[P1] Video cd what do i need to make them

[George Slusher]

>Since i cant do dvd movies. What do i need to do video cds? I have a ibook 
>800 with just a cd rom. What do i need to play them? Can they be played on 
>a dvd player? What is a good dv camcorder to get for imovie, for $400 or 
>less? I know i have a lot of questions thanks for all the answers. Josh

Does the iBook have the "combo" drive, or just the CD-ROM? IOW, can you 
burn CDs? 

Many DVD players can play Video CDs. If you have a DVD player, check the 
manual. 

To make Video CDs, you can get Roxio's Toast (a good investment, in any 
case) or a special VCD maker software. Go to www.versiontracker.com and 
search on "vcd"--you'll find several bits of software. One that looks 
good (haven't tried it, as I have Toast) is:

iVCD (shareware $30)     
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19926

To play VCDs on a Mac, you need the right software. Two that I've seen are

VLC media player (Free) 
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14738

MacVCD X ($20) http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14082

You may also need to get the QuickTime MPEG-2 component--check the 
software instructions. If you need this, you can go to Apple's site and 
click on the QuickTime tab. It's not free, though.

Do realize that some of these files are large--5-8 MB--and be sure to 
check the system requirements. 

As for the digital camcorder, I'd suggest that you check around locally. 
If you have a chain store like Circuit City, CompUSA, Good Guys, etc., or 
a good video store, you can see a lot of camcorders all at once. Picking 
a camcorder is a very personal decision, as people's criteria differ. 
(E.g., for some, size is very important; for others, it may not be.) Your 
selection will be quite limited if you can't spend more than $400. You 
can also go to your local library and check Consumer Reports and other 
magazines for articles about digital camcorders.


George Slusher/Eugene, OR
gslusher at rio.com