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How to make the first VideoCD v1.1.6
Guide by delphi stuff
 
This guide explains how to make a very simple VideoCD. If you succeed, you will know how to use some basic VCDEasy features, how to burn and you will see that your home DVD player can read a VideoCD...
Starting with something simple avoid many troubles (coming for example from MPEG encoding, burning, VCDEasy configuration,...)
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 | | How to avoid some problems... | | |
How to make the first VideoCD
Principle:
Build a VideoCD as much simple and compatible as we can... There are many potential problems: MPEG encoding, VCDEasy usage, burning, home DVD Player compatibility with the VideoCD specifications, the CD-R(W)s themselves...
NB: Remember that the ability to read/play your VideoCD on a PC is not a proof of success for your home DVD player...
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The home DVD player and the CDR(W)s
First, take a look at the VCDHelp's DVD Players Compatibility list to know more about your DVD player.
Format support: To summarize, some DVD players do not play VideoCDs at all, some play only VCD 2.0, some are not fully compliant with the VideoCD specifications, some can read more or less everything... AS an example, when I bought my DVD player, it did not play well VCD2.0 and did not play SVCD 1.0 at all... I did a firmware upgrade (yeap, you can upgrade some DVD players...), it then played well VCD 2.0 but still not SVCD 1.0... I finally found an SVCD unlock code for it... Et voila! Now I can play both VCD 2.0 and SVCD 1.0... Note that it still does not play well some XVCD or XSVCD (VideoCD with some parameters out of the VideoCD specifications)
Media support: CD-RW discs are usually readable on most of the DVD players, while your player may not be able to read CD-R discs, or some CD-Rs... Read the DVD Demystified FAQ for more information. So, again, it is a good idea to take a look at the VCDHelp's DVD Players Compatibility list .
Extra features support: Things like "Selectable SVCD subtitles" are also not supported on all DVD players.
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| 2) |
MPEG Encoding
Many VCDEasy users have their problems there... It exists a lot of MPEG encoders, but only a few will give you true compatibility with the MPEG for VideoCDs specifications, and a good quality. I tried lots of them, always with "VCD2.0" or "SVCD 1.0" templates... Depressing results in most cases... And the price does not proove quality! I personnally choose TMPGEnc (with its VideoCDs templates), coupled with GNU VCDImager (used by VCDEasy) I have very good results, knowing that my home DVD player does not accept everything but only true VCD 2.0 or SVCD 1.0, it seems...
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VCDEasy configuration
You can configure/use almost all aspects of the VideoCD specifications... But as a first VideoCD, to know if your Home DVD player can read at least something (except a DVD!), you should not use most of the VideoCD features.
Let's do something simple, to summarize: VCD 2.0, no PlayBack Control (PBC), one MPEG video (with a length more than 4s), no chapters, no MPEG still (pictures), no CD-i support... this should be a good start! If it does not work, turn ON the PlayBack Control but let the defaults in the Interactivity page.
See below for details.
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| 4) |
Burning
Another potential problem... See the "How to Burn" guides on this web site.
Remember to first try burning with low spped 1x or 2x, it is really important for some DVD players, in order for them to read correctly the CD-R or CD-RW.
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Once you will have a very simple VideoCD playable on your DVD player, you will be able to use/test extra feature more easily...!
If this does not work... and if you are sure about your MPEG file and way to burn... sorry I can not help more. Try the VCDHelp.com forum.
| | | The first time you start VCDEasy | | |
The first time you start VCDEasy
The first time you start VCDEasy, it should look like below.
Let's first check the working environment:
You can see the version of the GNU VCDImager tools used by VCDEasy ( )
Burning... the most difficult part...
You need to decide how you will burn the CD image files...
To summarize, if you want to use the integrated CDRDAO ( ), you must have a valid ASPI layer on your Windows (  , here "Nero ASPI", selected using  ), then you should be able to choose your CD writer ( )... but is it not enough, you will have to configure the CDRDAO settings...
If you do not want to use CDRDAO, simply select "Cd Image File Recorder" as CD writer (), it will generate the CD as files on your hard disk (CD files ready to be burnt by another burning application, see the "How to burn" guides). Important: if you are in the "expert" mode (see the "File" menu), be sure to have "Generate the XML file only" not checked in order to generate the CD image files.
In all cases (burning from within VCDEasy or not), you should read the "How to Burn" guides.
From now, for this guide, I will use the integrated CDRDAO as burning example.
| | | Settings for the creation of the CD | | |
The VCDEasy settings pages
Go to the VCDEasy settings pages:
Then select the "CD Images" page ():
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Choose "BIN/CUE" as CD Image Type. "BIN/detailed CUE" may (it depends on your DVD player) be important for you only if you use chapters
NB: In the case your are not using the PlayBack Control information, "Detailed CUE" may be necessary for you in order to have chapters. Note that if you use "detailed CUE", you must use a burning method that keeps CUE subindexes (See BIN/CUE CD image files)
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Do not check "Use 2336 bytes sectors for CD Image". It is mainly only needed when you want to burn 99min CDRs
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| | | How to configure CDRDAO | | |
The CDRDAO settings page
See the "How to burn with VCDEasy's integrated CDRDAO" guide.
| | | The VideoCD authoring | | |
The (S)VCD authoring "Main" page
Go to the (S)VCD authoring "Main" page
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Select VCD2.0 (most of the DVD players supports at least VCD2.0). NB: You can also use VCD1.1 if you want (No PlayBack Control in this case, and in this guide we won't use PlayBack Control)
(VCD 1.1 and VCD 2.0 support MPEG1 files, SVCD 1.0 supports MPEG2 files)
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Choose here your TV system
NTSC is a format for use primarily in North America
PAL is a format for use primarily in Europe and Asia
Note that MPEG files are PAL or NTSC encoded. So, for example, if you live in France (PAL Tv System), you should choose PAL in VCDEasy and should provide VCDEasy with PAL MPEG files... otherwise (NTSC MPEG file), the video will be displayed in black and white on your TV!
