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inutes of full-screen
ideo and high-quality audio on a CD.
--------------------------------------
hat is the difference
etween MPEG1 and MPEG2 ?
--------------------------------------
PEG2 is a superset of MPEG1.
enerally, MPEG1 is used for CD-ROM or VideoCD and MPEG2 is used fo
roadcast or DVD. One
urrent difference between MPEG1 and MPEG2 is that MPEG2 has
mplemented variable bit
ate. MPEG1 variable bitrate is not excluded in the specification,
nd it's coming...
--------------------------------------
f I have an MPEG1 file, can
record it to CD-ROM and have it work in a VideoCD player ?
--------------------------------------
o. Formatting software forD-Recorders record prepared files to VideoCD tracks. Even if the
ile is in the correct
itrate and aspect ratio, it has to be authored to the VideoCD form
sing VideoCD 2.0
uthoring software.
--------------------------------------
hat is VideoCD 2.0?
--------------------------------------
udioCDs and CD-ROMs are very
ifferent. The binary data on each type of CD is fundamentally
istinct (music vs. data).
ow, VideoCD 2.0, a third type of CD, designed for interactive mult
edia and more is
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ere!
ideoCD 2.0 is as different from CD-ROM as CD-ROM is unlike CD-Audi
ideoCD is more
tructurally advanced than CD-ROM or CD-Audio. It provides full-
creen and full-motion
ideo. VideoCD works in CD-ROM drives.VideoCD 2.0 also works using
oth TVs and computers.
AL and NTSC TV systems are also both supported using inexpensive,
tand-alone players.
Interactivity' lets you jump from anywhere to anywhere, like CD-ROM
Still' photos and
ound in varying quality resolutions are another part of VideoCD 2.
D-Audio, CD-ROM and
ideoCD 2.0 'tracks' can all be used together on one CD and recorde
ogether using manyxisting CD-Recorders! Use VideoCD 2.0 on CD-Recordable as a new,
ractical,
ommunications tool.
--------------------------------------
hat is the main difference
ith VideoCD 1.1 ?
--------------------------------------
VideoCD 1.1 CD starts and runs to
he end. Or, there are selectable 'tracks'. A 'linear play' VideoCD
ithout 'stills' is a
ersion 1.1 VideoCD. They only work on PAL or NTSC TVs, not both.
two disc VideoCD set can contain 2 hours and 24 minutes of full-
otion, full-screenideo AND 144 minutes of AudioCD quality sound. Version 1.1 VideoCD
ork in version 2.0
layers. Software like Toast, or Adaptec CD-Creator or many others
rite CDs in Version
.1, not 2.0.
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es, it's called SuperVCD. Super VCD
SVCD) standard is set by the China National Committee of Standards
t is based on MPEG-2
echnology with variable bit rate (VBR) support. SVCD can deliver up
o 2 times sharper
ideo images than the previous VCD standard. SVCD specifies MPEG2
ideo at 576x480
esolution, almost four times the MPEG1 resolution specified in VCD
VCD is backward compatible with VCD1.1, 2.0, and Interactive VCD 3
ormats.
urthermore, while VCD requires text to be embedded in the video,
VCD uses a dedicated
ext data stream. This allows graphics and text such as multi-
anguage subtitles for
ovies or karaoke text to be added at any time, while eliminating
rtifacts common withhe compressed graphics and text streams of VCD.
he primary differences between SVCD and DVD include slightly lower
ideo resolution,
D-quality audio, and use of a CD rather than a DVD drive.
ince that most SVCD players use the same MPEG-2 engine and process
s their DVD
ounterparts, they can even be 'upgraded' to become a DVD player bywapping the CD-Drive
ith a DVD-drive. Some SVCD players are already using the same MPEG
ecoder chip as
heir DVD counterparts. A universal drive to read both SVCD and DVD
ormats will be out in
he near future.
VCD players can also play Mp3 CDs or serve as a WevTV type of
nternet TV browser.."
--------------------------------------
o is DVD a lot better than
ideoCD ?
--------------------------------------
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t seems so..But some people seem to
ave other opinions..
--------------------------------------
ow many minutes of video
it on a VideoCD ?
--------------------------------------
n a two disc set, you can have 2
ours and 24 minutes of video, (74 min. per disc on each CD-R)
ncluding 16 bit stereo
udio. 2 minutes per disc are required for the overhead for
nteractive control.
--------------------------------------
ow do I make a VideoCD ?
