Create Video CD / DVD

Input: edited AVI file
Output: Movie on CD

Selecting the right codec

When putting your video on CD you have to decide what format (or codec) is best for your video. Selecting the right codec determines to a great extend things like quality, devices which can be used, compatibility, etc, etc. So it is essential to select the codec which suits your needs best.

Please read more on the this in the section video codecs

Burning the CD

I have good experiences with Nero Burning Rom to create Video CDs. For other choices see Software to burn video CDs

To make CD's bootable, see:

• "Sly Autorun" http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Sector/4444/slyauto.html
• HOW TO_ Autoplay Video CD (VCD) in Windows.txt for how to make these CDs auto-play in PCs as well.

What kind of CDs you you make?

Normal CD

A "Normal" CD is basically a CD-ROM with a set of video files on. You are free to choose any codec. The CD can be played on a computer and not on a DVD player.

VIDEO-CD

A Video-CD is basically a set op MPG-1 files in a special format on a CD. Most DVD players can play video-cd's. Also PCs as slow as a Pentium 60 can play video-cd's. According the Video-cd standard the resolution for PAL is 352x288. You can put about 1 hour of video on a video CD. The quality is comparable to a VHS tape. 

Read more:

• VideoCD Frequently Asked Questions, by r. christopher harshman http://paradigm.uor.edu/~harshman/video/VideoCD-FAQ.html#B2
• VCD help! http://www.vcdhelp.com/ Excellent site about editing, converting and burning Video CDs
• http://aussie01.freeservers.com/ Ross McLennan's - World of Digital Video and Editing on a Personal Computer! - Making VideoCd's --- this is what it can mean to you!, Excellent site about creating your own video CD
• Andy McFadden's CD-Recordable FAQ  http://www.fadden.com/cdrfaq/
• The DVD Players and VCD Players CDR,CDRW,VCD,SVCD... compatibility list http://www.vcdhelp.com/dvdplayers.php see whether a DVD player can play a VCD, ...
• VideoCD Frequently Asked Questions http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2496/vcdfaq.html by Russil Wvong
• Making VideoCDs on a Buget Using a BT848A/849A Video Capture Card http://www.geocities.com/cplarosa/video/capture.htm

Super Video CD (SVCD)

This standard is for putting MPEG-2 files on normal CD recordables. This means that you put 15-20 minutes of high quality MPEG-2 movie an a normal CD. Super Video CDs can be played on a selection of the DVD players (see the DVD compatability list earlier mentioned on this page). The quality of SVCDs is between VHS and DVD.

• Gareth's guide for making SVCDs: http://www.ghorne.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/vidtest/svcd.htm
• Making Super Video CD http://perso.wanadoo.fr/lelab/video/svcd_en.htm very good
• Super Video CD overview by Jukka Aho http://www.uwasa.fi/~f76998/video/svcd/overview/
• Philips Super Video Cd site: http://www.licensing.philips.com/newoptical/newsvcd.html
• Herosoft, supplier of SVCD authoring software http://www.herosoft.com/english/english.htm
• Forum for creating Super Video CDs http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/70438

Extended Super Video CD (XSVCD)

XSVCD stands for eXtendedSVCD. XSVCD uses like SVCD MPEG-2 but it is possible to set up the bitrate to 9.8 MBit/s and use a higher resolution. It is possible to use multi audiostrems for multilanguage or use subtitles.

Video: up to 9800 kbit/sec MPEG-2 720 x 576 pixels, 25 frames/sec (PAL), 720 x 480 pixels, 29,97 frames/sec  (NTSC) with up to 4 Subtitles Audio: 32-384 kbit/sec MPEG-1 Layer2 with up to 2 Audio Tracks

• VCD Help's, XSVCD info: http://www.vcdhelp.com/xvcd.htm

DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)

You can store about 4.7 GB of MPEG-2 codec movie on one DVD Disc.
DVD writers are getting now (October 2002) more and more affordable. For about 400 Euro you can get a DVD writer for your PC. The DVD blank discs are getting more cheap now (about 10 Euro for a 4.7 GB disc, October 2002). Per MB this comes in the direction of a normal CD. The only drawback, yet is that the DVD standard for (re)writables has not yet been settled out.

• ABCDV.COM's "How to create a DVD?" http://www.abcdv.com/dvtech/dvd/how_to_create_dvd_1.html
• DVD faq http://www.thedigitalbits.com/officialfaq.html VERY GOOD
• Canopus ADVC-50 PCI based DV, analog converter card (PC&MAC) http://www.canopus.com/US/products/advc-50/pt_advc-50.asp  (price indication 2002-10, Euro 210)
• Gareth's Experiences with making DVDs: http://www.ghorne.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/vidtest/dvdr.htm