General query regarding movie formats / coversion for VCD..

[markmarkymark]

Hiya .. Newbie here ...

This site rocks and I have already made some Divx - VCD conversions that have worked .. thanks ...

I think I'm getting confused over terminology ......

I downloaded a Divx (avi) movie - and coverted it to be burned as a VCD...the conversion (following the guides here) seemed to make a mpeg file .... this was then burned as a VCD - it worked great in my DVD player !

So, If you download a movie already as a MPeg - can you simply burn it as a VCD (using the VCD selection in what ever burning progam you are using) ?

I know you may need to do certain things to it like change its bit rate / split it or whater ever, I'm just getting confused over ..

Mpeg
Mpeg 2
Mpeg 3 (is this DVD)
Mpeg4 (is this Divx)

I'm guessing a movie downloaded as Mpeg1/2 can be burned as a VCD direct - where as you use the software and guides described here to convert the MPEG3/4 'downwards' to MPeg1/2 for VCD ...

Am i onthe right lines here?

thanks

Mark

[wolleric]

MPEG-1 is the standard used for VCD and can be displayed with every software player.
SVCDs use MPEG-2 streams. You need a special plugin/codec to view them on a PC.
MPEG-2 is also used on DVDs, but with a much higher bitrate (~5000 kbps, I think) than on an SVCD.
I'm not sure about MPEG-3, but I think it is for very large frame sizes. You will not find many MPEG-3 files on the internet, though.
MPEG-4 has very high compression rates and is most often used for webcams and streaming media.
If you want to determine the standard of one of your MPEG files, try to open it in VirtualDub. If it works, it's MPEG-1. If VDub rejects it, it is MPEG-2 (I guess you don't have MPEG-3/4 files on your PC).
So, if it's MPEG-1, burn it as VCD; SVCD only for MPEG-2 files.
AVI can have all kinds of video compressions: DivX, Xvid, Cinepak, Indeo etc. That's why you have to install certain codecs if you want to play the AVIs.

[vitualis]

MPEG-3 does not exist.

What was going to be MPEG-3 became part of MPEG-2.

Some info on MPEG: http://mpeg.telecomitalialab.com/mpeg_general.htm

Regards.