can't play a particular VCD on my computer

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I have a VCD movie called The Tai Chi Master (Universe Laser and Video) and i cannot play it on my computer. Whenever i try to read the contents of the cd i see no files (even with *.* extension). I have many other VCDs which play perfectly and i can see files in the cd. When i put Tai Chi Master in a normal VCD player it plays just fine. I downloaded Xing Player and Softpeg, and still the vcd doesn't work. How can i make the vcd work on the computer?

-- Hung Hei Kwun (shaolin_pl@hotmail.com), July 14, 1999

Answers

Your "The Tai Chi Master" vcd is most likely a version 1.0 VCD. This type of VCD cannot be read or played on a PC computer.

-- Tomo (ong@worksafe.wa.gov.au), July 15, 1999.

I have the same problem with Fong Sai Yuk (Universe Laser and Video). Even if it was VCD 1.0, on the back of the VCD case, it says "Suitable for VCD Player and PC with MPEG Card". So, why am I not able to read the file??

jing

-- Jing (x16892@exmail.usma.edu), September 08, 1999.


To Jing Yu (in answer to your email)

I, too, have a VCD 'Fire Island' produced by same company and am faced with same dilemma. This VCD was bought a few years back.

The plausible reasons I can put up are:-

1) VCDs when first invented and sold were not meant for PC because their speeds were too slow then (fastest was AT or 386). Therefore, VCDs sold then were not made to be read or played on the PC.

2) However, some smart 'Alecs' came up with the MPEG add-on card to overcome the speed problem. The way it works is probably what they are talking about in another 'thread' in this forum titled "audio player to VCD player" (have a read of this thread). Your CD-ROM drive is actually a CD audio player as well. The digital output from your CD-ROM with VCD gets decoded by the MPEG card and the signals sent straight to your TV set without much PC 'cpu' interactions.

This was a very popular 'add-on' some years back in Malaysia and other parts of Asia. Talk to some seniors in your country.

Would welcome other comments.

-- Tomo (ong@worksafe.wa.gov.au), September 09, 1999.


Some copy-protected VCD's will show no files even with *.* when accessed through a computer.

-- (ct2193@netzero.net), July 07, 2001.

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