Fastest and the most efficient method of making VCD from DVD

[vsenapati]

I have lots of DVDs which I would like to convert to VCDs for circulation among friends having VCD Players. In fact, VCD Players are very common in India. DVD Players are yet to catch up. I would like to know the best method, softwares required to make VCDs from DVDs in minimum possible time.

[bugster]

Distributing copies of your own DVD's to friends is illegal, whatever format you use.

[lal]

It is illegal to distribute.

If you want to make a copy for yourself, try this guide
http://www.afterdawn.com/articles/archive/dvd2vcd_with_smart_dvd2avi_tmpgenc.cfm

[vsenapati]

Well, I was not aware that making VCD copies of DVDs for friends was illegal. Thank you for pointing it out. I shall not post any questions in the forum which is against the rules and regulations.
Thanks

[lordsmurf]

Distribution is only illegal if you don't own it.

Maybe this guy owns the material. Sure, we can assume things. But isn't this warning a bit ridiculous? He didn't explicitly state he wanted to pirate things. Remember "assume" means you make an ASS of U and ME. I've never had a complaint about your moderating before, but this was a bit premature.

I make a lot of things for distribution, all shot from my own camera, and sourced from my final DVD. I have lots of DVDs I copy for people too. But it doesn't mean I'm breaking any law.

[jtommyj]

^^^^^

Well said .I have many home shot DVD's I give to family also.

[FT Shark]

Distribution is only illegal if you don't own it.

Let me get this straight. If I own a copyrighted CD with music, video, whatever and I make many copies then give these copies to all of my friends. Your saying this is not illegal. In fact it is. Making multiple copies of any media type that is copyrighted and distributing this is very illegal.

Take for instance the issue of mp3 trade on the internet. The trading (distributing) part is what is illegal.

Distributing them doesn't fall under the term "Fair Use". Yes you can make yourself as many back ups that you want, if you own the original. But you can't distribute them.

[jtommyj]

lordsmurf wrote:
Distribution is only illegal if you don't own it.

I think by "own it" he means "own the content" of a non-copyrighted CD or DVD, such as personal pictures or movies.
If you read the next line he says "Maybe this guy owns the material." You're making the assumption that he is including copyrighted material in his statement. He is stating he is not. If I make a home movie of my kids playing baseball and distribute to whomever, I own the content so have not broken any laws.

[handyguy]

they didn't say commercial dvds, so if they make their own dvds then thats legal...

but umm, really, do we need two dvd2vcd topics every day for three years?

[vsenapati]

Ok , Friends, let me clarify my question which caused so much uproar with the moderater Bugster. I have several DVDs of my family functions, such as marriages, anniversaries etc which I would like my friends to see. As they don't have DVD players, I wanted to convert my DVDs to VCDs and distribute the VCDs among my close friends. Is it Okay ?

[Sifaga]

It would be good if there was a program like DVD Shrink for making VCD's

VCD Shrink maybe

[muratturel]

dear vikram,

do not worry about these guys that are giving you all this about legality or else...
I do not know what they are trying to save or more like "hide"...
it is not just you, send the same question under any name and this same group of I don't know what to call them in english will reply in the same way with the speed of light.
Similair thing happened to me couple of weeks ago and there was even a bigger discussion...
Can anybody (one of these Lawyers Of Hollywood) tell me
if I am allowed to break the law???
if I do What it is to somebody who has not even seen me in their life?
if using the word copying instead of "back-up" is a worse terror than invading a country that is thousands of km. away and making people live without electricity and water at the heat of summer???

You know what, some people are having a life with so little to worry about that they can spend more time on this forum telling people off instead of reading a decent newspaper.
I don't blame them because they don't have much to worry, say they are not like me thinking how much the bread is going to cost in 6 months time.
LOH (Lawyers Of Hollywood) you are needed too in this universe, you need to amuse yourselves with something too, yo needd to have a mission in your small easy lives too, so Let it it be....

[Baldrick]

Ok , Friends, let me clarify my question which caused so much uproar with the moderater Bugster. I have several DVDs of my family functions, such as marriages, anniversaries etc which I would like my friends to see. As they don't have DVD players, I wanted to convert my DVDs to VCDs and distribute the VCDs among my close friends. Is it Okay ?

It is okey. Warning removed.

[vsenapati]

Thanks, Baldrick.

[vitualis]

The rules are clear: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=124514

You don't have to agree with them. Just stick to them. All the rules are pretty logical and reasonable.

I'm getting rather tired of explaining why we don't allow illegal activities on this public forum. The reasons are surely self-evident.

Regards.

dear vikram,

do not worry about these guys that are giving you all this about legality or else...
I do not know what they are trying to save or more like "hide"...
it is not just you, send the same question under any name and this same group of I don't know what to call them in english will reply in the same way with the speed of light.
Similair thing happened to me couple of weeks ago and there was even a bigger discussion...
Can anybody (one of these Lawyers Of Hollywood) tell me
if I am allowed to break the law???
if I do What it is to somebody who has not even seen me in their life?
if using the word copying instead of "back-up" is a worse terror than invading a country that is thousands of km. away and making people live without electricity and water at the heat of summer???

You know what, some people are having a life with so little to worry about that they can spend more time on this forum telling people off instead of reading a decent newspaper.
I don't blame them because they don't have much to worry, say they are not like me thinking how much the bread is going to cost in 6 months time.
LOH (Lawyers Of Hollywood) you are needed too in this universe, you need to amuse yourselves with something too, yo needd to have a mission in your small easy lives too, so Let it it be....

[neomaine]

vsenapati,

To answer your original question, yes. There are a number of ways to do this. Not knowing how you're creating your DVD....

In your case, I would recommend using TMPGenc to convert your DVD compliant MPEG-2 file (the one you used to create the DVD) to VCD specs of MPEG-1, 352x240, 1150k bit rate and 44k audio.

If your video is going straight to DVD, say from an avi file that you captured to, I'd still use TMPGenc to read the avi to create the VCD.

Other options:

- DVDx
- SVCD2VCD
- Smartripper, DVD2AVI, TMPGenc

The HOW TO list at the left will go into even more and greater detail and give you more options on how to do just want you're looking for.

[FT Shark]

Other options:

- DVDx
- SVCD2VCD
- Smartripper, DVD2AVI, TMPGenc

The second you start mentioning a decrypting program such as smartripper, we have to go back to previous conversation on how distributing copyrighted material is illegal.