I've seen a new model of a JVC Mini-compo Playing a S-VCD. It has the caption feature, multi-language and others from the DVD's standard features. The salesman also claims that it has greater resolution than the S-VHS and regular VCD. Can you inform me of some of its technical specifications.

-- Arnel Hernandez (abhernandez@pldt.com.ph), September 29, 1999

Answers

S-VCD is, generally, China's answer to DVD. China, inc. wants as little as possible to do with paying fees, etc. to liscensing any of the technology involving legit DVD and so have decided to strike it on their own by stretching the VCD format to something rather unique. Basically, SVCD still uses the CD format(not DVD) so they claim it will go a long way towards compatibility. The changes here include using a variation of MPEG-2, and variable bit-rate recording (compared with VCD's constant bit-rate). All that creates audio and video with quality that falls between DVD and VCD, subjectively. Because of the often higher data rates, one CD will now only accomodate 40mins, and so a movie now has to be spread typically among 3 discs (compared with 2 for VCD). Whether or not this format is successful outside China remains to be seen. You can search this forum for more on SVCD.

-- EMartinez (epmartinez@hotmail.com), October 03, 1999.

I own a SVCD player made in singapore that plays Mp3 music on CD!

-- chen (chen_sw@hotmail.com), October 05, 1999.

Not sure where to post this, but if anyone is interested in a cheap DVD/VCD/Super VCD player then read on.

I dont want to sound like a salesman, but I'm so happy with this unit that I had to post my find. I purchased a Konka KD-1800 DVD player. I got it because it the the only affordable DVD player that played my CDR vcd discs. I paid only $169 US. According the the manual, it can read Super VCD discs as well as the usual DVD and VCD discs. It has coax and optical dolby digital AC3 outputs. It has most the bells and wistles, plays at different speeds in both forward and reverse, zoom, jog shuttle control. The remote is not that good looking, and layout is not so great.

I dont know much about KONKA, but so far the unit works well. I have not verified that it will play Super VCD disc. Never seen one. I have tested it with several DVD, VCD titles as well as my home grown CDR VCDs.

-- Ryan Hatch (ryan1567@yahoo.com), October 12, 1999.

APEX makes CHEAP DVD/MP3/VCD/SVCD players...I got mine at Future Shop for $99.99 Canadian...You read that right CANADIAN. That's roughly $59.99 U.S. Oh and I've been using it for a year and no problems.

-- B Wok (foo@bar.com), December 27, 2002.