[MacDV] VHS to VCD or SVCD

[James Asherman]

On Friday, December 19, 2003, at 08:36  PM, Ann Billups wrote:

>
> I have been doing a lot of VCD's and I am about to embark on a project 
> of converting about 13 hours of VHS material to digital. In the past I 
> have used both my EyeTV to import the video and I have also used my 
> digital video camera to record from the VHS tape and then imported it 
> into iMovie. I have burned both DVD's and VCD's and because of the 
> source material, the results were comparable, with the VCD's being a 
> lot easier and quicker to make.
>
> I followed the discussion about video quality, but I am still confused 
> about SVCD's. What exactly are they? Are they recorded to CD media or 
> DVD media? I assumed that the S just meant a "super" quality VCD. Am I 
> correct?
I would say so

>  I tried burning a SVCD just for a test, but never got past the 
> encoding. I don't know whether I didn't wait long enough or the 
> machine froze. I know that encoding a DVD for burning takes forever in 
> iDVD on my 12" PowerBook. What is the advantage of SVCD over VCD?
Should have  a finer resolution to the picture but file size increaeses 
and run time decreases.

>
> Also, in the discussions of burning on a mac verses a pc, why would 
> the quality of VCD's or SVCD's be better when burned on a pc, if they 
> are the same thing and will play on a regular DVD player? If macs are 
> supposed to be the premier video machines, then why would the quality 
> differ? The software?

That is a good question and providing that it is true I guess it is the 
software,
Apple sells computers with real DVD burners and with the exception of 
Toast not a lot of major Mac software even bothers with the VCD.
There are a lot more PC's and a lot less of them have the DVD burners. 
(opinon)
I know I have never made one. I have a DVD burner. I have not felt any 
need for the VCD format.

>
> I am sure these questions sound inane, but I am very confused by these 
> issues and would like to understand them.
>
> Ann Billups
> abillups at earthlink.net
>
>
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