VCD Format - What's The Secret For Most Disk Players!

[oka]

Sometime last year, I called Sony, Disney, and two other video responsible industries on what format they write their disks to be able to play on "every" player. Every one of them declined to tell me, stating that it was not a public information. I read a lot on the internet, the only thing I remember finding was the using DVD-R would make the recorded disk more compartible than the DVD+R format. I know the video industries use High-Density Single-Sided (sometimes double-sided mediums to produce the movies).

Now, just to test, I got two VCD disks from Europe (french speaking) and one from Africa (English speaking), and they all played in my DVD player and also in a friend's DVD player. However, when I write a VCD with a DVD-R disk format, it will play in my DVD player but not in my friend's. DVD plays okay on both players. So what's the secret on creating a VCD video on a single layer medium to be compartible like the ones I tested from outside the US?

I hope my English here is explanatory enough.
Thanks

[THoff]

VCDs don't use DVD media, they use CD-ROM media, i.e. you should use a CD-R to make a VCD.

[AnimeChick]

You really need to read the DVD FAQ. Also look up your DVD player at Videohelp.

The only way you will make a disc that should play in every player is to take the disc to an authoring house and have them master the disc and press copies.

[oka]

THOFF:
I am quite aware of the difference between VCD and DVD (CD & DVD disks). My topic has two question, one on VCD and the other one on DVD recordings. My issue is about readablity on most players. Please refer to my explanations.

AnimeChick:
I have read a lot on CD and DVD media and recordings. I thoutht there are new information on this issues. Conclusively, the answer to my questions is simply, NOT POSSIBLE FOR DOMESTIC RECORDED VIDEOS.

Thanks all for your replies.

[THoff]

THOFF:
I am quite aware of the difference between VCD and DVD (CD & DVD disks). My topic has two question, one on VCD and the other one on DVD recordings. My issue is about readablity on most players. Please refer to my explanations.

I wrote that because of this:

However, when I write a VCD with a DVD-R disk format, it will play in my DVD player but not in my friend's.

If you are burning a VCD onto DVD-R, there won't be many players that can handle it.

If, on the other hand, you are burning a short DVD onto CD blanks, then you are producing what is known as a MiniDVD (or, because that name is now mostly associated with 8cm DVDs) a cDVD.

If this is what you want to do, be aware that you'll likely have to lower the bitrate to about 4000Kbps because the data density of CD media is lower than that of DVD media. The lower data density requires the disk to spin faster in order to play the disk at normal 1x speed, and some players cannot spin them fast enough at higher bitrates. Lowering the bitrate also helps you get more video onto the disk, so maybe that's not such a bad thing.

[AnimeChick]

AnimeChick:
I have read a lot on CD and DVD media and recordings. I thoutht there are new information on this issues. Conclusively, the answer to my questions is simply, NOT POSSIBLE FOR DOMESTIC RECORDED VIDEOS.

It has nothing to do with what country the discs came from. It just so happens the media you got was recognized by the players. With discs burned from computers, there are so many types of media, burners, and programs, it's impossible to ensure the kind of uniformity you would get if you were pressing the discs instead.