DAT files v.s. MPEG files

[moviebuff2]

Please explain to me what are the differences between DAT and MPEG files. I bought some commercial Video CDs, the files have .dat extension. When I make Video CDs, the files have .mpg extension.

When I tried to play copies of my commercial Video CDs with a stand alone DVD (not a DVD-ROM), some played, some did not. And, my stand alone DVD absolutely refused to play any of my home made Video CDs in MPEG format. Would someone please help me?

Thanks

[Treebeard]

All VCD's will have the .dat extension. even when you make homemade VCD's.

They are mpg files but when burned as a VCD they will be labeled .dat on the cd, professional or not.

If you make a SVCD then the extension would remain .mpg

[MOVIEGEEK]

Maybe someone else can give a technical explanation but the differance
is a DAT file adds a header to the MPEG file.A simple way to covert a DAT to MPEG is to change the extension but the best way is to use VCDEasy.
Your DVD player probably doesn't recognize CD-R/RW.Check "DVD Players" for compatibility.
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[moviebuff2]

Thanks Treebeard for your reply. I use TMPGEnc to make my Video CDs. Because this is free version, the format I can now use is MPEG1 which I don't think is SVCD. The final file is in .mpg.

[MpegEncoder]

moviebuff2, TMPGEnc creats mpg files. When you author the VCD, the authoring programs puts a header on the file and makes it a DAT file (which is then put in the proper directory on the VCD).

[moviebuff2]

Mpegencoder, thanks for replying. What I do after using TPMGEnc to creat a .mpg file is to burn directly onto a blank CD. The file remains its extension .mpg as it is burnt onto the CD. I have no problem playing this .mpg file with my CD-ROM but my stand alone DVD refuses to play it. I guess by "authoring" you meant I would have to burn the .mpg file onto a CD as a .dat file, right?

Thanks again.

[Mr Grumpy]

It sounds as though you are just creating data CDs with the MPEG on it. This will not work in a standalone player.

You need to create a VCD in your CD writing software. If you use Nero (a popular choice) select the VCD template. It creates a number of directories and files, renames the mpg to dat and adds the required headers.

For more information, look down this list of guides - particularly the (S)VCD guides. https://www.videohelp.com/author

[mats.hogberg]

If you use Nero (a popular choice)

... a fact that is totally beyond me. The only reason I can think of is that so many "own" Nero to begin with. Use VCDEasy for authoring - I've never managed to create a VCD with Nero that my player would play, and what can be done with it when it comes to menues and such is nothing in comparision to VCDEasy.

/Mats

[MpegEncoder]

Mpegencoder, thanks for replying. What I do after using TPMGEnc to creat a .mpg file is to burn directly onto a blank CD. The file remains its extension .mpg as it is burnt onto the CD. I have no problem playing this .mpg file with my CD-ROM but my stand alone DVD refuses to play it. I guess by "authoring" you meant I would have to burn the .mpg file onto a CD as a .dat file, right?

Thanks again.

As Mr Grumpy says, you are creating a data CD with an mpg file on it. Video Disk players (DVD, etc.) play video disks (VCD, SVCD, DVD) and therefore you have to do some other work to make them. I recommend VCDEasy. It should be fairly self-explanitory.

[MOVIEGEEK]

. I have no problem playing this .mpg file with my CD-ROM but my stand alone DVD refuses to play it.

Thanks again.

Did you read my previous post?

[Mr Grumpy]

If you use Nero (a popular choice)

... a fact that is totally beyond me.

I used to use Nero, mainly because it came bundled with my writer. I found that I got a few coasters, but I could read them OK on my standalone.

However, I found VCDEasy, and I haven't used Nero for (S)VCDs since

[mats.hogberg]

However, I found VCDEasy, and I haven't used Nero for (S)VCDs since

I too tried Nero for my first go at VCD. After several attempts, stand alone player still not recognizing the CD as VCD, I was on the verge of giving the whole business up. An then I saw The Light (VCDEasy).
It's strange that so many seem to think the VCD process involves no other tool than Nero - Has anyone seen an "AVI to VCD"-guide here (or anywhere else besides the Nero manual) that goes:

• Open Nero.
  Select Compile a new CD.
  Select Other CD format.¨
  Select Video CD.
  Drag your AVI to the Video1-pane.
  Click the Burn button.

I haven't.

/Mats

[moviebuff2]

Thanks everyone for providing me useful information.

To Moviegeek: yes, I read your reply and did not understand what you meant by <Your DVD player probably doesn't recognize CDR/RW. Check "DVD Players" for compatibility.>. I thought you simply pointed out the my stand alone DVD player did not recognize my CD, no matter what format (.dat or .mpg).

Now, I understand that to make a VCD from a .mpg file, I need to author it, i.e., converting it to .dat and burning it onto a blank CD, using Nero, or VCDEasy, or other burning software.

Thanks, everyone!

[Mr Grumpy]

Just had a thought about the .DAT files. If you've copied the .DAT from an SVCD and renamed it to MPG, you will probably find that VCDEasy will not let you create an SVCD from it. (Nero will work OK).

What you need to do is look in the "MPEG Tools" section of VCDEasy and use the "Convert DAT to MPG" utility to sort out the header differences.