Name	Compact Disc Digital Video (VCD)
Logo
Created	1993
Type	Optical disc
Encoding	MPEG-1 video + audio
Capacity	Up to 800 MB
Read	780 nm wavelength semiconductor laser
Standard	White Book
Owner	Sony & Philips Panasonic Samsung
Use	audio and video storage
Extended to	SVCD

Before the advent of DVD and Blu-ray, the Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as View CD, Compact Disc digital video) became the first format for distributing films on standard 120 mm optical discs. The format is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc. VCDs are playable in dedicated VCD players, most DVD-Video players, personal computers, and some video game consoles.

The VCD standard was created in 1993 by Sony, Philips, Matsushita, and JVC and is referred to as the White Book standard. Though supplanted by the two aforementioned formats, VCDs are still popular, particularly in the low cost market.

Brief history

In the early 1970s, Philips and MCA developed the Laserdisc. This optical medium is about one foot in diameter and holds an hour of analog video (along with audio in either analog or digital) on both sides. Though they provide superior picture quality through countless playbacks, Laserdiscs were always overshadowed by VHS because of their high price and lack of recording abilities.

Near the 1980s, Philips created a small scale version of the Laserdisc. This disc is 4.8 inches in diameter and is single-sided. They called it Compact Disc or CD. The format was initially designed to store digitized sound and proved to be a success in the music industry.

A few years later, Philips decided to give CDs the ability to produce video just like its 12-inch counterpart. This led to the creation of CD Video (CD-V) in 1987. But because of the disc's small size, plus the analog video which takes up too much disc space, only 5 minutes of picture information can fit in the CD (despite the fact that the audio was digital). Therefore CD-V distribution was limited to featuring music videos.

By the early 1990s, engineers were able to digitalize video signals, making them much more efficient in disc space. Because this new format could hold 83 minutes of audio and video, releasing movies on compact discs finally became a reality. The extra 9 minutes over a regular CD playing time was obtained by sacrificing the error correction (it was believed that minor errors in the datastream would go un-noticed by the viewer). This format was named Video CD or VCD.

VCD enjoyed a brief period of success, with a few major feature films being released in the format (usually as a 2 disc set). However, the introduction of the CD-R disc and the associated recorders, stopped the release of feature films in their tracks because the VCD format had no means of preventing unauthorized (and perfect) copies being made.

In the event, more sophisticated optical discs were in development of which one format was released only a few years later which provided a copy protection mechanism (The DVD). DVD players use lasers that are of shorter wavelength than those used on CDs, allowing the recorded pits to be smaller, so that more information can be stored. The DVD was so successful that they eventually pushed VHS out of the video market once suitable recorders became widely available. Nevertheless, VCDs made considerable inroads into developing nations where they are still in use today.

Moreover, CD-ROM has been the basic Software Installation tool for Computer Platforms (Windows XP and later versions do not need a Floppy disc, as they can Boot up from CD)where data is executed into computer using the CD Key. Major disadvantage is in VCD files that has the horizontal resolution of half to that of a DVD. DVD itself is at the verge of extinction as the HDTV provides double the resolution of a DVD and 4 times to that of VCD.

Technical specifications

Container

In a VCD, the audio and video streams are multiplexed in an MPEG program stream (MPEG-PS) container.

Video

Video specifications

Codec: MPEG-1

Resolution:

* NTSC: 352x240

* PAL/SECAM: 352x288

Aspect Ratio:

* NTSC: 4:3

* PAL/SECAM: 4:3

Framerate:

* NTSC: 29.97 or 23.976 frames per second

* PAL/SECAM: 25 frames per second

Bitrate: 1,150 kilobits per second

* Rate Control: constant bitrate

Although many DVD video players support playback, VCD video is not compatible with the DVD-Video standard.

Audio

Audio specifications

Codec: MPEG-1 Audio Layer II

Frequency: 44,100 hertz (44.1 kHz)

Output: Dual channel or stereo

Bitrate: 224 kilobits per second

* Rate Control: Constant bitrate

As with most CD-based formats, VCD audio is incompatible with the DVD-Video standard due to a difference in frequency; DVDs require 48 kHz, whereas VCDs use 44.1 kHz.

Advantages of compression

An audio CD can hold 79 minutes of sound data, while a VCD can hold 74 minutes of picture and sound information. So how does a format that includes picture and sound holds nearly the same length of information as that of a sound-only format? The secret lies in the VCDs usage of a mpeg-1, a compression technique. For picture, frames that nearly have the same appearance are being limited. As for the audio, sounds that are above or below human hearing range are eliminated.

Other information

Video CDs are authored using the Mode 2/XA format, allowing roughly 800 megabytes of VCD data to be stored on one 80 minute CD (versus 700 megabytes when using Mode 1). This, combined with the net bitrate of VCD video and audio, means that almost exactly 80 minutes of VCD content can be stored on an 80 minute CD, 74 minutes of VCD content on a 74 minute CD, and so on. This was done in part to ensure compatibility with existing CD drive technology, specifically the earliest "1x" speed CD drives.

