SimpleVCD is a full-screen VideoCD player for Macs. SimpleVCD is designed to be easy to use and has most of the features of standalone hardware VCD players.
SimpleVCD now comes with an Index Page feature which allows you to preview all movie tracks on the VCD. You can then select and play the track of your choice quickly.
What Is a VCD?
VCD stands for Video Compact Disc. Video sequences are stored in MPEG-1 format on a compact disc. It provides high quality video at a very affordable price. VCDs are very popular in many countries, particularly in Asia.
Using SimpleVCD
To play a vcd, just launch SimpleVCD and insert the VCD. The following keys are used to control playback. You can press the primary control keys repeatedly to cycle through the options.
Using the Index Page feature
(1). Launch SimpleVCD and insert the VCD. If it contains many tracks, SimpleVCD will search for files and play them;
(2). Press the back key. You will see the index page. SimpleVCD will create a picture for each track; (see sample index page)
(3). Select the track that you want to play by using the arrow keys, or by clicking on them;
(4). Play the selected track by pressing the back key, or by double-clicking the mouse.
More About the Index Page feature
(1). For each VCD, SimpleVCD usually takes about 3 minutes to create all the pictures for the index page. However, you only need to do this once for each VCD; these pictures will be saved in a VCD Index folder on your hard disk. If you play the same VCD again, SimpleVCD displays the index page very quickly.
(2). The picture is taken from the movie track at the third second position. You can replace it with any image on the track. To do this, select the track and play it in the main page, stop at the image that you like with the space key, and then press th "i" or "I" key. If you press "I", the icon of the index file will be changed to the current image.
(3). You can also change the index file name if you like.
A Sample Index Page
Tips: Playing movies from the hard disk
If you have enough hard disk space, you can play VCD movies from your hard disk. Two steps:
(1). Save the movie files from one or more VCD to your hard disk. You need use a registered version of QuickTime Player to convert the DAT file (located in the MPEGAV folder in your VCD) to the QuickTime file format. Don't use the drag-drop-copy from the Finder. If you don't have a registered version of QuickTime, note that QuickTime Movie Player version 2.5, which is free, works just fine. You can place these files everywhere in your hard disk.
(2). Create a folder called MPEGAV in the top level in your hard disk. Place the alias of your QuickTime files in this folder. Launch SimpleVCD.
System Requirements
Any PowerMacintosh with CD-ROM drive; QuickTime 2.5 or later with QuickTime MPEG Extension.
- Automatically disable "Display Sleep and Dimming" options set by the Energy Saver control panel, and restore these options when quit SimpleVCD.
- Remove some unused code, application size reduces from 400K to 170K.
{1999.10.08} 2.1,
- Make index file icon from image instead the generic icon.
- Allow change of index file name.
- Index file image compression. Now an index file takes only about 120 KB instead 800 KB in the previous version.
- Add tips in readme file: Play movie from hard disk
- Bug fixed: If one track has bad file, then continue to play the next track. In previous version the program stops at bad track with the "Load ..." message.
- Bug fixed: Movie controller starts at play mode, press space bar to pause. In previous version, need press space bar twice at the first time.
{1999.08.27} 2.0, added index page feature.
{1998.12.27} 1.0.
Contact the Author
Report bugs or suggestions to: <guoniu@kagi.com> Thanks!
To download or learn more: <http://www.kagi.com/guoniu>
