[benbargagliotti]

so here's the problems. you can rip a DVD, but can't burn it all on one DVD-R cuz DVD-R's are all single layer (right now). SVCD's are nice, but you have to put them also on multiple disks. Could you possibly rip a DVD, convert it to SVCD using standard practices, and burn it all to a single DVD-R and have it play in DVD players with support for SVCD?
ben

[buddhabelly]

This doesn't make alot of sense to me. From everything that I know about VCD/SVCD is that VCD is Mpeg-1 hence the lower quality and smaller size, and SVCD is encoded in MPEG-2, hence higher quality and the smallest files with good quality. Coincidentally, DVD is also encoded in....MPEG-2! So, as far as size goes, if you use the SVCD standard, it will not be any smaller than DVD. Now I suppose that you could put VCD (MPEG-1) on DVD and live with the lower quality. Most DVD players support MPEG-1 which is why you can play VCDs on DVD players. Of course audio compression comes in to. DVD uses AC3 format (I thinnk) and I can't remember what VCD/SVCD uses. Probably mp3...Anyone else?

There's a great site www.vcdhelp.com that has all the specs.

The size is hinged on how you compress it. If you compress the video more (lower the quality) you will get smaller files, whether you use MPEG-1 or MPEG-2.

Hope this helps.

[benbargagliotti]

you almost have it. yes, both DVD and SVCD are MPEG2, but the aspect ratios and the bitrate are different. essentially, SVCD is scaled down DVD. my question though is whether or not a DVD player that supports SVCD will recognize the SVCD format burned on a DVD-R rather than a CD

ben

[buddhabelly]

I would have to say yes. If the DVD player supports the codec, what difference does the media make? As long as it's not tape. So, I'm thinking if the file structure is the same as an SVCD, it should play as such in the DVD format. Unless there is something hard coded on a DVD-R disc..going way beyond my realm.

Anyone else?