How the heck do you burn a VCD?

[Erik Osterholm]

On Wed, Nov 23, 2005 at 10:11:57PM -0800, Michael C. Shultz wrote:
> On Wednesday 23 November 2005 21:56, Louis LeBlanc wrote:
> > On 11/23/05 09:35 PM, Michael C. Shultz sat at the `puter and typed:
> > > On Wednesday 23 November 2005 21:20, Louis LeBlanc wrote:
> > > > Hey folks.  This may be slightly OT, but I just downloaded the
> > > > StarWreck spoof (http://www.starwreck.com), and I'd like to get it
> > > > burned to a VCD.  It's in xvid/avi format, and I'm not sure what's the
> > > > best way to burn this.  with the following:
> > > >
> > > > burncd -f /dev/acd1 -d vcd
> > > > star_wreck_in_the_pirkinning_subtitled_xvid.avi
> > > >
> > > > but it doesn't seem to play anywhere - not even my FreeBSD box - which
> > > > is the only machine I can get the avi file to play in the first place
> > > > (MacOs X & Windoze won't play it).  How's that for FreeBSD being a
> > > > better multimedia box?
> > > >
> > > > I have checked the disk, and it *does* appear to have been burned - so
> > > > this is a coaster now.  I'm guessing I just didn't understand the
> > > > burncd manpage in regards to vcd burning.  I also couldn't find
> > > > anything but 'doze and MacOs X commercial software ads on google, even
> > > > though I required either "FreeBSD" or "Linux" in my search.
> > > >
> > > > Anyway, I'm really a newbie with this vcd stuff, so a little leg up
> > > > would be appreciated.
> > > >
> > > > TIA
> > > > Lou
> > >
> > > Look in the handbook under opticle drives on how to make ISO's
> >
> > What, really?  I haven't been able to find any indication that the VCD
> > format was nothing more than an xvid AVI file in an iso filesystem.
> 
> VCD format isn't xvid.  For the most part, anything you burn to a DVD or
> CD should be done as an ISO file, especially if you want the CD to
> work with other OS's or DVD players :)

VCD format is 1150 kbit/sec MPEG-1 at 352x288 pixels (PAL) or 352x240
pixels (NTSC).  If the file isn't in this format--and given that it's
an Xvid, that seems unlikely--he won't be able to make a VCD out of
that file without conversion.


> > Figures it would be so painfully simple - that'll play on my DVD
> > player?
> 
> Depends on your DVD player and the codecs used for the VCD. If
> its encoded right it should, if not then start learning mencoder and the
> art of re-encoding. Mencoder comes with mplayer and you should find a mail 
> list that caters to that sort of thing if your interested.

I don't think codecs really come into play with VCDs.  They must be
mpeg1 video (and a few other limitations on audio--Google can probably
help find all the specifics.)

No DVD player I know of will accept a "VCD formatted" cd with
mpeg-4-like content.  Some DVD players will play CDs with a standard
ISO filesystem that includes an xvid file, but these are generally the
odd cases.  As stated earlier in the thread, this would require making
an ISO using mkisofs and burning that with burncd.

Unless he has one of these special case players, then he'll almost
certainly have to learn how to use mencoder, as you suggest.


> >
> > Thanks for the pointer.
> 
> Your welcome :)
> 
> -Mike

Erik