The VCD standard also features the option of DVD-quality still images/slide shows with audio, at resolutions of 704x480 (NTSC) or 704x576 (PAL/SECAM). Version 2.0 also adds the playback control (PBC), featuring a simple menu like DVD-video.

352x240 (or SIF) resolution was chosen because it is half the vertical, and half the horizontal resolution of NTSC video. 352x288 is similarly one quarter PAL/SECAM resolution. This approximates the (overall) resolution of an analog VHS tape, which, although it has double the number of (vertical) scan lines, has a much lower horizontal resolution.

Internal Control

An example of the software control chart [taken from Flower And Snake disc 1 of 3] including menu commands found in the configuration volume as "CDI_VCD.CFG"

CONTROLS=ALL CURCOL=YELLOW PSDCURCOL=RED PSDCURSHAPE=ARROW INITLANG=DAT SUBTTYPE=OVERLAYED SUBTTCOL=EBEBEB SUBSTCOL=101010 SUBTBCOL=0 SUBTACOL=999999 CENTRTRACK=2 AUTOPLAY=AUTO_ON DUALCHAN=DUAL_ON TIMECODE_X=64 TIMECODE_Y=100 LOTID_X=64 LOTID_Y=64 ALBUM=STANDARD

Similar formats

CD-i Digital Video

Shortly before the advent of White Book VCD, Philips started releasing movies in the Green Book CD-i format. While these used a similar format (MPEG-1), due to minor differences between the standards these discs are not compatible with VCD players. Philips' CD-i players with the Full Motion Video MPEG-1 decoder cartridge would play both formats. Only a few CD-i DV titles were released before the company switched to proper VCD format for publishing movies.

XVCD

XVCD (eXtended Video CD) is the name generally given to any format that stores MPEG-1 video on a compact disc in Mode 2/XA, at VCD resolution, but does not strictly follow the VCD standard.

A normal VCD is encoded to MPEG-1 at a constant bit rate (CBR), so all scenes are required to use exactly the same data rate, regardless of complexity. However, video on an XVCD is typically encoded at a variable bit rate (VBR), so complex scenes can use a much higher data rate for a short time, while simpler scenes will use lower data rates.

To further reduce the data rate without significantly reducing quality, the size of the GOP can be increased, a different MPEG-1 quantization matrix can be used, the maximum data rate can be exceeded, and the bit rate of the MP2 audio can be reduced (or even the use of MP3 audio instead of MP2 audio). These changes can be advantageous for those who want to either maximize video quality, or use fewer discs.

KVCD

KVCD (K Video Compression Dynamics) is an XVCD variant that requires the use of a proprietary-quantization matrix, available for non-commercial use. KVCD is notable because the specification recommends a non-standard resolution of 528x480 or 528x576. KVCD discs encoded at this resolution are only playable by computers with CD-ROM drives, and a small number of DVD players.

DVCD

DVCD or Double VCD is a method to accommodate longer videos on a CD. A non-standard CD is overburned to include up to 100 minutes of video. However, some CD-ROM drives and players have problems reading these CDs, mostly because the groove spacing is outside specifications and the player's laser servo is unable to track it.

Adoption

In North America

The advent of recordable CDs, inexpensive recorders, and compatible DVD players spurred VCD acceptance in the US in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, DVD burners and DVD-Video recorders were available by that time, and equipment and media costs for making DVD-Video fell rapidly. DVD-Video, with its longer run time and much higher quality, quickly overshadowed VCD in areas that could afford it. In addition many early DVD players could not read recordable (CD-R) media, and this limited the compatibility of home-made VCDs. Almost every modern stand-alone DVD-Video player can play VCDs burned on recordable media. However, some modern players cannot play VCDs; for instance, the Sony PlayStation 3.

In Asia

The VCD format was very popular throughout Asia (except Japan and South Korea) in the late 1990s through the 2000s, with 8 million VCD players sold in China in 1997 alone, and more than half of all Chinese households owning at least one VCD player by 2005.

This popularity is, in part, because most households did not already own VHS players when VCDs were introduced, the low price of the players, their tolerance of high humidity (a notable problem for VCRs), easy storage and maintenance, and the lower-cost media. Western sources have cited counterfeiting as a principal concern of VCD users.

VCDs are often produced and sold in Asian countries and regions such as Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In many Asian countries, major Hollywood studios (and Asian home video distributors) have licensed companies to officially produce and distribute the VCDs, such as MCA Home Video in Pakistan, ERA of Hong Kong, Sunny Video in Malaysia, Vision in Indonesia, CVD International and Pacific Marketing and Entertainment Group in Thailand, Excel Home Videos in India, Berjaya-HVN and InnoForm Media in both Malaysia and Singapore, Scorpio East Entertainment in Singapore, as well as VIVA Video, Magnavision, and The Video to C in the Philippines. Legal Video CDs can often be found in established video stores and major book outlets in most Asian countries. They are typically packaged in jewel cases like commercial CDs, though higher-profile films may be released in keep cases. The consumer should always check for the VCD or DVD logo so as to avoid purchasing the wrong format.

