How to burn the image file created by the Philips Video CD 2

[RFontenot]

This guide assumes you have completed the tutorial and have a working knowledge of the Philips Video CD 2.0 Toolkit. If not, read my previous post on this subject:

http://www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=49679&forum=1&4

All of the links to download the Toolkit and the tutorial can be found there.


Default Build Folder
-------------------------

Congratulations on your first build! I’m sure by now you are chomping at the bit to see the results of your work.

If you built your project using the default folder settings, then your image file should be in the same folder you installed Toolkit in. You do have the option of setting your build folder someplace else, and I would recommend you do so. In fact, I would recommend you create separate folders for both your build files and your asset files for each VCD project. You change your build folder in the dialog box that you start your build from, namely Project -> Build -> Set Build Folder.

There are times when you will need to delete all of your build files and start another build from scratch. This is a lot easier to do if the build files are in a separate folder. There are other reasons why you’ll want a separate build folder, so create one now. If you don’t, then don’t say you weren’t warned.


Burner Software
--------------------

It appears, at least for now, that only WinOnCD and Gear can burn tracks from the Toolkit image. If anyone can make another product work, like Nero or EZCD, please let the rest of us know how you did it.

Unfortunately, WinOnCD has been discontinued in the U.S. A German version is still available, but I don’t know for how long. Here’s the link to the German language website:

http://www.roxio.de/german/products/winoncd_og.html

Gear is still available. Here is the link to their website:

http://www.gearsoftware.com/

Gear wants a bunch of personal information before they will email you the URL needed to download their demo. Here is the URL they sent to me:

ftp://ftp.gearsoftware.com/pub/demos/windows/gearpro_demo_english.exe

The CD-i Association’s website has instructions for burning the Toolkit image file with either WinOnCD or Gear. There’s a gotcha, though. The Gear directions were written for an older version, and don’t work with the current version. (I don’t know how accurate the WinOnCD instructions are since I haven’t used that program.) However, there is still useful information contained in the instructions, so you should read through them:

http://www.icdia.org/cdprosupport/vcd/vcd2x/vcd_burn.htm


Sector Formats
------------------

There are two reasons why other burner programs cannot read or burn a Toolkit image. They either do not support the sector formats used by the Toolkit image, or they do not support the sector formats correctly.

Toolkit creates a CD-i Bridge image. CD-i Bridge is essentially a special CD-ROM XA Mixed Mode image. The sector formats used are:

1. CD-ROM XA Mode 2/Form 1 scrambled
2. CD-ROM XA Mode 2/Form 2 scrambled
3. CD-Audio

From what I’ve found, most programs can only read Mode 2 tracks if the sectors are NOT scrambled. Apparently, only WinOnCD and Gear can read and burn scrambled Mode 2 sectors. Nero 5.2.2.4 supposedly can read and burn scrambled Mode 2 sectors, but I could never get it to work. As for your favorite burner software, you’ll just have to try it and see.

If you want to know more about sector formats, try these links:

http://www.disctronics.co.uk/

http://www.icdia.org/faq/cdifaq3.html - 3.6


Toolkit Disk Images
-------------------------

The first track in the Toolkit image uses Mode 2/Form 1 scrambled sectors. Form 1 sectors use 280 out of 2352 bytes for error correction, and are intended for executable and control files. If your project uses Video CD MPEG files, those will normally be written to separate tracks using Mode 2/Form 2 scrambled sectors. Form 2 sectors don’t have error correction, and are intended for files which are insensitive to minor bit errors, like video files. Also, an additional 280 bytes per sector are available when using Form 2 sectors, which can make a huge difference with a large video file.

Any CD audio tracks will of course use CD-Audio sectors and should always follow any MPEG tracks.

The build process creates an image file with a *.cd extension. It also creates a text file with a *.toc extension which describes the tracks used in the image file. This TOC/CD file pair is similar in concept to the more widely known CUE/BIN file pair. However, you can’t read in a *.toc file like you can a CDRWin cue sheet file. Philips used to sell it’s own burner software that could read the *.toc file, but I don’t know where you can get a copy of it, or if it would even work with today’s CD burners.


Converting Toolkit Disk Images
---------------------------------------

The Toolkit zip file contains another zip file, TOCS10.ZIP. This zip file contains a utility program that can split the Toolkit disk image into separate tracks. It also creates a track list file that Gear can use. Extract it from the VCD2TK.ZIP file you downloaded, and then extract the TOCSPLIT.EXE file and the readme file. Copy or move the files to the folder you installed the Toolkit in, and create a shortcut to it.

You can also download this utility directly from the utility author’s website:

http://freespace.virgin.net/robin.burrows/cdiutil.htm

Read the readme file, and then double-click on the TOCSPLIT.EXE file or it’s short cut. The program is pretty simple:

1. Press the “Open TOC” button.
2. Load the *.toc file.
3. Press Go!

The utility will create separate track files from the original *.cd image, so be sure you have enough free space! The tracks and the track list file will be created in the same folder that your image file is in. (Which should be your build folder.)