--------------------------------------
irst, you have to capture video
nd/or audio to a computer hard drive using anMPEG1 encoder board.
onvert digital
ssets to MPEG1. Second, convert any still images to the mpeg 'stilormat'. Then, you
ombine the audio, video and still formats (assets) you have as
equired. Then you
egister how the assets are linked (to items or timecodes within
tems) and assign keypad
unctions to the assets and/or links. Finally,you write (record) th
ideo, stills and
ontrol data to a CD-Recordable disc.
--------------------------------------
ow Does Video CD Work ?
--------------------------------------
ideo CD uses an international
tandard for video compression-MPEG-1 (ISO standard - IEC 11172).
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his compression
echnology allows you to store over 70 minutes of VHS-quality video
aterial on a standard
ompact disc. The audio, although also compressed, is near the
uality of Compact
isc-Digital Audio.
--------------------------------------
here I can play VCD ?
--------------------------------------
arget platforms for VideoCD discs
re dedicated Video CD players, computer systems configured to
upport Video CD, CD-i
layers with Digital Video cartridges, Playstation (with an adapterN64 (with a Doctor
64).
--------------------------------------
ell me more about VideoCD
layers..
--------------------------------------
dedicated Video CD player is
esigned to play only Video CDs and is not a general purpose
ultimedia machine. This kind
f player might be likened to a VCR for compact discs. The play-bac
pplication for Video
D is contained in the player hardware and allows play back of the
inear video material
n the disc.
hen you buy a VCD player, make sure
t supports VCD 2.0 since some VCDs are enhanced version 2.0 and can
eliver Special
layback Effect, photo quality still pictures, extra soundtracks,
nteractive games, as
ell as additional menus.
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--------------------------------------
nough..Tell me about my PC!
--------------------------------------
computer system that features a
D-ROM/XA drive, an MPEG-1 decoder, and a host play-back applicatioan also be used to
lay Video CD discs. The application can be included in the hardwar
for instance, on a
pecial board) or as a software application on the compact disc or
he host computer
ystem's hard disk. This platform can provide more functionality th
dedicated Video CD
layer.
--------------------------------------
hh..CD-i can play VCD's ?
--------------------------------------
ideo CD discs can also be played on
ny CD-i player that has the Digital Video extension. Philips playe
urrently offer thisxtension via a plug-in cartridge, but this capability may be built
nto future CD-i
layers.
In Help of Adaptec Video Cd there's "SEGMENT with a file name of
TEMxxxx.DAT where
xxx is a number. Items in this area cannot be played in a CD-I
layer". I have read
hath Cd-i is no more supported by Philips, a Cd-i with Mpeg modulean read ONLY VideoCd
.0 standard.)
ike computer systems, CD-i players can allow the user to have more
nteractive control of
lay-back behavior through the use of features like on-screen,
raphical tables of
ontents and supplemental material, such as behind-the-scenes
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nterviews, commentaries,
iscographies, etc.versus analog factor.
--------------------------------------
hy is VCD gaining
opularity in America, Europe and Australia ?
--------------------------------------
CDs are very popular in Asia and is
aining popularity in America, Europe or Australia. Nowadays, VCDs
ave practically
eplaced video cassettes in Asia. The main reason is because VCD is
heap compared to DVDs
that is why it is nicknamed " poor man's DVD) and the quality is
ven better thanHS. It can also last much longer than VHS and has no drop in sound
icture quality when
tored for a long time. It is much smaller in size, easier
o store, that is why it is ideal for movie collectors! One good
spect is that it can be
layed on DVD, LD players, a computer and many other devices.
lso, the popularity of VCDs is on the rise because of the gaining
nterest among
mericans and Canadians for Hong Kong movies. Have you ever heard ohow Yuen Fat, Jet
i, Jacky Chan or Michelle Yeoh?
--------------------------------------
hat equipment do I need to
lay VCD ?
--------------------------------------
CDs can be played on VCD players
ut it is not quite popular yet in other parts of the world except
sia. The second way is
o play VCDs on DVD players. DVD movies are encoded using a
ompression technique called
PEG-2. Whereas, VCDs are encoded in MPEG-1. Because of the
imilarity of encoding/
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ompression technique, most, but not all DVD players can play VCD a
VD. For example,
ONY DVP-S3000 and SONY DVP-S7000 and PIONEER DVD PLAYER DV-505. On
he other hand, VCD
layers cannot play DVDs. You also can play VCDs on your PC if your
omputer is properly
quipped.
ere are the different equipments to
lay Video CDs:
.VCD Players. (obviously!)
