After searching through the forum i have sinced noticed some questions on DVD, CD, VCD etc..
So i though i would repost my message from a few weeks ago for everyone that is intersted to read! Enjoy!
Scott Saunders
Hello everyone!
I am of to Bali on the 31st of December! Already cant wait! I have been looking over this site for some time and thought i would post a little thing that might help everyone understand the situation with VCD, DVD and Games etc..
I understand that some of you might already know this, but for those that dont this might help them out!
Basically, the difference between VCD & DVD is size and quality! VCD are found on normal CD's (650MB) and can generally be played on all systems. DVD's are found on DVD disk (range from 4GB - 18GB).
The thing with either format is this. DVD is to expensive at this stage to copy onto DVD! A DVD recorable disk would set you back more than the cost of actually buying a proper version of a DVD! DVD recordable disk at this stage cost about $45 AU where as an actuall DVD movie would set you back about $30 - $35. Hence it is not worth the process of buying a copied DVD. Also with that DVD is in a format called MPeg 2 which enables Dolby Digital (Better sound and better compression technology)
VCD are different! Depending on the volume of Recordable CD's you buy, you can get then for as little as 50c a Disk! Also VCD's are recordered in MPEG 1 Format (Dolby Pro Logic, in some cases but generally stereo and not as good compression technology, older technology, hence the sometimes blocky pictures!)
So generally if you see a DVD that is quite cheap, it is not a DVD, becuase of the costs to produce it!
SO if you are happy with VCD's then by all means buy one, I am a bit if a techno geek and like the latest and greatest technology and have done quite abit of research on all of this as a sought of a hobby!
The format that will be exciting for those that have the ability to watch DVD on computer and connect them to a tv is DiVX!
It is a new compression technology that is far better than VCD, generally the same quality of DVD, but will fit on one Writable CD! VCD's generally fits on two! Real exciting stuff!
I will get to the games in a few moments!
Now for TV's,
Generally you hear of two formats i.e. NTSC (Not The Same Color Twice) as some like to call it and PAL. Pal in my opinion is a far better system as it is a more constant rate and better picture quality! Has anyone ever watch AFl and then watched a game of NFL and wondered why the NFL wasnt as clear! This is becuase of the two different system used! PAL seems to me to be a far better system! ANy how, enough of that! Basically any TV that has been built within the last five years will most likely have an Auto switch function that will change from Pal to NTSC back to Pal depending on the video signal being sent! i.e. if you are watching a video in NTSC but was just watching Australian TV (PAL) it will change over automatically,aslong as your TV has that feature! VCD's and DVD's are the same system and work in the same fasion!
Now for games!
PSX and PS2 games are basically the same as DVD's. There are encoded to play in a specific regiond only! DVD and set up into 5 regions. Depening on the system you have you can have a chip installed or if you have the system as part of your computer (like i do) you can have a driver installed to bypass the region encoding process!
This is the same for PSX and PS2 games!
Baically the very first part of the disk is where the region is encoded and without having the chip installed it will not work! It works like, when recording a disk you copy the game, which can be done but you can not copy the entire disk! Sounds funny yeah? Will basically the piracy protection that sony tried to employ was to infact enable the first part of the disk (region code) was unabled to be copied and still can not be copied but can copy all the game codes etc..
If you ever try to put a burnt disc into a PSX games console without a chip you will notice that the doesnt even load! this is because the system can not read the appropriate region code information required to read before it will go onto the game codes!
With the chip is bypasses this process of the game and goes straight onto the game codes so one can play the game!
Also, when a chip is installed that by passes a region code, you will be able to play all games from all regions on your system! i.e. a disk from the US should work in a system from Australia, as long as you have the proper chip installed!
I hope this has helped all that read it! I am not a professional on any of theses items (Actually i am a draftsmen) and have learnt of these things myself through trial and error and things such as the internet!
If any of the nformation is wrong i am sorry but i hope that this will help those that need it explained a little!
Regards and good gaming to you all!
Scott Saunders