Video CD questions

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phatrat1982
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Video CD questions

Post by phatrat1982 » Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:07 pm

Ok so I know 3DO could also play Video CD so I was wondering does anyone here have the adapter to do so and if so do you own any movies on VCD and what are they like? I am specifically asking about original official produced VCD's not bootlegs not the ones you get from China but the original ones.


Also I found a list on the CD-i blog that lead me here but it specifically states it is not including several titles so since there is more out there than just what Philips published themselves and the list is somewhat incomplete does anyone here have more info on the titles not on that other list?


I been keeping an eye on ebay and I see a lot of old cartoons mostly it looks like but I wonder are there more?



I also have some specific movies/cartoons I am curious about so if anyone can provide help with this it would be appreciated.

Movies, it seams as if Philips published a lot on their own but it mentions on that blog others did exsist so my questions is do any of the following exist on VCD from that era? And if so who published them?


Movies

Terminator
It's a Wonderful Life
King Kong
The Breakfast Club
Gremlins
Friday the 13th
Nightmare on Elm Street
Dumb and Dumber
The Mask



Cartoons I am wondering about

Looney Tunes
Flintstones
Scooby Doo Where Are You
Transformers
The Smurfs
Yogi Bear
Transformers the movie



also where there any disney and/Or anime movies ever released or planned to be released?

Again I am trying to compile as complete of a list of US/UK released movies on VCD as I can. I know that after a while they gave up and now Asia has taken over but I do know there at one time were quit a few on the format and since the list I found focuses on Philips and CD-i I suspect it is incomplete as it even states such.
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Post by BryWI » Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:25 pm

I didn't think US actually released anything at all on VCD. I never seen it. I'd actually like to be proven wrong on this for information's sake though.

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Post by phatrat1982 » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:16 pm

http://cdii.blogspot.com/2007/01/philip ... rlist.html


that was where I started and I have been digging up info ever since. I always knew they did I used to read about it in magazines but I never saved the magazines. The info I have is very vague though and apparently it was mostly tied to the CD-i from what I can gather and it branched out from there.


I actually have a couple of titles that I acquired through ebay but they are super ultra rare and the same old ones keep showing up on ebay so that is the best I can come up with.
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Anonymous

Post by Anonymous » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:50 pm

I am assuming you are aware that you need the VCD module for each console in order to play the vdc's though right?

Anyway. VCD never really hit it big in the west. I used to have some links for shops with western releases, but they are all dead now. What i have left is from Hong Kong or Thailand mostly. Which means you can get western films on VCD, but they will be hardcoded subtitles in chinese or thai, or other languages. Which i find annoying. Its a good source for asian films, tv series and that sort of stuff though.

I only have 4 titles for my own VCD modules, but i intend on getting some classic hong kong titles from a shop i found. Cantonese speach, and english subtitles. They also release NEW films on VCD in asia, so that could be one way of aquiring a new film, on an odd format that still looks quite good if you ask me.

I have the Philips CD-I release of Terminator 2, and it looks really good on a 42" LCD HDTV.

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Post by phatrat1982 » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:55 pm

Well I already know it did not take off, I think I addressed that in my initial post and I already talked about the add ons and asian release too.



Can I ask you this, I too heard that there used to be websites and stores that sold them once upon a time, which are all gone now, did nobody save any of their catalogs or order forms or inventory lists anything that could be helpful?
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Anonymous

Post by Anonymous » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:03 pm

Sorry, i missed your mentioning of the adapter. Your punctuation or lack there off makes your post a little hard to read for me.

I have the VCD module for the FZ-1 and FZ-10. Sadly the FZ-10 module is a pal version which wont work with my US FZ-10, but the Japanese module for my PAL FZ-1 oddly works with no issues. I did recently just get a japanese module for the FZ-10 which should arrive within a week, and the seller said it would work with any region FZ-10. This will become my new multiplayer platform for oldschool standards, and will be the home for my future asian vcd collection. I still like my FZ-1 setup, but i do tire of the letterboxing...

