Question regarding VCD 2.0 structure - VCDImager spec needed

[PigOnWing]

'Ello again.

I'm trying to make a PBC only VCD (let's say, a Photo VCD), which does not contain any video data.

Should be simple.

However, using EasyVCD, it automatically puts a second track with a 4 sec MPG still-screen-video, notifying any non-PBC players that 'in order to view this VCD you should use VCD 2.0 with PBC on'.

Granted, this is a clever safety cause when the disc is inserted into a VCD 1.0/1.1 player. However, for such or another particular reason, I do not want the additional track there. I want a single track Photo VCD. No additional track, no additional safety MPEGs, no additional nothing.

The 'cautionary' MPEGs are optional with VCDEasy, and can be removed. However if indeed no video material is added to the VCD, I get a certain error message.
Upon examining the error cause, seems that if VCDxbuild is given an XML without any sequence items, it will output an error - either you have sequence items, which go on track 2 and beyond, or you get an error message.

Now I've browsed VCDImager's documentary, and I couldn't find anywhere that seqeunce items are mandatory. It explains sequence items, segment items, the advanatges and disatdvantages of each, but in no place does it say that that the VCD 2.0 structure requires one or the other. According to the documentation I've read, it should be quite possible to make a Photo VCD, using still MPEGs and segments items alone, making it a PBC-only VCD, and only 1 data track.

Now while I've managed to get more-or-less what I want using a strange workaround, I have to wonder - is such a VCD structure out-of-spec? Am I missing something? Is VCDImager missing something?


Many thanks.

[vitualis]

To my understanding, VCD2.0 requires at least ONE video track. I don't know if this is necessarily in the standard or not. In the light of this ambiguity, it is safe to put a 4 sec blank (or otherwise) track onto the VCD (and VCDXBUILD will not compile a VCD image without a track).

CDMotion, a very old DVD/VCD authoring program allows you to make VCDs without any video tracks. I've never burnt one and tested it out to see what happens though...

Regards.

[PigOnWing]

As usual, vitalis seems to understand something through my ambiguitic wordings and too-long-phrasings...

To my understanding, VCD2.0 requires at least ONE video track.

...Which is exactly the VCD spec I'm trying to look for, and cannot find anywhere.

[...]VCDXBUILD will not compile a VCD image without a track[...]

Exactly! But nowhere can I find that this track is mandatory per VCD spec - so I have to wonder if it is, and isn't documented, or is this a VCDImager undocumented restriction.

CDMotion [...] allows you to make VCDs without any video tracks.

Ah! You're a godsend.
I haven't seen any information on CDMotion in the site, and seems this proggie is indeed not with us anymore (may it rest in peace). However from the little I did found, I did managed to get the phrase 'VCD titles created using CDMotion are compatible with all VideoCD players' - so even if this is not really Philips' spec, at least it's some place which says that this can be done and legit, at least on the practical level.

Many, many, many thanks.

-- Piggie