# What is a CD video disc?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cd-video-disc/225831>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 23, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cd-video-disc/225831 "2004-01-23T23:20:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cd-video-disc/225831/1 "2004-01-23T23:20:29Z")

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My new DVD player says it can play DVD video discs, CD audio discs, and CD video discs. Can I make a CD video disc by burning particular kinds of files onto a blank CD? What format is that exactly?

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cd-video-disc/225831/2 "2004-01-23T23:33:22Z")

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> [@Indefatigable](#):
>
> My new DVD player says it can play DVD video discs, CD audio discs, and CD video discs. Can I make a CD video disc by burning particular kinds of files onto a blank CD? What format is that exactly?

VCDs use the MPEG1 format. Kinda like good VHS, but nearly as good as MPEG2 (DVD) or MPEG4.

Check out [this forum](http://www.dvdrhelp.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=cd0720984187401d72828603432ebd1c).

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cd-video-disc/225831/3 "2004-01-23T23:41:38Z")

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MPEG-1 is a bit of a bloaty format, however. To get an average full-length feature film on VCD with decent quality, you’ll need two CD-Rs.

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**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cd-video-disc/225831/4 "2004-01-23T23:44:23Z")

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If your DVD player will play VCDs, it will probably also play SVCD which is better quality. I get about 40 minutes of decent video on a CD.

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**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cd-video-disc/225831/5 "2004-01-23T23:48:06Z")

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Yay! Thanks… anime fansubs, here I come…

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cd-video-disc/225831/6 "2004-01-24T00:02:18Z")

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> [@Indefatigable](#):
>
> Yay! Thanks… anime fansubs, here I come…

DVD players can be very particular. I have a few VCDs that will play on one player, but not the other. They _should_ all play on your computer.