VCD problem on standalone

[eNder159]

ok, here's my situation. Im trying to distribute mass copies of some footage that i want my clients to be able to play on their DVD players. Now my question is what is the best way to ensure that people will be able to play these VCDs i have on their standalone players.

would the quality of the media be a factor?
would the way i authored the VCD a factor?

essentially i would like to know the best way for these VCDs to play on other people's standalones.

[dxj40c]

I would say it's a long shot that everyone's standalone will play it. Too many variables.

I have made VCD's that played on my player (Sony) but won't on my daughters player (Pioneer).

If all your clients have computers maybe you could just do an Mpeg with an autorun program and they can watch it on their computers. Even that way you may have to use Mpeg 1 so the old MS Media Players will work. Hey, try .mov, almost everyone has Quicktime if they've ever surfed the net.

I have made presentations for computer using Flash, Mpeg, and AVI, and they usually work ok. VCD format is an exotic format for the regular guy not into video. I am, and I can't the damn things to play on my computer after they've been converted from Mpeg 1.

[FulciLives]

Use TMPGEnc along with the VCD template. Be sure to use STEREO for the sound ... you don't any of the other options such as JOINT-STEREO

That should give you a nice compliant VCD file.

As for authoring I found that Ulead MOVIE FACTORY 2 (which is now up to a 3.x version) worked very well in making compatable VCD discs from my TMPGEnc encodes.

As for media ... yes you want to use something good. Don't use anything strange like the BLACK CD-R discs. I did that once and had trouble with playback on some DVD players that would work when I just used regular normal CD-R discs.

People argue over best CD-R media all the time but the best IMHO is Taiyo Yuden which can be bought under the FUJI brand name (but only FUJI CD-R packs that are labeled MADE IN JAPAN).

You can also buy Taiyo Yuden CD-R media direct from many on-line sites such as MERITLINE.COM or RIMA.COM etc.

Good Luck !!!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[glockjs]

probably be better just to leave it as an mpeg or mpg file that all computers can read(everybodys got a computer these days right?) and some dvd players can read just mpg or mpeg.. that way worst case just pop it in the puter if doesnt read on dvd...

[handyguy]

computers play vcds just fine too.

Be better to make dvds then vcds.

[glockjs]

computers play vcds just fine too.

if you have vcd or dvd player software... mpeg will play on ANY windows based computer