So there's a little info for you. If you have other questions ill be glad to answer what i can about them.

I did not save any info about these shops, but i can forward a couple of existing shops in asia, if you'd like.

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Post by phatrat1982 » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:30 pm

That might be a good place to start but I really am more interested in the US/UK stuff. Mostly US really but I am sort of broadening to the UK because ti seams as though they have a few differences in their versions that are interesting. I am mostly interested for historical and collecting purposes which is one reason why I am not interested much in the Asian stuff.


And yeah I guess I didn't proof read that post did I?


I figured it was going to be hard getting solid information it has, after all, taken me several years to stumble upon that list which was a good start but it took several hours of advanced google search just to find even that.


I asked the guy on that blog if he had a more complete list that included more than just the CD-i related stuff but he never replied back. I started a similar thread on the cd-i forum and they directed me here as they said people here would be more knowledgeable and there were more people here too. So far I am at least glad I did find the list I have but as it does state it as being incomplete it makes me continue to wonder if there are more out there and what all there is.



I even tried contacting Philips directly but since the information I am mostly seeking is on titles they did not publish directly I was not sure how helpful they would be. In the end they gave me a mailing address to write to which I am just awaiting a response now.


I know that VCD was initially tied to the CD-i but since it was compatible with other players and it seams that people who were into cd-i also seam to be into 3DO and vice versa I wondered if anyone here maybe knew more. But again I am mostly curious about the software as far as hardware goes I think I got all the information I need as of right now.



For those who are curious what I am actually seeking is a complete list of every single movie ever released in the US during the brief time they were released along with a list of every single piece of hardware that is compatible with the format not counting standard DVD players because there is no way to keep track of that. However I am interested in stand alone VCD players as well as LaserDisc players with VCD capabilities but again I am mostly limiting my search to the US as that is the info that is allusive there is no shortage of info on Hong Kong, China, and other asian countries VCD info because that seams to be where it really took off. I hope I was able to clarify somewhat.
Last edited by phatrat1982 on Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Anonymous

Post by Anonymous » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:37 pm

I dont think it will suit your purpose, but if you actually get into it for viewing the films, they might prove usefull to you in the future.

http://www.ethaicd.com/
http://sensasian.com/

Mind you, i have not ordered any from these places, but them seem serious enough, and accept paypal. So you are covered.

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Post by phatrat1982 » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:44 pm

well thanks for the replies and if anyone else has any info feel free to post too.
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Post by sneth » Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:41 pm

I don't think i've ever met a VCD collector.
The format was poorer than VHS and lacked any interesting features.

I definitely understand interests in old formats tho. I still have a shelf of Laserdiscs. I can slightly justify LD's though. The quality can be good, and they are full of unique features.

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Post by phatrat1982 » Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:03 am

yeah I collect everything, and the quality is bad but it is the most current format I have begun obsessing over. I have been even less fortunate when it comes to Super VHS information on that is really hard to come by.
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Post by 3DO Experience » Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:04 am

VCDs can be far superior to VHS. It's all a matter of how well they are made.
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Anonymous

Post by Anonymous » Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:36 am

3DO Experience wrote:VCDs can be far superior to VHS. It's all a matter of how well they are made.
That is my experience as well. Compression is everything.

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Post by phatrat1982 » Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:46 am

sorry that was in response to something else I posted it in the wrong place.
Last edited by phatrat1982 on Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Lemmi » Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:50 am

sneth wrote:I don't think i've ever met a VCD collector.
.
*raises hand*
but i quit when i noticed i had more VCD titles than regular music CDs

and i dont care about US/UK/asian vcds. my only peeve is they have to be in english
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Post by 3DO Experience » Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:09 am

Hey Lemmi, do you have the Star Wars ones that came out around 2000?
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Post by sneth » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:31 am

VCD taps out about 240i

1150 kbit/sec MPEG-1
352 x 240 pixels
29,97 frames/second

That's about the same as VHS, and then you add in compression artifacts.