.Some DVD Players with VCD capabilities. For example, SONY DVP-S30
nd SONY DVP-S7000nd PIONEER DVD PLAYER DV-505. [ some of these DVD players have CDR
etection, they need
o be modified to play CDR VCDs ]
.Computers. You need to have a MPEG player software, but if you wan
o get high picture
uality, you need to install a MPEG accelarete card accompaning wit
good video card.
.Playstation Consoles with VCD Add-On [ a.k.a the Movie Card ]
.Saturn Consoles with VCD Add-On
.Doctor V64 / CD 64
.Some CD-I Players
.Some 3DO Game Consoles
.Some Laser Disc Players
--------------------------------------
hat are the advantages of
CD?
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--------------------------------------
.VCD is multi-platform.
.Random Access for quick search.
.Better graphics quality than regular MPEG.
.Multiple audio/voice tracks for multilingual support.
.It's a cheaper alternative for DVDs and Laser Discs.
--------------------------------------
hat is the quality of VCD
ike ?
--------------------------------------
ecause of the capacity to hold more
ata, DVD movies are of more superior quality compared to VCDs. DVD
an hold up to 26 more
imes (6 Gigabits) of data as compared with VCD (650 Megabits). One
f the objectives of
he MPEG-1 standard for VCD was to get the quality comparable to S-
HS. In practice,icture quality when using a VCD players may somehow be almost as
ood as laser disc,
epending on the encoding. VCDs are playable on any machine capable
f playing VCD
nywhere in the world. This is because VCDs have no incompatibility
roblem caused by
ifferent formats such as PAL, NTSC & SECAM, and also do not have
ock-out codes that
isallow you playing movies that are not bought in your region.
--------------------------------------
hat is the difference
etween NTSC and PAL ?
--------------------------------------
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here are two TV video standards,
TSC and PAL. NTSC is used in North America, and PAL is used almost
verywhere else in the
orld. Most hardware devices (DVD or VCD players) that play PAL vid
esolution out on a
TSC monitor correctly will cut approximately 24 lines of resolutio
rom the top and
ottom of a PAL image. Almost all VCDs are in PAL resolution, as there manufactured in
sia. This is usually not an issue, because not much details are lo
y such truncation.
ote : NTSC has 352 X 240 video resolution and PAL's video resoluti
s 352 X 288. This
AL to NTSC video conversion / truncation problem does not exist wh
iewed on a PC
onitor as the PC just displays the whole image.
--------------------------------------
ow can I play VCD on my
omputer ?
--------------------------------------
lmost any computer can play VCDs
ecause they are based on MPEG technology. You only need a basicentium PC (minimum
entium 166), a 2xCD-ROM drive, a good video card with 2MB or more
nd a software-only
PEG decoder.
here are two most popular MPEG decoder software that is from Xing
echnology called
Xing MPEG and Activemovie from Microsoft. You can try out Xing's
atest version ofPEG program by downloading it from WWW.XINGTECH.COM
f you are running a windows NT/95/98 machine you'd probably have th
edia player as a
lug-in in Internet Explorer.
ctiveMovie supports popular video and audio formats including AVI
ideo, QuickTime, WAV,
IDI, AU, and AIFF. It also supports playback of MPEG video and
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udio. With the support of
PEG video, ActiveMovie gives you television-quality video on your
omputer.
o enhance the performance of your computer, get a MPEG card from
our local computer shop
o relief the decoding work from your main CPU. That way, the movie
ou are watching willlay more smoothly.
nother recomendable software to play VCDs is Taiwan Cyber Link's T
oftware-only VCD
owerPlayer. It requires no hardware VCD player or MPEG card, savin
ignificant cost. It
s said that this software is much better than the XING MPEG Player
hat is, its
asy to use and has high quality graphic. Please go to http://www.yberlink.com.tw to
ownload.
--------------------------------------
ow do I play VCD on a Power
acintosh
--------------------------------------
ou will need Quicktime Apple's
ideo technology that allows you to play high quality video directl
o your computer. You
an download it from WWW.APPLE.COM . A 4x CDROM and a
04e proccessor is good enough to play VCDs.
lternatively, you can go to WWW.TUCOWS.COM and do a
earch on VCD Player to get the software. Download VCD Player 1.4.6n Macintosh and there
ou have a software to play VCD on your Mac!
