Possible unusual request relating to XML - help please

[startac_uk]

I have looked briefly at VCDEasy and it looks like it may be capable of doing what I need it to but before I embark on learning the XML I wonder if someone could confirm this.

We will be recording digital video and making a VCD on CD-RW with chapter points, say, every 5 minutes.

This disk will then be taken with a laptop computer to a remote site with only dial up email access. The person with the laptop would only have basic knowledge of IT. They would also have a standalone DVD player that had been tested so that it understood the necessary tags (using Micahel Tam's test disk).

The client at the site will then decide how much of the video they wish to see. So for example they may wish to see Ch 2 through to the first 10 secs of Ch10 (using the <playtime> tag).

My plan would be for this to be communicated back to the office and they would make a new XML file and email it to the laptop.

Could this new XML file overwrite the existing and work ok? I should say that this may need to be done several times and different timings used each time.

Any help / advice appreciated.

Paul

[sterno]

You can do something like that as long as the notebook has a CD-RW, but you can't just overwrite something on the disc - you'll have to recreate it every time. You'll need to have all the source files for the VCD and vcdimager installed on the notebook. The guy with the notebook will have to execute the new XML file to recreate the bin/cue image, blank the CD-RW, and write the new image to it. That means it won't be an instantaneous thing, but it should only take a few minutes if you use a fast burner and high-speed CD-RW media.

[vitualis]

Exactly.

It is possible in a fashion, but not easily done. The XML file is a VCDImager script and does not exist on the end VCD.

To apply any changes would require the VCD to be rebuilt... This would require access to the source files...

Although it would be possible for the client to use something like lkVCDxRIP (preferably) or VCDXRIP to extract the exisiting VCD -- then use an edited XML file to create a new VCD. However, this would require much more than rudimentary PC skills.

I suppose that I could write a GUI for the process, but considering the limited usage of such a thing, it probably isn't worth the effort.

Regards.

[startac_uk]

Thank you both for your advice. It's much appreciated.
Paul