Ripping FROM VCD with VCDGear

[ManWithoutHat]

Hi there, I'm trying to rip FROM a VCD and convert the DAT files back to regular MPEGs.

VCDGear seems to do this. However, when trying to make a new VCD with the files, Nero says the files aren't in VCD format and asks to convert them.

Shouldn't they already be VCD compatible since I ripped them from a VCD in the first place?! I'm wondering if VCDGear isn't ripping them correctly. They burn to VCD fine after Nero reconverts them, but I know I'm losing quality if Nero is having to tamper with the files.

Anyone know if there is a setting in VCDGear I could fool around with? There is a checkbox in VCDGear to fix MPEG ripping errors but I still get the same results....

[vitualis]

VCDGear may additionally be changing the muxing/pack size so that it becomes a "standard" MPEG (i.e., MPEG systems) as opposed to the specific muxing required for VCDs. The emphasis is on "may" since I haven't used VCDGear for quite a while.

You can do the same (convert DAT back to MPEG) with CDXA2MPEG and you can use GNU VCDImager Tools GUI as a GUI: http://www.michaeltam.com/vcdimager_tools_gui.html

If you want to extract EVERYTHING from an existing VCD (all the media files plus an XML descriptor of the VCD so that you and add/delete/edit and existing VCD) then I suggest that you extract a CUE/BIN image of the VCD onto your HDD (e.g., with CDRWin) and then use VCDXRIP on the BIN file (again, you can use GNU VCDImager Tools GUI as a GUI).

Regards.