Although this utility creates a track list file with a *.cue extension, it is NOT a CDRWin cue sheet file. This track list file only works with Gear. In fact, the current version of Gear no longer uses the *.cue extension for it’s track list files. Gear now uses the *.tlf extension. Luckily, the format hasn’t changed, so if you want, you can just rename the *.cue file to *.tlf.

If your VCD project only uses menus, still images, and MPEG audio or video files, then the TOCSPLIT utility is all you need. However, if you later decide you want to add CD-Audio files to your projects, then things are a little more complicated. This is because the TOCSPLIT utility does not split out CD-Audio tracks.

There is another utility that can split out CD-Audio tracks, but it’s more cumbersome to use. I’ll cover this later when I write the guide about creating VCD’s with CD-Audio tracks.


Using Gear 5.02 to Burn Your Disk Image
---------------------------------------------------

Download and install the Gear 5.02 demo. You can downloaded it using this link:

ftp://ftp.gearsoftware.com/pub/demos/windows/gearpro_demo_english.exe

Once you have installed it, fire it up and under the Options menu, select Preferences, and then select the Options tab. Change your working directory to your Toolkit build folder. If you don’t do this, you will have to copy your track files to the folder you installed Gear in. (Of course you did create a separate build folder for your project, right?)

Next, under the Recorder menu, select Settings, and then select the CD Settings tab. Make sure the recording method is Track At Once.

Load a CD-RW into your burner. (CD-R works too, but you may want use something you can reuse until you have everything working like you want.)

Next, under the File menu, select "Run GEAR Command"

Now the moment you’ve been waiting for..........

The GEAR command you should use is:

writecd filename.cue X 12

(Hopefully you realize that “filename.cue” is the name of the file created by the TOCSPLIT utility.)

Press Execute and wait for the burn to complete.

Take the VCD out and put it in your DVD player.

Press “Play”.

Enjoy!

RF

P.S.
Thanks to JS for finding the command to make Gear work!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RFontenot on 2001-07-08 17:51:36 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RFontenot on 2001-07-08 18:13:07 ]</font>

[zeppsstteerr]

RFontenot, I and many others would love to see a sample of a VCD with menu etc. made with the toolkit. Don't suppose you have one lying around? I encountered an error while doing the build process and that was that a .wav file I included didn't have a play item associated with it. I followed the tutorial word for word though so am wondering what could have went wrong.

[Starfire70]

To write the cd with gear you may also have to run this command first.

SETCDRPARMS WRITEENABLE TRUE

It depends on how gear installed itself, the above command sets gear to write to the cd instead of just doing a test run.

You can also make a short batch file with lines like this that you can just use file---run batch file to do your cds.

SETCDRPARMS WRITEENABLE TRUE
WRITECD \VCD\vcd.CUE X 12

Open notepad write the above in and save it as vcd.gbf (gbf is gear batch file.)
then in gear just file run batch file and it set's cd to write and writes the cd.
One thing is I haven't figured out how to make gear look at a different drive than what it's insalled on for the .cue file if you try WRITECD d:\.... it will error out on you.
If your files are sotord in a differnt dir that the root of c: you have to use \dir..\dir.. and so on.

Thre may be a way to have gear look at a different dirve havn't tryed it yet but it's in the options where you set your default dir. I think it's Prefrences then options if you set that to another dirve you may be able to load your .cue file from there.

oh, 1 more thing the above works on gear 5.x or gear dvd.
I really sugest you stay away from gear 4.x if you are running win98,ME, or 2000.
Gear 4.x screwed up my win 98 and win me machines up so bad had to reinstall windows. (it gave me 2 drives for my primary hard drive, had c: and a double e: that was the same lol, it probley would not have caused to much trouble data wasn't bening corrupted or anything but I didn't want a e: that was my c: drive and still have a c: at the same time.)

John L. Smith

[RFontenot]

zepp,

I could make one, but I'd have to find a place to put it so people could download it.

The tutorial instructs you to use a MPEG audio file, not a WAV audio file. There is a separate process that must be followed when using WAV, AIFF, or SF files, and that process is not covered in the tutorial.

I'm working on a "How to" for Red Book audio files that will explain the process.

RF

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RFontenot on 2001-07-09 05:57:29 ]</font>

[RFontenot]

JS,

When you change your working directory in Gear through Option->Preferences->Option tab you can also change the drive letter.

RF

[zeppsstteerr]

Perhaps Baldrick and co. can offer some space to post a small download similar to that of Vitualis....??

[RFontenot]

The guide "How to use CD-Digital Audio files with the Philips Video CD 2.0 Toolkit" has been posted.

http://www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=50500&forum=1&0