Video CD
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|
MB/80 minutes of Video | |
Read mechanism | 780 nm wavelength semiconductor laser |
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Standard | IEC 62107 |
Developed by | Philips, Sony, Panasonic, JVC |
Usage | audio and video storage |
Extended from | CD Video / Video Single Disc |
Extended to | SVCD |
Released | 1993 |
Optical discs |
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Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as Compact Disc Digital Video) is a home video format and the first format for distributing films on standard 120 mm (4.7 in) optical discs. The format was widely adopted in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Greater China, Central Asia and West Asia, superseding the VHS and Betamax systems in the regions until DVD-Video finally became affordable in the first decade of the 21st century.
The format is a standard
The Video CD standard was created in 1993[1][2] by Sony, Philips, Matsushita and JVC; it is referred to as the White Book standard. The MPEG-1 format was also released that same year.
Brief history
Philips later teamed up with
A few years later, Philips decided to give CDs the ability to produce video, utilizing the same technology as its LaserDisc counterpart. This led to the creation of CD Video (CD-V) in 1987. However, the disc's small size significantly impeded the ability to store analog video; thus only 5 minutes of picture information could fit on the disc's surface (despite the fact that the audio was digital). Therefore, CD-V distribution was limited to featuring music videos, and it was soon discontinued by 1991.
By the early 1990s engineers were able to digitize and compress video signals, greatly improving storage efficiency. Because this new format could hold 74/80 minutes of audio and video on a 650/700MB disc, releasing movies on compact discs finally became a reality. Extra capacity was obtained by sacrificing the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ef/Copy_Protected_VCD.jpg/220px-Copy_Protected_VCD.jpg)
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 associated recorders stopped the release of feature films in their tracks because the VCD format had no means of preventing unauthorized (and perfect) copies from being made.[citation needed] However, as of 2013[update] VCDs are still being released in several countries in Asia, but now with copy-protection.[citation needed]
The development of more sophisticated, higher capacity optical disc formats yielded the DVD format, released only a few years later with a copy protection mechanism. 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 it 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 due to their cheaper manufacturing and retail costs.[citation needed]
Technical specifications
Structure
Video CDs comply with the
The rest of the tracks are usually in CD-ROM XA Mode 2 Form 2 and contain video and audio multiplexed in an MPEG program stream (MPEG-PS) container, but CD audio tracks are also allowed.[4] Using Mode 2 Form 2 allows roughly 800 megabytes of VCD data to be stored on one 80 minute CD (versus 700 megabytes when using CD-ROM Mode 1). This is achieved by sacrificing the error correction redundancy present in Mode 1. It was considered that small errors in the video and audio stream pass largely unnoticed. 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.
Video
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Digital_video_resolutions_%28VCD_to_4K%29.svg/220px-Digital_video_resolutions_%28VCD_to_4K%29.svg.png)
Video specifications[5]
- Compression: MPEG-1
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Resolution:
- analog 240p)
- analog 288p)
- analog
- Framerate:
- Bitrate: 1,150 kilobits per second (constant bitrate)
Although many DVD video players support playback of VCDs, VCD video is only compatible with the DVD-Video standard if encoded at 29.97 frames per second or 25 frames per second.
The 352×240 and 352×288 (or
Audio
Audio specifications[5]
- Compression: MPEG-1 Audio Layer II
- Sample Frequency: 44,100 hertz (44.1 kHz)
- Output: Dual channel, stereo, or Dolby Surround
- Bitrate: 224 kilobits per second (constant bitrate)
As with most CD-based formats, VCD audio is incompatible with the DVD-Video standard due to a difference in sampling frequency; DVDs require 48 kHz, whereas VCDs use 44.1 kHz.
Advantages of compression
By compressing both the video and audio streams, a VCD is able to hold 74 minutes of picture and sound information, the same duration as a standard 74 minute audio CD. The MPEG-1 compression used records mostly the differences between successive video frames, rather than write out each frame individually. Similarly, the audio frequency range is limited to those sounds most clearly heard by the human ear.
