Why is resolution so low?

[Melnick]

I am just starting (haven't burned a vcd yet) and I do not understand why frame sizes in encoding programs are fixed at such low resolutions, ie. 352x240 for NTSC. Won't that look terrible on a tv?

I will be making source .avi or .mov files in graphics programs like Bryce and Poser, so do I have to make them in that resolution, or just a matching aspect ratio?

Any help is appreciated.

[adam]

Well those resolutions are comparable to vhs and broadcast television resolutions so while they arent stunning, they are acceptable. The reason they are so low is because of the bitrate constraints. Bitrate levels are fixed according to the speed of readers in dvd players. With a bitrate of 1150k per sec, a vcd just wouldnt look good at a higher resolution. If your dvd player accepts it you may want to switch to svcd. It supports resolutions of 480x480 and you can pretty much get away with 720x480 as well but I wouldnt recommend it unless you use a very high bitrate, again only if your dvd player accepts it.

I think you'll find that your tv is much more forgiving than your pc monitor. 352x240 might seem small but after your play your vcd on your tv I think you'll understand.

You don't have to render your clips in that resolution and in fact it would be better if you rendered them in a much higher resolution and just encoded in 352x240.