What I'm particularly interested in is the maximum size of mpeg able to fit onto an 80min/700MB CD-RW when overburning a SVCD write. I've read somewhere that one person is getting 798MB onto one. Is this normally possible, any drawbacks, dependent on manufacturer, etc?

Thanks

Robert

-- Robert Templeton (templer@vplayground.com), March 07, 2002

Answers

This is a good question, but SVCD questions are really inappropriate to this forum. You might consider asking in the future to the SVCD forum at network54.com/Hide/Forum/70438. But to give you an answer... first of all, there is no such thing as an 80 minute/700MB CD-RW. Of course, CD-R discs exist at this size, but not CD-RW. BIG difference. What happens when VCD or SVCD gets written to disc is that a hybrid file system format is used to store the data to disc. CD-R and CD-RW capacities are listed for CD-ROM data or CD audio data. These formats use parts of the disc for redundancy and error correction. A 650MB CD-R actually can store about 740MB of data, but 90 MB or so is reserved for the error correction and redundancy I mentioned before. Since VCD and SVCD do not use this error correction, these areas on the CD-R are free to be written to, so the actual VCD/SVCD capacity of a 650MB CD-R is really about 740 MB and the actual capacity of a 700MB CD-R is really about 800MB. According to the standard for CD-R, CD-R discs must contain at least 1.5 minutes of lead out time. This is not normally written to, but some programs such as Nero can write to it, which increases your storage capacity a little. I'm sorry, but it's impossible to give you an exact value for the maximum storage capacity. One CD-R might have 1.5 minutes of lead out and another of the exact same brand might have 1.55 minutes, another might have 1.6 or 2 minutes and so on. My basic rule for overburning is that you're generally safe to overburn up to about 81 minutes on an 80 minute CD-R and if you feel lucky you might push it upt to 81.5 minutes, but anything beyond that may not work. Oh - and what I said about CD-R applies to CD-RW, just realize that 80 minute CD-RWs don't exist. At least I've never seen them or heard of them. If 80 minute CD-Rs don't give you enough space, you can always try the non-standard 90 or 99 minute CD-Rs, but all bets are off as to whether you will be able to burn or play these.

-- Jason (Jason.Shumate@equant.com), March 07, 2002.

I use 80 min cdrws all the time. You can find them at Best Buy, CompUSA, among other places.

-- meme@meme.net (meme@meme.net), March 07, 2002.

Just like to thank Jason. I'd done a quick search for what the capacity of a SVCD was and I got this link from Google. Thankyou!

Kai

-- Kai van Farnhill (kai@monoliff.com), January 07, 2003.

Try the newer 99 min cd-r's to fit more on

-- AllanM (nochance@hotmail.com), April 14, 2003.

Thank's too to Jason and Google. I searched for svcd capacity and came straight here and got the explaination I was looking for.

-- Darren (test@test.com), February 26, 2004.