Other features
The VCD standard also features the option of DVD-quality still images/slide shows with audio, at resolutions of 704×480 (480i, analog NTSC compatible) or 704×576 (576i, analog PAL/SECAM compatible). Version 2.0 also adds the playback control (PBC), featuring a simple menu like DVD-Video.
Similar formats
CD-i Digital Video
Shortly before the advent of White Book VCD, Philips started releasing movies in the
XVCD
XVCD (eXtended Video CD) is the name generally given to any format that stores MPEG-1 video on a compact disc in CD-ROM XA Mode 2 Form 2, but does not strictly follow the VCD standard in terms of the encoding of the video or audio.
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. Some XVCDs use lower bitrates in order to fit longer videos onto the disc, while others use higher bitrates to improve quality. MPEG-2 may be used instead of MPEG-1.
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 be swapped out completely for MP3 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
DVCD
DVCD or Double VCD is a method to accommodate longer videos on a CD. A non-standard CD is
DVI
DVI (Digital Video Interactive) is a compression technique that stored 72 minutes of video on a CD-ROM. In 1998, Intel acquired the technology from RCA's Sarnoff Research Labs. DVI never caught on.[7]
SVCD
Super Video CD is a format intended to be the successor of VCD, offering better quality of image and sound. The format uses MPEG-2 video at 480x480 or 480x576 and supports multiple bitrate and channel options for encoding audio.
Adoption
In North America
Video CDs were unable to gain acceptance as a mainstream format in North America, chiefly because the established VHS format was less expensive, offered comparable video quality, and could be recorded over.[8] The advent of recordable CDs, inexpensive recorders, and compatible DVD players spurred VCD acceptance in the US in the late 1990s and early 2000s.[9] 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,[10] and this limited the compatibility of home-made VCDs. Almost every modern stand-alone DVD-Video player can play VCDs burned on recordable media.[citation needed]
In Europe
VCDs were available in the Netherlands during the 1990s, but are no longer on sale.[citation needed]
In Asia
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e1/VCD_and_DVD_Stock.jpg/250px-VCD_and_DVD_Stock.jpg)
The VCD format was very popular throughout Asia[11] (except Japan and South Korea) in the late 1990s through the 2000s, with 8 million VCD players sold in China in 1997 alone,[12] and more than half of all Chinese households owning at least one VCD player by 2005.[13] However, popularity has declined over the years, as the number of Hong Kong factories that produced VCDs dropped from 98 in 1999 to 26 in 2012.[14]
This popularity was due, in part, to most households not already owning VCRs 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.[9] Western sources have cited unauthorized content as a principal incentive for VCD player ownership.[15][16][17]
VCDs are often produced and sold in Asian countries and regions, such as China (including Hong Kong), Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan.[18] In many Asian countries, major Hollywood studios (and Asian home video distributors) have licensed companies to officially produce and distribute the VCDs, such as Intercontinental Video Ltd. of Hong Kong, Sunny Video in Malaysia, Vision Interprima Pictures in Indonesia, CVD International and Pacific Marketing and Entertainment Group in Thailand, Excel Home Entertainment in India, Berjaya-HVN and InnoForm Media in both Malaysia and Singapore, Scorpio East Entertainment in Singapore, as well as Viva Video, Magnavision Home Video, and C-Interactive Digital Entertainment 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, differentiated by the VCD logo.
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.
Worldwide trends
VCD's growth had slowed in areas that can afford DVD-Video, which offered most of the same advantages, as well as better picture quality[19] (higher resolution with fewer digital compression artifacts) due to its larger storage capacity. However, VCD had simultaneously seen significant 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.[20][21]
Compared with VHS
Overall picture quality is intended to be comparable to VHS video.[22] Poorly
Video CDs did not come with
Compared with DVD
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/88/Three-disc_VCD_Title.jpg/260px-Three-disc_VCD_Title.jpg)
When playing a DVD, the viewer is taken to a main menu which gives them options (watch the feature film, view "deleted scenes", play some special applications, etc.). VCDs are usually straightforward; playing them often goes directly to the video with extras (mostly trailers and commercials) taking place before or after it, like on a VHS cassette.
