Introduction

VCD stands for Video CD, and it is a special CD that includes Audio as well as Video on it.

A video cd can store 'about' 1 hour of a movie, so most VCDs movies come on 2 disks some longer films come on 3 disks.

If you are familiar with regular audio/music CDs, then you will know what a VCD looks like. A VCD has the capacity to hold up to 74/80 minutes on 650MB/700MB CDs respectively of full-motion video along with quality stereo sound. VCDs use a compression standard called MPEG to store the video and audio. A VCD can be played on almost all standalone DVD Players and of course on all computers with a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive with the help of a software based decoder / player. It is also possible to use menus and chapters, similar to DVDs, on a VCD and also simple photo album/slide shows with background audio. The quality of a very good VCD is a better quality then a VHS tape based movie.
 

A VCD can be played on

• On all standalone VCD Players (very common in ASiA)

• Almost all standalone DVD Players, check here for compability list

• Playstations with VCD-addon (Playstation 2 does NOT support VCDs, read the DVD Players list for more info)

• Sega Saturn with VCD-addon

• Dreamcast with VCD-addon

• And of course on all computers with a CD-ROMs/DVD-ROMs with a software VCD/MPG Player.

How to play VCD/MPEG1 with 24arabia.com Player (Roxio Player)

If you haven t done it yet, then download 24arabia.com VCD Player [Click here to download]

>> In Windows:

1. Make sure you close ALL programs

2. Insert CD into your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM

3. If any program runs automatically then close it down!

4. Make sure again that no program is running in the background, and that the VCD is insert in your computer

5. Now Double Click on the program you downloaded "vcdplayer.exe"

6. This should let Roxio Player load.

7. Click on Play

8. Enjoy the movie

How to play VCD/MPEG1 without 24arabia.com Player (Roxio Player)

>> In Windows:

You can play VCDs with Windows Media Player. Follow the below steps to play your Video CD.

1. Launch Windows Media Player. Normally you can find it at Accessories -> Multimedia.
2. Click File -> Open.
3. Click Browse.
4. Select your CD-ROM drive from the Open dialog box.
5. You will notice several folders. Select "mpegav" subdirectory.
6. Double click on the file with extension *.dat.
7. You are up and running to play your Video CD.

or insert the VCD in your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM and browse to the MPEGAV folder and double click on the .dat file and associate it with Media Player and open them with that.

To play a VCD with menus and still pictures use WinDVD or PowerDVD, insert the VCD and just hit Play.
 

Use a low resolution, like 640x480, on the monitor when watching a VCD to get best quality.

However, please note that some VCDs may not play well or cannot be played using Windows Media Player. In that case, please download the alternative MPEG playback software:

1. 24arabia.com VCD Player recommended
2. WinDVD (software DVD Players but supports VCD) recommended
3. PowerDVD (software DVD Players but supports VCD) recommended
4. Xing MPEG
5. VCD Power Player

>> In MAC:

Play VCDs with MacVCD, it does also support MacOS X.

>> In Linux:

Play VCDs with MpegTV Player or Videolan.

>> Problem playing VCD:

If you have problem playing VCD on your computer try different video player software, in Windows try WinDVD or PowerDVD (software DVD Players but supports VCD). It can also help if you install ASPI.

>> With a DVD Player

A VCD can be played on almost all standalone DVD Players

If you are not sure whether your DVD player is capable to playback vcd, just confirm this labels do appear on your player s owner manual:

>> More General Questions:

I am having problems viewing the VCD on my Player?

Are you watching the VCD on your DVD Player? if yes, then make sure that your DVD Player has the logos of the Video CD compatibilty shown above. And also make sure that your DVD Player plays the right Version ( version 1.0 or version 2.0)

Are you watching the VCD on your computer? the try different video player software, in Windows try WinDVD or PowerDVD (software DVD Players but supports VCD). It can also help if you install ASPI.

Or try one of these softwares also:

1. 24arabia.com VCD Player recommended
2. WinDVD (software DVD Players but supports VCD) recommended
3. PowerDVD (software DVD Players but supports VCD) recommended
4. Xing MPEG
5. VCD Power Player

Can my DVD Player play NTSC or PAL VCDs? Is there any problem?

Some people may worry on PAL / NTSC color format come with VCD, we personally do not have such concern seriously cause its hardly to be detectable. In addition, most DVD player as well as TV set were produced with the capability to auto detect video s color system, they will reproduce video signal to match with each other and that will completely eliminated all your worry, provided your DVD player or TV only accept specific color system, you might not having any problem at all to playback vcd.

Are DVDs and Video CDs the same?

No. Although DVD players will be able play Video CD movies as well as DVD movies. DVD movies are encoded using a compression technique called MPEG2. Video CD on the other hand is encoded using MPEG1 compression. Since MPEG2 decoders (your DVD player) are backward compatible, most of the time, you will be able to play Video CD using your DVD player. However, you cannot play DVD using your Video CD players. Please consult your player s manual for confirmation.

Why are VCDs gaining popularity in USA/ Canada, Australia and Europe?

Nowadays, VCDs have practically replaced video cassettes in Asia. The main reason is because VCD is cheap compared to DVDs and the quality is even better than VHS. It can also last much longer than VHS and has no drop in sound/picture quality when stored for a long time. It is much smaller in size, easier to store, that is why it is ideal for movie collectors! One good aspect is that it can be played on DVD, LD players, a computer and many other devices. Also, the popularity of VCDs is on the rise because of the gaining interest among Americans and Canadians for Arabic and Oriental movies.

The audio/video quality of VCD is always 'better' than VHS tape based Movies and it can carry surround sound effect.

>> Help Links:

You can also head to these following sites for a more involved explanation and help:

• www.Vcdhelp.com -  more help here

• DVD Help - get more infos

• VCD Guide - get more help

More from 24arabia.com links and help

• 24arabia.com VCD Player - Download Player

• 24arabia.com VCD Version Help - read more

• 24arabia.com FAQ ( Frequently Asked Question) - get help here

If you need any support or have still a question feel free to contact our  support team for detailed help. We will be glad to assist you.