In Asia, the use of VCDs as carriers for karaoke music is very common. One channel would feature a mono track with music and singing, another channel a pure instrumental version for karaoke singing. Prior to this, karaoke music was carried on laserdiscs.

In Burma

In Burma, VCDs are the medium of an underground video network that largely stays beneath the sights of the military regime, although VCD trends are reported on by expatriate newspapers. Popular videos include Buddhist monks speaking out against the regime and comedy skits ruthlessly mocking military leaders. It is reported that even soldiers watch VCDs in their barracks.

Worldwide trends

VCD's growth has slowed in areas that can afford DVD-Video, which offers most of the same advantages, as well as better picture quality (higher resolution with fewer digital compression artifacts) due to its larger storage capacity. However, VCD has simultaneously seen significant new growth in emerging economies like India, Indonesia, South America and Africa as a low-cost alternative to DVD. As of 2004, the worldwide popularity of VCD was increasing.

Compared with VHS

Overall picture quality is intended to be comparable to VHS video. Poorly compressed VCD video can sometimes be lower quality than VHS video, but VCD exhibits block artifacts (rather than the analog noise seen in VHS sources) and does not deteriorate further with each use. While both formats need fast-forwarding to find certain scenes, rewinding to beginning upon reaching the end is not required in VCD.

Though technically superior when compared to tape-based mediums, VCDs have a few minor flaws. Videos in the format do not come with closed caption (written words appearing on-screen to aid viewers with hearing problems). When watching a film that exceeds 74 minutes, which is the maximum video capacity of one disc, a viewer would have to stand up and change the disc upon reaching half-way (unless the discs are played on a VCD changer that could hold multiple discs as well as playing them automatically in succession), whereareas a single VHS can hold 2½ hours of continuous video.

Compared with DVD

When playing a DVD, the viewer is brought to a main menu which gives him/her options (watch the feature film, view deleted scenes, play some special applications, etc.). VCDs are straightforward, playing them goes directly to the video with extras (mostly trailers and commercials) taking place before or after it.

Subtitles are found on many Asian VCDs but cannot be removed, unlike DVDs. The subtitles are embedded on the video during the encoding process. It's not uncommon to find a VCD with subtitles for two languages.

Though the VCD technology can support it, most films carried on VCDs do not contain chapters, requiring the viewer to fast-forward to resume the program after playback has been stopped. The reason for this is unknown. However, preview material are sometimes stored in a separate chapter, followed by a single chapter for the film.

VCDs are often bilingual. Because they feature stereo audio, disc players have an option to play only the left or right audio channel. For example, ERA of Hong Kong's release of the animated film The Iron Giant features English on the left audio channel and Cantonese on the right. This is similar to selecting a language track on a DVD, except it's limited to 2 languages, due to there being only two audio channels (left and right). Also the audio track effectively becomes monaural.

VCD does have a few advantages over DVD-Video:

The VCD format has no region coding, so discs can be played on any compatible machine worldwide. Many VCD players can compensate for the differing frame rate and pixel count between NTSC and PAL/SECAM TV systems.

Some titles available on VCD may not be available on DVD and/or VHS in the prospective buyer's region.

VCDs also cost a lot less than DVDs. A brand-new Hollywood blockbuster on VCD is usually only 36% the price of its DVD counterpart.

Hardware and Software support

Video CDs are not popular in the US, Canada, Europe, Middle East & Northern parts of Africa, so its support is limited among mainstream software. Windows Media Player prior to version 9 and QuickTime player do not support playing VCD directly, though they can play the DAT files (stored under \MPEGAV for video and audio data) reliably and plugins were available. Windows Vista added native support of VCD along with DVD-Video and can launch preferred application upon insertion. The disc format is also supported using Windows Media Player Classic variations and VLC Media Player both support VCD discs natively.

Direct access playback support is available within Windows XP MCE, Windows Vista, Windows 7, BSD, Mac OS, Linux, and Darwin; among others; either directly or with updates and compatible software.

Disc playback is also available both natively and as an option on some CD- and DVD-based video game consoles including the Sega Saturn (pictured right), Sega Dreamcast, and PCFX, as well as Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and Xbox natively.

Most DVD players are compatible with VCD discs and VCD-only Players are available throughout Asia; and online through many shopping sites. Some BluRay and HD-DVD players also retain support as do CBHD players as well.

See also

Laserdisc

SVCD

DVD

References

External links

Patent History Video CD Player - published by Philips 2003

Patent History Video CD Disc - published by Philips 2003

What is VCD? - from VideoHelp.com

VCD Help

How Do You Play VCDs?

How to Play VCD on Mac/Windows computer, DVD Player - from Mireth Technology

VCD / SVCD / miniDVD FAQ - from Doom9.org

Category:1993 introductions Category:Compact Disc Category:Video storage

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