Need help with a CD Video (not VCD)

[stovk]

Hi All,

I have a small problem viewing/ripping the video from my CD Videos (not to be confused with VCD)

For those of you who are not aware of CD Videos, they were CDs with about 4 to 6 Audio tracks (.cda files) and then had a Video (typically a music video) Info on CD Video

For example, I have a Dire Straits disc and it contains three tracks of audio; 1-Money for Nothing, 2-One World, 3-So Far Away. Then one Video; 1-Money for Nothing.

Here is the problem. When I put the disc in my DVD drive, I can see the .cda audio tracks, but the video doesn't show up in the directory (it's as if it were a hidden file).

I can't play the video on my DVD drive in my computer nor on my DVD player on my Home Theater setup. However, if I hook up my old Pioneer CLD-1010 Laserdisc Player to my T.V. and put the disc in, it plays the video AND the audio tracks.

I can only assume it must be some proprietary format or something.

So, does anyone know of any programs/software that will read that disc and allow me to rip the video in some other universal format? I'm sure I can hook the Laserdisc to my PC, but it's only RCA jacks and I would assume the quality would be crap.

Any ideas?

As always, thanks in advance.

[Baldrick]

The video part is analog so you must the laserdisc player to capture it.

[turk690]

I have captured CD videos and LaserDiscs. Unlike other video formats, the analogue recording is composite so having fancier outputs (like S-video, though some very high-end players did sport it) other than composite doesn't make much sense. But despite that the captures didn't turn out too bad. My only worry is the 20-year old Pioneer player (1030) will conk out in the midst.

[yoda313]

@stovk - I would like to think the quality of the video you would capture should be of decent quality. If you have captured from your laserdisc before it should be comparable - though obviously its not a laserdisc so the end result will be different.

However might I suggest an alternative? Why not buy the video on something like itunes or amazon or zune? I dont' know how the music video would be but it shouldn't be more than a few dollars up to maybe 5 or 6 dollars tops I would think. Than if you want to make a dvd of it you could use any number of screen recording software programs.

Now I do understand if you have SEVERAL of these videos that you want to capture that can be cost prohibitive to repurchase. However if its only a few it would seem to be easier to simply buy them on itunes or zune and be done with it. Not to mention they would probably be of better quality given that they are digitally created for the download services - likely a h264 variant as opposed to the analog nature of these antiquated cd-videos you are using.

I don't want to stop you from doing realtime caps of your videos. I just want to offer an alternative that would save some time and hassle at the expense of money out of pocket. But you would get your video and it would be of, most likely, superior quality.

[turk690]

However might I suggest an alternative? Why not buy the video on something like itunes or amazon or zune? I dont' know how the music video would be but it shouldn't be more than a few dollars up to maybe 5 or 6 dollars tops I would think. Than if you want to make a dvd of it you could use any number of screen recording software programs.

So true. In fact before I digitize any ole VHS tape or LaserDisc or even 33" vinyl I try to find out if they have been remastered and released on CD, DVD, BD. They are usually better.
But some titles go from bad to worse.
A few examples: the opera "Elektra" (1980, Nilsson, MET et al) was released on Pioneer LaserDisc in the 90s. It was released on DVD again. But not only was the video NOT restored, it was even worse, on a side by side comparison with the LaserDisc (dropouts where there were none before, grainier now). The audio takes the cake: on the DVD, the highest level was about -15db (they did NOT even normalize it). And the incomplete subtitles were so big and cheesy, covering more than a third of the 4:3 screen bottom. I gave up AND recaptured the LaserDisc version and paired it with normalized audio from the DVD, and painstakingly retyped the subtitles.
Another is "Meeting Venus" (1992, Glen Close, etc), which was never formally released on Region 1 DVD (there is a German Region 2 version); only on VHS. The version on DVD that Amazon sells which they say are legitimate DVD-Rs on a copy-to-order basis look and sound just like its VHS counterpart, if not worse. And until it was released on blu-ray, "Moonstruck" (1987 Cher, et al), was 4:3 on DVD (which is how it was shot, and matted for cinema display, but why didn't they put both versions on DVD, like they do with some films??) Lastly, I bought "Tina Turner: Simply the Best" on DVD, eager to see an improvement on the VHS counterpart I bought way back in 1992. Not only was the audio/video quality unchanged (read: average), but some legitimate music videos were replaced with lackluster concert numbers. I had to dig out the VHS and digitize it just for spite.
I don't think I'm parting with my VHS and 8mm decks, and LaserDisc players just yet.

[Cornucopia]

Hi All,

I have a small problem viewing/ripping the video from my CD Videos (not to be confused with VCD)

For those of you who are not aware of CD Videos, they were CDs with about 4 to 6 Audio tracks (.cda files) and then had a Video (typically a music video) Info on CD Video

For example, I have a Dire Straits disc and it contains three tracks of audio; 1-Money for Nothing, 2-One World, 3-So Far Away. Then one Video; 1-Money for Nothing.

Here is the problem. When I put the disc in my DVD drive, I can see the .cda audio tracks, but the video doesn't show up in the directory (it's as if it were a hidden file).

I can't play the video on my DVD drive in my computer nor on my DVD player on my Home Theater setup. However, if I hook up my old Pioneer CLD-1010 Laserdisc Player to my T.V. and put the disc in, it plays the video AND the audio tracks.

I can only assume it must be some proprietary format or something.

So, does anyone know of any programs/software that will read that disc and allow me to rip the video in some other universal format? I'm sure I can hook the Laserdisc to my PC, but it's only RCA jacks and I would assume the quality would be crap.

Any ideas?

As always, thanks in advance.

CDVideo works much like an Enhanced AudioCD (stamped multisession), but uses for the video portion ACTUAL LASERDISC ANALOG tracks, with different track widths, no "pits", etc than regular CD. Since it's analog, there is no "filesystem" on it. As Baldrick said, you HAVE to cap it through standard Analog cap card means.
However, the signal is as clean as any other Laserdisc, so even composite shouldn't be terrible. If you LD player has a 3D comb filter stage and S-video outs, it might even be a little better...

Scott

[jman98]

I know yoda313 was trying to help, but if you buy the video from iTunes, etc. it will be DRMed and you'll have to use a commercial streaming media recorder of some kind to record the video as it plays if you want to do something with it later like make a DVD out of it. Honestly, at that point you might as well just capture it from laserdisc if you have the ability to do so.

[yoda313]

@jman98 - just a note I did mention you would need to screen cap a purchased download

My suggestion was more for an "instant gratification" approach. Especially if this is only for one or two music videos. In my opinion that would be much easier and more fullfilling than lugging equipment around and tweaking realtime capture settings to get it just right. You could just buy em online and you're done.

Now as I mentioned if the original poster has a lot of videos to convert than buying each individually will be counterproductive. Not to mention the problem collectors get into of not having certain things re-released in a different format. Than you are forced to do realtime dubs if they are not available in a digital format.

I guess in my post I did not mention drm as the reason behind needing to screen capture.

[stovk]

Thank you all for your insight and help. I was unaware that the video "print" was in analog format - makes sense why I didn't "see" a file for it. I suppose I will just play it on my Laserdisc and just capture the video. I'm sure it's only in 480p anyway, so I shouldn't expect too much in regards to quality. i suppose I can get the Music videos in DVD format anyway from Netflix - Ha!

Oh well, just being nostalgic I suppose.

Again, thanks to all of you.