Help with first time VCD process, Where did I go wrong?

[Mad Max]

This is my first time making a simple VCD, and I've read a whole bunch of stuff on this and other sites, but I can't get it to work, and being a noob, I don't know where the problem is.
I'll go through the process.
I have a mpeg on my computer which I converted using TMPGEnc 2.5. Then using VCDeasy v1.1.5.2 I burned the video onto a cd-rw. However when I tried to play the VCD in my DVD player, I received a No Disc error.
I downloaded both of hte programs I used. And there was no error message during the burning of my VCD. I'm not sure where I messed up but it must have been somewhere along the way.
Any ideas? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your responses.

[JEEPn]

All DVD players do not play VCD, SVCD...matter of fact some players only play original VCD/SVCD and not burned(CD-R/W). Just check on this site on the left hand side under OTHER, you should see DVD Players. Just click there and find out what your DVD player can handle.

good luck.

[macleod]

first, tell me the brand and model number of the dvd player you are trying to play it on. Just because the box says it does and the sales guy told you they would play, doesn't mean it will.

Does the VCD play on your computer? Do you have nero? Have you tried to burn it the same file with nero.

vcd specs are FIXED 1150 bitrate, 44.1 mhz audio and 352x240 (NTSC resolution).

[Mad Max]

Yeah, I meant to say the my dvd model, its a Koss KD365, and I had already checked it on this site and made sure its supposed to play. The VCD file plays on my computer, however I am not sure how to play the VCD disc on my computer, when I tried it didn't work as well.

vcd specs are FIXED 1150 bitrate, 44.1 mhz audio and 352x240 (NTSC resolution).

I dont really know what all that means. I just have a mpeg and converted it. Do i need to specify those? or make sure my mpeg falls under those specifications?

[macleod]

to play a vcd disc on your computer, "explore" the CD in the drive and go to the mpeg folder. Inside that folder is a file called AVSEQ01.dat. That is the slightly modified mpeg file.

The computer will play just about any mpeg file since it doesnt really "care" about formatting, etc.

In order to ensure that a dvd player will play a VCD, it needs to have the correct specifications. The specifications for VCD are a fixed bitrate of 1150, 44.1 mhz audio, and a resolution of 352x240 (are you in the US or another country, basically, are you NTSC or PAL). The only thing I forgot in the last post was frame rate. It must be either 23.976 or 29.976 frames per second. With these specs, the mpeg could only be around 70-80 minutes long.

When you converted your mpeg in tmpgenc, did you use the wizard and selected VCD? Check the properties of your VCD to see if it meets these specifications? Since you are saying that you dont know what I was talking about, it is likely the VCD that you made is not in spec and therefore will not play on your dvd player.

[Mad Max]

I can not even play my failed VCD on my computer, it says the D: drive is not accessible yet, and it does that indefinetly. I am from the US and am NTSC. While configuring in the TMPGEnc wizard many of the options are grayed out. There are not many things that I can change and I just assumed most of them are on the right settings.

When you listed all the specifications, do those specs have to be met before I convert with TMPGEnc, or does it just have to come out in those specs?

Lastly, what if the mpeg I have is not exactly 23.976 or 29.976 frames per second. Can I use files that are not exactly those? What if it is, say, 30.0 fps?

Thanks for the help.

[jimmalenko]

Your file needs to meet these specifications once tmpgenc is finished with it. You need to load these settings and then process your file. If your computer drive won't even recognise the disc as a data disc I would say that there is something amiss with the burning process.

[mujahid7ia]

I can not even play my failed VCD on my computer, it says the D: drive is not accessible yet, and it does that indefinetly.

I agree jimmalenko, definitely looks like a bad burn. What speed did you burn @?
You can try enabling data verification if your burning software has it...

[jimmalenko]

I would investigate the burning process. Can you download a demo of Nero or something ?

[Mad Max]

I'm going to try and get a demo of nero, and im going to re attempt to make my vcd again today, I'll let you guys know how it goes

[macleod]

I am guessing here, but your cd burner (depending on how old it is) should have came with some version of nero or other vcd burning program.

From reading the posts, basically, the vcd was not made correctly.

[Mad Max]

Yeah thanks fellas, I got nero and it worked, it was the burning process that was messed up. Thanks for all your help.