copying a VCD to my hard drive

[Dylanfan]

Hi,
I'm trying to copy some VCD's on to my hard drive so I can then put multiple shows on one DVD. But, I keep getting an error message when trying to copy them over to my hard drive. The folder called CDI can't be copied because of an -36 error. Do I need this folder? anyone know what this folder is about? It has 4 files in it titled:
CDI_IMAG.RTF
CDI_TEXT.FNT
CDI_VCD.APP
CDI_VCD.CFG

[hech54]

You may want to look into ISOBuster to extract the mpeg streams from that VCD. That would be my personal preference to go about doing what you want to do.

[pixeljammedia]

Use GNU VCDTools X to rip the mpeg out on a Mac. VCDGear X will also work.

[hech54]

OOps...MAC Forum - can't read today...SORRY.

[pixeljammedia]

No harm no foul. Thanks for trying to help.

[havema-1]

VCD Copy X (donationware) can rip the tracks off of a VCD or SVCD as *.dat files, which can AFAIK just be renamed as *.mpg and re-burned as SVCDs. (Compared to the original *.mpg the *.dat file contains some additional navigation information the SVCD needs).

<http://www.ns-software.com/>

Another alternative is MissingMediaBurner. MissingMediaBurner has to compete with the Finder for access to the CDR(W) so put a blank CDR(W) to the CD-burner but leave the drive tray still open. In MissingMediaBurner choose Device: CD-R/RW, Driver: generic-mmc-raw (you may have to experiment with your setup). Choose the Output Folder in the RIP DISK panel, check Raw mode, press the Rip-button and immediately close the CD-burner's tray. You get something like mycd.bin as an output file. Launch GNU vcdtoolsX and use its vcdXrip to open mycd.bin and generate *.mpg files that you can author and re-burn as SVCDs with VCD Builder and Toast.

<http://homepage.mac.com/rnc/.Public/MissingMediaBurner.sit> <http://www.sbpr.a.se/systemjammers/index.html>

Ripping is fast with Toast but try other applications if you have problems because in my experience this method may corrupt the MPEGs: select CD/DVD Copy (and the desired CDRW) in Toast and File/Save as Disc Image... Rename the saved disc image *.toast to *.bin and use vcdXrip in GNU vcdtoolsX to extract the MPEGs from it.

<http://www.sbpr.a.se/systemjammers/index.html>

[havema-1]

BTW, does the fact that (XS)VCD CDs use less error correction than normal data CDs cause problem when copying data from them? I.e. is it necessary do the same kind of "guessing" when ripping as is needed when extracting audio from audio-CDs, which contain even less (none) error correction.

(SVCD data is stored on a CD-ROM XA "Mode 2-Form 2 block" format with 2352 B sector size. 2324 B of a sector is used for the actual MPEG2-data, and the remaining 28 B is used for minor error detection etc. A data CD uses 2048 B of a 2352 B sector for data because more space of a sector is used for error correction etc. An audio CD uses the whole 2352 B sector for audio data).

[sdm]

If you have toast 6, choose "Disc Info" from the "Recorder" menu.
a list of tracks will appear, you can select and save mpegs directly from here.

This may not be exactly what you asked, but it is the best way I've found to rip mpegs from a vcd.

--sdm

[mhar4]

The best program I know is Gumby http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/22271 which seems to extract the most usable MPEGs, and has a number of handy tools, too.