Subtitles are found on many Asian VCDs but cannot be removed, unlike on DVDs. The subtitles are embedded on the video during the encoding process ("
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. This is mostly because VCD technology is able to start playback at a chapter point but there is nothing to signal to the player that the chapter has changed during a program. This can be confusing for the user as the player will indicate that it is still playing chapter 1 when it has played through to chapter 2 or later. Pressing the Next button would cause playback from the beginning of chapter 2. However, preview material is 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. On some films, they feature English on the left audio channel and Cantonese on the right; more commonly Hong Kong VCDs will feature Mandarin on one channel and Cantonese on the other. This is similar to selecting a language track on a DVD, except it is limited to 2 languages, due to there being only two audio channels (left and right). The audio track effectively becomes monaural.
VCD's most noticeable disadvantage compared to DVD is image quality, due both to the more aggressive compression necessary to fit video into such a small capacity as well as to the compression method used. Additionally, VCD movie surround sound capability is limited to Dolby Surround matrixed within the stereo tracks, while DVDs are capable of six channels of discrete surround sound via Dolby Digital AC-3.
Hardware and software support
Early devices supporting Video CD playback include the
Early software supporting Video CD playback include
Windows Media Player prior to version 9 does not support playing VCD directly. Windows Vista added native support of VCD along with DVD-Video and can launch the preferred application upon insertion. The disc format is also supported natively by Media Player Classic, VLC Media Player and MPlayer.[4]
Direct access playback support is available within
among others, either directly or with updates and compatible software.Most
See also
References
- ^ Hardware and Software Get an Early Start, Sony, archived from the original on June 25, 2010, retrieved 2008-02-13
- ^ Super Video Compact Disc, A Technical Explanation (PDF) (PDF), Philips System Standards and Licensing, 1998, p. 2, archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-28, retrieved 2008-02-13
- ^ "1979: The VideoDisc Is Here!", History of Media Technology, CED magic, retrieved 8 April 2011
- ^ a b c 3.6. VCD playback, MPlayer, retrieved 2018-04-03
- ^ a b "MPEG1 Specifications", icdia.co.uk
- ^ DVD Compatibility Chart, February 25, 2007, retrieved 2008-02-22
- ^ "Definition of: DVI", PC Magazine
- ^ Imagine Media: 27–28, March 1995
- ^ New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ Bennett, Hugh (March 1998). "DVD-ROM and CD-R: the compatibility question answered - includes related article on reading mixed media". Emedia Professional. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ Yoshida, Junko (December 1999). "Video CD: China one, West zero". EE Times. Archived from the original on 2005-04-09. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ Leopold, George; Yoshida, Junko (January 13, 1999). "Chinese supplier preps low-cost digital TVs for U.S. market". EE Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2004. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ "Chinese families double their incomes in 10 years". China Daily. January 12, 2005. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ Amy Nip and Phila Siu (15 November 2012). "Customs criticised for pursuit of outdated CD and VCD piracy". South China Morning Post.
- New York Times. Archived from the originalon January 23, 2009. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- New York Times. Archived from the originalon January 30, 2009. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- New York Times. Archived from the originalon January 23, 2009. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ "Taliban Rule Ends in Kabul (2001)". YouTube.
- ^ "Low DVD Prices to Drive up Sales". People's Daily. September 5, 2001. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
- ^ "ESS Technology, Inc. 2003 Annual Report (PDF)" (PDF). ESS Technology. 2004. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-14. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- ^ "ESS product to vie with VCD players". People's Daily. August 10, 2004. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
- ^ Chiariglione, Leonardo (November 6, 1992), MPEG Press Release, London, 6 November 1992, International Organization for Standardization, archived from the original on November 8, 2007, retrieved 2008-03-20
- ^ Imagine Media: 108, April 1995
- ^ "Video CD - VideoLAN Wiki". wiki.videolan.org. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ "Mac OS X 10.3: Playing Video Compact Disc (VCD) media", apple.com
External links
- Patent History Video CD Player – published by Philips 2003 (archived 26 August 2007)
- Patent History Video CD Disc – published by Philips 2003 (archived 30 September 2008)
- What is a VCD?
- VCD / SVCD / miniDVD FAQ (archived 26 April 2005)