Any luck getting a VCD to work?

[stickypod]

Has anyone had any luck getting a VCD to work in a DVD player. Whether it be a DVD player in a computer or a stand alone. If so, please send me the recipe. I need it bad.

[david reece]

you need to write your discs at 1x speed and use a good brand.

also check DVDRhelp.com for compatable players. not all play them that well.[/quote]

[stickypod]

I want to create VCD on a CD-R and play them in a DVD player. Is this possible? I have tried the help files, but they are not very informative. They tell you how to do some of it, but they don't get into specifics. I need details about what can be done using certain types of media. For example, what format should I capture the video in to make a proper VCD? What compression can or cannot be used? Let's try this:

Capture format:
Compression codecs:
Media style (DVD, CD or both):
What works the best across a wide variety of stand alone players:
What works best in any computer CD or DVD player:

I know this is in depth, but I have burned many many CDs trying to figure this out and have not had any luck. Not one time has a VCD worked with either a CD or a DVD.

[dc_reynolds]

I have created several VCD and SVCDs using the default burn configurations in VS8 and they all seem to play in my $29 DVD player. Good quality.

[stickypod]

Thanks DC, but that doesn't answer my questions. What capture format did you use? What settings did you use? Can it be used in a stand alone DVD player?

[david reece]

yes a VCD can be played in a DVD player that will accept them. check on the webpage i gave you DVDrhelp.com.

a CD-r is all you need to create a VCD.

[stickypod]

Many thanks David. I will try their suggestions. Their website is now www.videohelp.com I'll let you know how it works out.

[THoff]

I used to create VCDs, but don't bother anymore. When I did do this, I burned them at the full speed that the drive/media supported, and had no problems. These days, everyone seems to have at least a DVD-ROM drive in their computers and a DVD player connected to their TV, and DVD media is cheap enough now that VCDs seem to have become obsolete.

I do want to caution you about creating MiniDVDs, though. These are regular DVD projects with Full H1 resolution that are burned onto regular CDs. Because the storage capacity of CDs is much lower than DVDs, MiniDVDs can only contain relatively short movies, which is often OK for home movies of birthday parties etc.

Unfortunately, because of the lower data density of CD media compared to DVD media (a shorter wavelength laser is used, and the pits and tracks are spaced more closely), the CD has to spin much faster to allow the same amount of data to pass under the drive's pickup lens during playback.

Most stand-alone players are simply not capable of doing this, since it is the equivalent of playing a DVD movie at ~7x speeds. Some players will skip during playback, some will lock up, and others may not even recognize the disk.

[BrianCee]

Thanks DC, but that doesn't answer my questions. What capture format did you use? What settings did you use? Can it be used in a stand alone DVD player?

If you are capturing from a DV camera you should ALWAYS capture as .avi - the conversion to any other format for burning to any disc should not be done until you are in the burn module.

I have made many VCD's in VideoStudio and all work fine in my DVD player.

[stickypod]

Thanks Brian. That's what I'm looking for. Thanks to everyone. I will let you know how it works out. The website videohelp.com was a big help and a great resource.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi stickypod

If you use menu’s and chapters, the structure is slightly different to a Dvd,
To access each menu / thumbnail you have to use the numeric key pad,
If you use Power Dvd, there is a key pad to the right of the control panel,
On your PC use the key board numbers.