CD Player simplifies the process of playing video compact discs on
our Mac. Simply
elect the Present Movie command, and VCD Player provides full-scre
PEG playback. It
eatures options that control sound and playback, and like an audio
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D player, you can
elect which track to start watching. VCD Player can now "remember"
here you
topped playing the movie after you quit the program, restarted you
ac, or changed to
nother disc then changed back. This update includes support for
ultiple monitors.
--------------------------------------
an I play VCD on a Philips
Di player
--------------------------------------
ormally, all Philips CD-i runs all
D-i, CD-DA, Digital Video, Video CD, CD+G and Photo-CD. With theigital Video Cartridge
MPEG 1) factory-installed, it also runs the latest applications wi
nteractive
ull-screen, full-motion video, such as Movies, Music Videos and Hi
ower 3D Action
ames. The best way to know is to check the documentation that come
ith the player. Or
o to www.prodvd.philips.com/hardware/cdi490.html
or further details.
--------------------------------------
ow do I play VCD on a 3DO
achine ?
--------------------------------------
DO are actually becoming obsoleteut you can still play VCD on it if you have the required video
atridge. But the consoles
re very difficult to find. To know more, pls go to : http://a-3do-
ite.freeservers.com/
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ow can I play VCD by using
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ideo sources, unskilled encoder operators, old technology, etc. ar
ome of the reasons.
s with any technology, there are always improvements as time goes
n. A major problem is
ncoding that is done using 'preset' parameters only with no tweaki
eing done.
nfortunately, you just can't dump video through an MPEG1 encoder a
xpect to get areat picture out of it. As with anything, you get what you pay for
f you use good
ncoding hardware, from Beta Cam or better source and operate the
ncoding hardware
roperly, your clients will be amazed by VideoCD.
--------------------------------------
hy does my PC Hang whensing a computer to see the vcd movie ?
--------------------------------------
t sometimes happends when the
uality of the CD is not so good or your cd-rom is dirty.
--------------------------------------
an I use my DVD player to
lay the VCD ?
--------------------------------------
ou can play VCD only in DVD that
ave dual lens (or comparable system). The point is: a DVD drive
annot read a cdr, so you
eed another (or a combo/modified/dual lens) pickup In the specificase, Panasonic cannot
ead cdr. Sony and Pioneer yes. The more simple wayis try with a cd
ideoCD before buy.
--------------------------------------
s VideoCD CD-i ?
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--------------------------------------
ideoCD 2.0 is a type of CD-ROM X/A
ridge Disc using audio and video formats from CD-i. VideoCD is a
ister technology to
D-i, without the complex OS/9 authoring requirements. VideoCDs wil
enerally play in
D-i players with a FMV (Full-motion Video cartridge). High-esolution stills do not
isplay properly in CD-i players. Interactive CD-i CDs will not pl
n a Video1.1
r 2.0 CD player although CD-i movies will.
--------------------------------------
ow can i make an VCD Player
y self ?
--------------------------------------
f you take an audio CD player, and
dd a cheap MPEG1 decoder chip, you get a VCD 2.0 player
--------------------------------------
echical Specification :tructure of VCD
--------------------------------------
he logical structure of the Video
D is destined to allow access by track playing mechanisms of low-
riced consumer players,
y computer systems and CD-i players too. The first track on the di
s the Video CD Datarack. File structure conforms to ISO 9660 allowing access for
omputer-based platforms.
o support access to information of this data track by simple
onsumer players too,
nformation areas for track playing mechanisms have to be at a fixe
bsolute location on
he CD. The track starts with a two second pregap and 16 empty
ectors at time code
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nterpreted, the other describing the links and the ways to access
udio or video
equences and still pictures.
he information of these files is interpreted by consumer players,
he appropriate files
or CD-i and computer platform contain extended selection lists.
hese files are calledSD_X.VCD and LOT_X.VCD. There have to be more information for thes
latforms to support
irect access with a pointing device via buttons and highlighted
reas. These files are in
folder named EXT. Additional information for the CD-i player is
tored in a folder named
DI.
folder named MPEGAV contains files with the MPEG-Audio-Videoracks. If there are any
ed-Book-Tracks on the discs there has to be a folder named CDDA
ontaining the audio
iles. Following Video CD specification version 2.0 not only MPEG-
racks may contain MPEG
ideo and audio, the standard allows to store additional video, aud
nd still videos in
special segment of the Video CD data track (track #1).
his area is called Segment Play item Area, because the Pplay items
re stored in fixed
egments, accessible for players with track playing mechanisms. The
ength of each segment
easures 150 sectors. A maximum of 1980 segments is allowed on one
D, each segment
as a number starting with 1. If there is such an area on the disc
here has to be an
older called SEGMENT with the files of the Segment play items.