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Uncheck "Interactivity" (PlayBack Control "PBC") (Note that this hides the "Interactivity" page)
If you DVD player won't play the VideoCD, it is a good idea to make it again in changing only this option.
In all cases, it is important to know if your player supports the PBC information.
NB: PBC is not available when authoring VCD 1.1
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If you want to use CDRDAO to burn, better choose "Simulate" first, and not "Burn". When the simulation will end successfully, eject you CD-R or CD-RW, uncheck "Simulate", check "Burn" and hit "Go" again. Indeed, some users have troubles when both "Simulation" and "Burn" are checked at the same time, because of another burning application running in background (like DirectCD, PacketCD,...). You will have to test later if you can have both checked at the same time.
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You can put what you want here, it will be the name displayed when you will put your VideoCD in your computer
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This is the location where the (temporary or not) CD image files will be. This is important for you if you planned to use another burning application. You can change this location in clicking
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Let's now add the MPEG1 for VCD2.0 file.
See the VCDHelp's TMPGEnc guide to have an example on how to build such a MPEG file. NB: I will put soon publis a guide on how to build good quality MPEG files MPEG files
As I already said previously:
Many VCDEasy users have problems due to bad MPEG file... It exists a lot of MPEG encoders, but only a few will give you true compatibility with the VideoCDs specifications, and a good quality. I tried lots of them, always with "VCD2.0" or "SVCD 1.0" templates... Depressing results in most cases... And the price does not proove quality! I personnally choose TMPGEnc (with its VideoCDs templates), coupled with VCDEasy I have very good results, knowing that my home DVD player does not accept everything but only true VCD 2.0 or SVCD 1.0, it seems..
Note that you can select several files at the same time (in using the "CTRL" key)
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You can also drag'n drop MPEG files here to add them to your project.
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This is the approximate size of the CD you will have. Remember... approximate! As your MPEG files may be padded on the fly during the CD image files creation, I have no way to compute the exact size.
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This is the space available on the hard disk where the CD Image files will be created (See ).
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If your MPEG file is ok, you should now see it in the MPEG files list, without having had a warning or error:
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You can see here some interesting information about your MPEG files
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As you can see, the Approximate CD size changed... Nothing strange here!
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As you can see here, once there is at least one MPEG file in the MPEG files list, you can not anymore change some options.
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Now go to the "Option" page.
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As you can see here... there are only a few options. This "options" page in fact changes according to the VideoCD you are authoring (VCD 1.1, VCD 2.0 or SVCD 1.0), and whether you are in "Expert" mode or not.
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This options is interesting for you only if your DVD player supports the "Album" concept: A set a VideoCD all with the same Album name, and numbered 1/2 and 2/2, or 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3 for example. Here is an example:
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and should remain the same while you should change (from 1 to the total volumes count set in )
For your information, if you set the "Expert mode" on:
As you can see below, there are many more items in the "Options" page. The big majority of users should let the defaults choices there.
Now, go to the "Chapter" page...
I will explain here a minimal approach to make chapters. Indeed, you can do complex things with this page (and the "Interactivity" page when the option "Interactivity" or "PlayBack Control" is on). For example, you can paste chapter entry points from tools like DVD Rippers, you can use the Media Player Box to set and view the chapter points you set, ... and many more.
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You can see here the number of place (in the MPEG file) able to become a chapter entry point
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An easy and quick way to make some chapters... Here, I wanted to have 4 chapters.
Click Ok to validate your choice.
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You then can see here what will be the timecode of each chapter.
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Important: Chapters may not work on your DVD player!
- You need to try with and without "Interactivity" (PlayBack Control)
- You may need to choose "BIN/Detailled CUE" instead of "BIN/CUE" in the "CD Images" settings page.
- Some MPEG files won't allow you to make some chapters... so better use TMPGEnc to make the tests (as TMPGEnc make good MPEG files for VideoCDs)
No need to change something in the "Iso Files", but you can take a look at it.
In the Log page, you can see what happens...
You can see here a "Starting write simulation..."
You can also see that VCDEasy generated an XML file which describes the VideoCD you are making, and used to build the CD Image files:
At the end of the write simulation, if everything went well, you should have:
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Means that there was no problems during the XML file generation...
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Means that the CD image files have been successfully created...
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Means that the write simulation succeeded!
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You can now go back to the (S)VCD authoring "Main" page:
You should now have:
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No more "Simulation finished successfully" but "Writing finished successfully"
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You can now try in your DVD player...
NB: This guide is quite long... but detailed (It was also quite long to write... and I am not native English speaker...). With the time, you will find it quite easy to understand... I hope. Remember that making the first successful VideoCD is the biggest problem, you may make a few coasters... but once made, you will have fun and will be able to make more complex VideoCDs...
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