VCD/SVCD what is the difference

[jaw_1973]

Can anyone please tell me what is the difference between VCD and SuperVCD?
Also my DVD player says on the menu DVD or CD or VCD it doesnt say SVCD, does this mean I couldnt play a SVCD anyway?

[gd_nimrod]

Search the forum or even the threads, people ask this question so often...anyway:

Video-CD is lower quality than SuperVideo-CD, therefor has a smaller resolution, as for the video bitrate you can change it in both formats, less bitrate=less space.

A good bitrate vcd can be ~70 minutes and svcd ~35 minutes.

As for your dvd player, check here to see what formats your dvd player can read.

[HaroldW]

Be advised for VCD compliance the only video bitrate allowed is a constant bitrate of 1150kbits/sec. If you change the values higher or lower, or change the rate control mode, then you are creating an XVCD.

Just because a DVD player plays VCDs does not necessarily mean that it can play SVCDs. I would "guess" that maybe 20-30 percent of the DVD players manufactured for distribution outside of the Asia area can play "fully compliant" SVCD's furthermore I would "guess" that maybe another 20-50percent of the remaining ones can play SVCD's modified with the "VCD header trick" which would technically then be XSVCDs.

VCD

PAL

Video:
CBR 1150 kbit/sec MPEG-1
352 x 288 pixels
25 frames/second

Audio:
224 kbit/sec MPEG-1 Layer2

NTSC

Video:
CBR 1150 kbit/sec MPEG-1
352 x 240 pixels
29.97 frames/second

Audio:
224 kbit/sec MPEG-1 Layer2


SVCD


PAL

Video:
max 2600 kbit/sec MPEG-2 (Audio + Video bitrate max bitrate is 2778 kbit/s).
480 x 576 pixels
25 frames/second
with up to 4 Subtitles

Audio:
from 32 - 384 kbit/sec MPEG-1 Layer2
with up to 2 Audio Tracks

NTSC

Video:
max 2600 kbit/sec MPEG-2 (Audio + Video bitrate max bitrate is 2778 kbit/s).
480 x 480 pixels
29.97 frames/second
with up to 4 Subtitles

Audio:
from 32 - 384 kbit/sec MPEG-1 Layer2
with up to 2 Audio Tracks

[thePest]

Hello "jaw_1973"

Here is the best way to sum up the difference.

VCD is Mpeg1 = progressive. What that means is there are scan lines that make up your TV picture. Odd/Even from left to right. This is called interlace. Throw away one of the scan lines say the even. You still have a picture. But you are starting one frame and not leaving another at the same time. This is what causes the pixellation {blocks} you see on VCD videos.

SVCD is Mpeg2= interlaced Same as DVD you can have a VBR {Variable Bit Rate} and adjust it to 2000 - 2540. You can add 6 channel surround undefined like DVD. But there are no encoders as of yet to pick it up. You can also hav removable subtitles. Unlike VCDs that can't be removed. You can also add as many chapters to your file as you want . VCD can only have 1. Without making seperate files that will have a short pause when switching to the next one.

Bonus of VCDs? The mins stamped on a CD is how much you can fit. Being that there is NOW a 99min Cdr. For very long movies like Titanic. You won't need 4-5 CDrs on a SVCD but just 2 on a VCD.

I use both and give praise in each corner. With the proper encoder like Panasonic Mpeg1. There are times when you can't even tell which is which.