http://www.iki.fi/znark/videocd/svcd_overview.htm

This url has a great definition of the SVCD standard for those of you that are confused about it. Great links to SVCD players, SVCD documents, info, and even how to create SVCD's!!!!

Hopefully, if people get into SVCD (I'd rather see this format around than all the forms of "miniDVD" which is not a standard like SVCD), we can start seeing releases, and more support.

SVCD is not a USA standard you say? Well, I see it as a great format for DVD rips. Please join me in promoting this great new format that supports subtitles, 16:9 anamorphic ratio, multiple menus, multiple languages, etc.

-- MrVCD (mrvcd@juno.com), February 15, 2000

Answers

Yeah, really exciting stuff, however the main bug bear of the SVCD format is and I quote :

"The typical running time of an SVCD disc (with full resolution and quality) is about 35-45 minutes, although it can be extended to over 70 minutes by compromising picture quality and resolution."

Also as technology advances most consumers in Singapore (a market leader in new technology in SEA), are discarding their PC CD drives for DVD drives, which only leaves the VCD and SVCD(?) market using standalone sets. There is only room for high end DVD and low end VCD and not much room leftover for SVCD. SVCD players have been on the market for sometime now but I have yet to come across any SVCD software, so it looks like DVD or VCD (status quo) is the way to go for now.

-- Sethsolo (Sethsolo@hotmail.com), February 15, 2000.

I do not agree to Seth's argument.

Even though DVD drives are fast replacing CDROM drives, there is still room for SVCD to make a strong presence. This is because DVD drives can also read the standard CDs. Since SCVD is made on standard CDs, all is needed is a SVCD-compatible MPEG2 decoder, which can be hardware or software, to play the disc.

The fact that SVCD is still not so popular although it has been around for some time can be attributed to the lack of certfication by standards organisation. Now that certification is in process, there is the motivation for hoth manufacturers and consumers to give SVCD a go.

DVD, despite its high quality, is much more expensive to develop than SVCD. Being able to contain only 35-45 minutes of video is not a major constraint with SVCD. You will need only 2 cds to put in a video title, same as what is happening right now.

It will be quite a while before some of us can afford to own a dvd development system. Why not just make use of what are already available, but, with a difference.

-- Daniel Lee (siangneng@hotmail.com), February 16, 2000.

I do not agree to Seth's argument.

Even though DVD drives are fast replacing CDROM drives, there is still room for SVCD to make a strong presence. This is because DVD drives can also read the standard CDs. Since SCVD is made on standard CDs, all is needed is a SVCD-compatible MPEG2 decoder, which can be hardware or software, to play the disc.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, there is room for the SVCD format, but not much, from the many posts here in this forum, using DVD drives to read standard CDs eg VCDs and CD-R material is fraught with hair tearing and many questions asled time and time again on which model or brand player is the most compatible with standard CD-Rs and VCDs, therefore if you are own a DVD drive/player it would be most logical to try and stick with playing DVD software most of the time. Firstly, DVD yields superior audio and video and secondly, almost any other country outside US would have to deal with regional coding, including having to add mod chips to circumvent this, these factors would cause enough headaches for the average consumer already.

DVD, despite its high quality, is much more expensive to develop than SVCD. Being able to contain only 35-45 minutes of video is not a major constraint with SVCD. You will need only 2 cds to put in a video title, same as what is happening right now.

On the contrary, many movies would have to come on three discs, even when using a multitray player which may ease disc swapping somewhat, storage of the three discs is an inconvenience as the SVCD storage case would have to be redesigned and would cause storage problems with present racks.

It will be quite a while before some of us can afford to own a dvd development system. Why not just make use of what are already available, but, with a difference.

I can see where you are coming from and since you are interested in doing your own development, the VCD path is already well trodden and already available, and by the time you are able to develop good SVCDs, DVD development would become more affordable and available.

Some posters may remember that I have been a very hopeful proponent of the SVCD in the past, but all I can say now is that, only time will tell if the SVCD format will ever have a strong presence. It has been almost a year here in Singapore and Malaysia since JVC and other well known and lesser known brands have marketed SVCD players and they have just remained a consumer curiosity on the shelves and there is nary a whisper on SVCD software of any kind.

Sethsolo

-- Sethsolo (Sethsolo@hotmail.com), February 16, 2000.

Its been interesting to read this thread.

I have often wondered why the acceptable DVD format of Mpeg-1 SIF has not been used or mentioned as producing better quality. It uses a slightly higher data rate (under 2000kb/s) and the same frame dimensions as VCD.

I wonder if anyone has actually played/seen or used the format in its DVD form.

Then again there must be something quite different in DVD authoring that presumably results in DVD quality from an Mpeg-1 stream that the process for vcd's totally lacks. If it is DVD quality then why not on a CD as about 60 minutes of vision should be possible.

Why do they all try to re-invent the wheel by introducing a new system, bit like beta and vhs I would say, its doomed to fail due to a lack of support.

Interesting!

-- Ross McL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), February 17, 2000.

I can see a great practical use for it in the camcorder business. Instead of using the digital tapes, why not use a CD-R or CD-RW? They're cheap, easy to store, and will play back on any SVCD DVD player. The quality is 480x480 which makes it super quality for camcorder useage. I would like to see camcorders store in this type of media rather than tapes.

Also, they have much higher resolution than VHS tapes, so why not make SVCD recorders that can hold multiple disks to allow up to, say, 4 hours or recording time? Seems like all the technology is there. I can make a SVCD disk using my ATI AIW 128 card, but it does not have variable bit rate encoding, and it is a little blocky. But I would suspect that a better encoder could be combined with a CD- recorder and tuner to make a nifty SVCD recorder.

-- Bob C. (celesteandbob@yahoo.com), April 25, 2001.