he file system on a Video CD 2.0 conforms to ISO 9660 standard. ISO
660 standard
pecifies an hierarchical file system similar to the file system of
OS. The standard has
interchange levels, but in general when talking about ISO-9960
iscs interchange level 1
s focused. This means that not more than 8 directory levels are
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llowed for depth, and
nly capital letters 'A' to 'Z', numerical '0' to '9' and the
nderscore character '_' its
llowed to name files and directories.
iles names consist of at least 1 up to 8 characters and an optiona
xtension of up 3
haracters added behind a dot '.'. Directory names cannot have anxtension. ISO 9660
nterchange level 2 and level 3 are allowing more freedom in naming
iles, but level 1 is
n industrial standard supported by software drivers and many
omputer systems.
his standard stands for interchangeability between different
latforms. Non-ISO disc
onform to proprietary standards of operating systems, for examplepples Hierarchical
ile System (HFS).
he encoded video of the play items
onforms to the MPEG-1 standard using the standard
nput format (SIF). The technical specifications for picture size a
icture rate are:
52 x 240 pixel, 29.97 Hz picture rate for NTSC 352 x 240 pixel,3.976 Hz for movies 352
288 pixel, 25 Hz for PAL.
he location of text within videos encoded for PAL format should be
n a Text Area in the
iddle of the screen (352 x 240) not using 24 lines at the upper and
ower border of the
creen.
PEG-1 video uses interframe compression. A sophisticated system of
ifferent kind of
ictures eliminates not only redundant information within a frame b
lso between frames.
o assist random access to the video sequences groups of pictures
GOP) are built,
eginning with a so called intra-coded picture (I-picture) that use
nformation only form
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tself without any reference to another picture. I-pictures are
eference pictures and
ccess points to the video sequence.
redictive-coded and bidirectionally predictive-coded pictures are
oth coded using
nformation (motion compensated prediction) from reference pictures
-Pictures areeference pictures too based on information from past reference
ictures (I- or
-Pictures). B-Pictures are located between reference pictures usin
nformation from
oth, past and future reference pictures.
or example, a group of pictures (GOP) may have a structure like
BBPBBPBBPBB etc. or
BBBPBBBPBBB (see also figure XX). The selection of the appropriateOP-structure depends
n the content of the video source material, if there are many
hanges in the picture,
any details etc. The selection of appropriate GOPs affects the
uality of MPEG video. In
eneral it is recommended to have at least one or two I-Pictures
very second, the Video
D standard allows a maximum distance of 2 seconds between two I-
ictures.
ssociated audio must be encoded conforming to MPEG-1 standard, Lay
I with a sampling
requency of 44.1 kHz, in dual channel mode for a dual language
rogram or Karaoke,
ntensity stereo mode, or (joint) stereo, that considers interchann
ependencies of the
wo stereo channels for compression.
o maintain synchronization of video and audio both data streams ar
nterleaved in MPEG
ideo and MPEG audio sectors. The data rate of Form 2 sectors (sing
peed) is about 1,4
bit/s, the video stream must be encoded at 1,15 Mbit/s, audio stre
t 224 kbit/s,
nformation that tells an MPEG decoding system how to handle the
nterleaved data streams
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s added by a multiplexer software.
ptional Audio tracks are coded conforming to the Red Book with a
ampling frequency of
4.1 kHz, 16 Bit, stereo mode.
V-MPEG-Sequences in the Segment Play item in track #1 may be encod
n the same way ashose in MPEG-tracks. But different from that the data rate may
ncrease up to 1,37 MBit/s
epending on the rate of associated audio that may range from 0 to
84 kbit/s. There are
hree data rates for single channel mode (64, 96, and 192 kbit/s) an
our rates for
tereo, intensity stereo and dual channel mode (128, 192, 224, and
84 kbit/s). A segment
an contain pure MPEG audio without video.
till Videos in track #1 must be encoded as an MPEG Intra picture.
ormal resolution is
52 x 240 pixel for NTSC and 352 x 288 Pixel for PAL. High Resolutio
ictures are encoded
n the same way, but the horizontal and vertical size is doubled. S
TSC size is 704 x
80 pixel,
AL size 704 x 576. There may also be sequences of still picturesilled up with padding
ackets to get convenient time intervals - even a mix of normal and
igh resolution
ictures is allowed.
ach Segment play item starts at the beginning of a new segment.
ccording to the maximum
umber of segment 1980 Segment Pplay items may be defined.