2 questions for the VCD header trick

[Sensei)(Rebel]

1. Does using the VCD header trick on video files make the burned CD-Rs last for a shorter time, or it doesn't matter at all? I'm worried that formatting the CDs in a way they weren't meant to (since TMPEnc tells me it might not work - but it always does, just it's disconcerting) will give them a shorter life than burning them as regular SVCDs. And could the DVD players break down earlier from not playing normal SVCDs (since they can't normally)? Any1 have any facts about their longevity being equal and not having any problems?

2. Can any DVD player play BOTH regular SVCD and SVCD using the VCD header trick?

Thanks if anyone can help.

[iThinkYouBrokeIt]

I personally have not yet tried the VCD-header trick, but i intend to do so either before or after i reformat my hard drive, which may or may not be very soon.

i will do a test later on and see how it runs on my dvd player.

when TMPGEnc says that it may not work, it generally is referring to compatibility issues. meaning your standalone or software player may or may not be able to play the discs using such a format of video.
i just think that your dvd player might not be able to play the video off the disc, since it is a hack format. but, if it is able to play, then that's great. use the trick. i know i will if it works for me.
WinOnCD has too strict of specifications...

anyways, to answer your questions.....
1) Whatever you burn onto the disc, whether it be porn, music, software, etc, etc... it should not affect the life of the disc. what does affect the life of this disc, however, is
a- the brand of the disc, since cheap brands may well... be cheap.
b- the way the disc is treated. make sure you do not scratch the disc on either the label side or the "burned" side, especially while the disc is still blank.
c- i cant think of anything else. i'm just listing obvious things here.

2) Can any DVD player play SVCD discs with and/or without the vcd header trick?
The answer is no. Not all dvd players can play SVCD discs. SuperVCD playback is, however, a fairly common feature, particularly among newer models. So, if your player is able to play standard svcd discs, then i believe it may or may not be able to play them with the vcd header. it really depends on how flexible it is with playback of non-compliant files.

So, to answer with much less words: no, but i'm sure many, if not most, players can.

-My player is very well able to play mpeg files that are nonstandard. i can pretty much set the bitrate or rez to whatever i want, but i generally use the TMPGEnc templates.



--James

[Sensei)(Rebel]

Thanks James !

For my second question, I meant if any DVD players can play regular SVCDs, as well as SVCDs using the header trick. I'm glad the CDs won't wear out no matter how I format (if you're right).

C ya !