[MacDV] Re: additional VCD Help

[James Asherman]

Ron Woodland wrote:

> I'm sure this has been covered at some point along the discussion in 
> this thread, but I'll come at it from another direction.  Video CD is 
> by definition one-quarter size of the NTSC video frame.  That is 
> necesary so that a CD-ROM (650 MB capacity) can hold a sufficient 
> quantity of video to make the format viable.  The frame size, codec, 
> and compression amount, among other things, are all calculated to get 
> this format to work.  It is nominally equivalent to VHS tape in quality.
>
> To ask for a 640 x 480 video frame on a VCD is to not understand the 
> standard.  

Right they are more like 320 by 240

> Yes, there is an SVCD, which yields a better quality by increasing the 
> frame size to one-half of the NTSC video frame but lowers the amount 
> that can be stored on the medium as a consequence.  I have yet to find 
> a player that can handle a SVCD, but I admit I didn't put a lot of 
> effort into it.

I've seen quite few cheap )$60( players recently that will play SVCD VCD 
MP3 and RW.

>   In my mind, VCDs are an interesting historical curiosity but not fit 
> for commercial use any longer.

never were.
Jim

>
>
> In fact, DVD has essentially halted any further development of the VCD 
> standards.  This is as good as it gets for VCD.  Obviously, DVD has 
> taken over from here.  The day will come (five years max?) when DVD 
> will be replaced with something better, as well.  Maybe it already has 
> been replace.  Consider the new blue laser (code named "blue-ray") vs. 
> old red laser format -- 4.7 GB capacity per layer now compared to 9 GB 
> capacity.  I don't think the drives are backward compatible either. 
> Then we'll all have to spend a bunch more money to stay current.  
> Isn't technology wonderful?
>
> Ron Woodland
>