Creating VCDs

I would like to create and burn a VCD from an .avi file I have on the HD.

I didn't want to invest a lot of money for this supposedly simple project so I downloaded a freeware called"Burn".

To create the VCD it requested that I convert the file to mpeg which then increased the file size over the limit. I now cannot burn the file due to it's size. I tried to use Handbrake to change the file to mp4 to see if I could limit the size to 700MB but no joy.

Any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong or any alternative methods?

Thanks

Burn it to a DVD not a CD.

I'm not sure why anyone in the year 2012 would ever need a VCD at all, but whatever:

1. How long is the running time of the AVI file? VCDs, just like DVDs have a time limit (in the case of VCDs, that's 74 minutes, no exceptions). You cannot get around converting the file to MPEG-1, that is the format that VCDs *require.* Same deal with DVDs -- no matter what format the source file is, it HAS to be converted to MPEG-2 to be part of a "movie" DVD.

2. I think what chscag was trying to suggest is that you forget about VCDs altogether (and I agree!) and instead convert the file to MPEG-2/DVD format so you can use DVD-Rs. What he didn't clarify was that a VCD, by its nature, burns to a CD (thus the name Video CD).

Thanks chas_m,

The VCD was for someone's old DVD player that has trouble reading dvdr / rw. The explanation makes sense though and I knew it would be something essentially simple.

The open source Burn app lets you burn VCDs, as long as the AVI will play in Quicktime player

Burn - Home

The open source Burn app lets you burn VCDs, as long as the AVI will play in Quicktime player

Click to expand...

That's what he was using to burn the VCD but ran out of space. The solution is as recommended by chas_m in the second part of his reply. Which is also what I recommend.

headhunter28 said:

Thanks chas_m,

The VCD was for someone's old DVD player that has trouble reading dvdr / rw. The explanation makes sense though and I knew it would be something essentially simple.

Click to expand...

Yeah, so if you are stuck with VCDs, then you'll have to split up the source material to no more than 74 minutes per disc.

It's been my experience that DVD players that can't play home-burned DVDs also can't play home-burned anything else, but if you know that VCD will work -- I guess we finally found a use for VCD in the 21st century!

(might also want to look up SVCD -- even less time per disc, but better picture quality)