It would be cool to have a few around. I'd actually have to plug in the VCD module for once. The adapter's are dirt cheap for Sega Saturn's now as well.

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Post by phatrat1982 » Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:24 pm

I thought they only worked on Japanese Saturn's though? I was under the impression that the US Saturn's were a little different somehow and they would not work on them.
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Post by sneth » Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:30 pm

You would need an Action Replay to bypass the region settings. I honestly don't know anyone with a saturn that doesnt have an Action Replay tho.

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Post by Trev » Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:01 pm

sneth wrote:You would need an Action Replay to bypass the region settings. I honestly don't know anyone with a saturn that doesnt have an Action Replay tho.
You do now. I own a Saturn ... but no action replay.

Of course the only system that I actively import for is 3DO (at the moment anyway)
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Post by Lemmi » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:51 pm

3DO Experience wrote:Hey Lemmi, do you have the Star Wars ones that came out around 2000?
i have episode 1 and the original trilogy 4,5,6 then i quit collecting, also i didnt like the new movies as much so i just didnt care to get others if there were others

Image

I honestly don't know anyone with a saturn that doesnt have an Action Replay tho.
now theres two people .. lol - i dont care for imports on any platform really unless they are dirty ones ;)
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Post by 3DO Experience » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:58 pm

I remember seeing the original trilogy boxset in a computer store but I didn't buy them. I think I was waiting for them to come out on DVD. I had a set of poor LaserDiscs and a close friend of mine had the widescreen VHS set. I remember she still had Empire in the shrinkwrap because she didn't like that one. I should have slapped her.
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Post by Calavera » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:33 pm

I just thought of an awesome idea! Take gameplay footage from a newer game lets say Mafia 2. Record to VCD, pop it in your 3DO hold the controller and pretend you are playing. Fool your friends! :lol:
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Post by Trev » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:41 pm

3DO Experience wrote:I remember she still had Empire in the shrinkwrap because she didn't like that one. I should have slapped her.
:shock: How could she not like Empire? It's probably my favorite!
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Post by sneth » Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:35 pm

Well you guys need to get Action Replays :)
They are not just for switching regions. They also have the RAM upgrades, Save features, and cheat codes.

Star Wars is probably a bad idea for showcasing VCD's. The compression in the desert scenes makes the entire screen a blur.

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Post by Old Gregg » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:48 pm

sneth wrote:VCD taps out about 240i

1150 kbit/sec MPEG-1
352 x 240 pixels
29,97 frames/second

That's about the same as VHS, and then you add in compression artifacts.


It would be cool to have a few around. I'd actually have to plug in the VCD module for once. The adapter's are dirt cheap for Sega Saturn's now as well.
And remove color noise, color bleeding, static, tracking errors and wear degradation.
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Post by Lemmi » Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:06 am

sneth wrote:Well you guys need to get Action Replays :)
They are not just for switching regions. They also have the RAM upgrades, Save features, and cheat codes.

Star Wars is probably a bad idea for showcasing VCD's. The compression in the desert scenes makes the entire screen a blur.
heh i have like 5 ram carts so im set there, and i go old school for cheat codes like the big fat cheat code books.

i dont think ive watched any of the star wars vcds i own yet, now my
Star Trek vcd box collection (Malaysia) and my Philips CDi version vcd collection are my pride and joy, and only cost $40 to collect compaired to the DVD versions back then (which was $19.99 a pop)

then i got a pirate version if Spiderman, this version i got 2 weeks before it was even in theaters here, it has the kristen nipple scene cut out

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Post by phatrat1982 » Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:35 am

It's not that I won't buy the asian stuff it's just I really want the USA specific stuff I would like to get that out of the way first and then if there are some cool English only VCD's from other countries I might look into them then. Unless I find some dubbed in Irish of course I would jump at those.
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Post by 3DO Experience » Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:09 am

Wow I would have watched them the day I got them! I do have some Star Trek VCDs myself.
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