcaps/lids off of tin cans and damn_near anything else I throw at it.
You can find a player that plays VCDs and SVCDs probably in the range of $100 - $200.
Or you can play them on your computer. VCDs play like normal, but SVCDs require an MPEG-2 codec. If you have a software DVD player on your machine, then you're set.
Anyway, there are infinite variations on the file specification, but you can probably find some good info at www.vcdhelp.com. You can download a no-brainer app that makes a simple VCD from an MPEG (or SVCD from MPEG-2), or you can buy a somewhat fancy app that adds a limited menu structure, or you can get VCDImager, learn the specification for the (S)VCD environment and create just about anything you can imagine. I've made SVCDs with lots of animated menus and chapter selection and everything else. Your only limitation is "buttons". On a PC, you can click a button (hotspot) on your (S)VCD, but you don't have arrow key highlighted buttons like a DVD has.
You don't need a special disc, but like with all things in the CD-R world, players and writers will all react differently. Find a disc you like and stick with it.
das
P.S. If you want them to look good, do some research, use the proper conversion utilities, and don't use an automated VCD-maker app like Roxio or Nero. They'll get the job done, but the quality won't be as high as you'd get if you do all the work yourself. I'll be glad to help you with more specific questions when you get further along.
Last edited by das Monkey; 01-24-02 at 02:20 PM.
01-24-02 | 02:18 PM
#4
DVD Talk Hero
VCDHelp is the place to go to get not only the how-to's/explanations, but the software to download to be able to make your VCDs.
You will need a good CD-R burner, with a good CD burner software. My recent purchase of a Liteon 24x10x40x with Nero 5.5 does the trick for me.
I've been messing around with putting music videos on VCDs, and when I get a video that has poor quality audio, I've been adding a cleaner version of the audio to a new verison of the music video. It's a bit on the time-consuming side, but it's also fun once you get all the tools you need to get the job done.
You will need a good CD-R burner, with a good CD burner software. My recent purchase of a Liteon 24x10x40x with Nero 5.5 does the trick for me.
I've been messing around with putting music videos on VCDs, and when I get a video that has poor quality audio, I've been adding a cleaner version of the audio to a new verison of the music video. It's a bit on the time-consuming side, but it's also fun once you get all the tools you need to get the job done.
