WHat's a VCD?
 

Hi all.

I was asked to make a VCD for a client.. Never done it before (only DVDs) Is a VCD a normal CD with a quicktime file for example? If it is.. how can I do for the file to start play when the disc is insterted?
it needs to be played in (most..) computers and DVD players, I guess?

Thanks, basic I know, but one has to learn sometime.. =)

No. VCD is like a DVD except the media is a CD and not a DVD.

There are compression differences... VCD uses MPEG1 instead of MPEG2 and has a lower maximum bitrate.

see videohelp.com for a lot more information, including info on how to make a VCD. Getting Roxio Toast is easiest.

VCD have the quality of a VHS tape, maybe a little lower. There are scripts you can put on the VCD to make it self starting when put into a computer. Some (most?) DVD players can play VCDs as well. I agree with Glenn, Toast is the easiest way to make VCDs on a Mac.

Thanks alot! That was all I needed! =)

Hmm, sorry.. That's ALMOST all I needed.

if I export a MPEG 1 file from FCP4 and burn it under a VCD tab in Roxio Toast, I'll be fine?

The clip is under 5 minutes so i'd like to have as good quality as possible. Where do I set this?

Thanks.

Hello Alfred,

Let Toast do the compressing to mpeg1. Export as you would for DVD.

cheers,
Peter

Oh, thanks Peter!
Generally I export to a FCP file.. (Not MPEG2) Then I just dump it to Toast then?

Thanks.

Yeah!!

Peter

THANK YOU!
 

..

When I burned my project in TOAST I saw that there was a super VCD option.. i read somewhere that that's a high quality VCD but doesn't play in many DVD players??
Is that correct?
Would it playback on "any" computer? Would I get a higher quality media?

Thanks.

SVCD uses mpeg 2 compression the same as DVD's. However the program material must be must shorter in length. DVD hold 4.3GB and CD holds only 700MB. SVCD should playback on most computers, especially newer models that can play DVD's

Your client requested VCD. Stay away from SVCD unless you tested one on the client's DVD player. THere are plenty of DVD players that a home burned SVCD won't play on. Some say they support SVCD but that doesn't mean for sure they support home burned ones.

If you want to play a VCD or SVCD on a Mac, there's a shareware program called VLC that does a good job.

SVCD has a higher resolution than VCD, and a higher bitrate so you can't fit as much video on a cd.

Ernest is right - if they requested a VCD and you give them a VCD then they can't complain (as much). Here in Australia I haven't seen a DVD player for ages that didn't support S/VCD on CD-R and CD-RW, but you can't assume your clients' will play it.

Older Windows media players didn't play SVCD in the correct aspect ratio (not sure about newer versions) but every software DVD player I've used will play them correctly.

If you have good quality footage, you could try to get them to request a DVD version - if I had a good movie I'd prefer people watch it at DVD quality than a fuzzy VCD copy.

Well it's a promo thing for a music band, the client is a small record company.. (only 5 minutes)
The reason I was asking about SVCD is that the quality would be better (and many times the client doesn't really know what they want anyway, they don't know the options.. and if I don't inform them (well actually, you gyus.. =) who will?)

Does QT play VCD? I used VLC to play my disc.. I really don't like the windows media.. at least for mac..

Thanks.

The QT player does not play VCD. Since CD-R media is so cheap, make both SVCD and VCD. If the SVCD doesn't work in their player, then use the VCD.