SVCD - Super Video CD

Video - MPEG-2, 480x480 resolution, interlaced lines, at 23.97 or 29.97 frames per sec
Audio - MPEG-1 layer II, stereo, 44.1 KHz sample rate, from 32 to 384 Kbps

kbps = thousand bits per second
Mbps = million bits per second
² approximately resolution, it can be higher or lower
~ approximately bitrate, it can be higher or lower
ª DVD with lower video quality, similiar to VCD/SVCD video quality
* the video quality depends on the bitrate and the video resolution, higher bitrate and higher resolution generally means better video quality but bigger file size

*** also see VideoHelp SVCD  SVCD FAQ   Super Video CD Standard Overview   Order the SVCD Standard IEC-62107 

*** to create SVCD Mpeg files, convert using Ultra Splitter, Cucu, or any other SVCD capable utility

*** to create the SVCD file structure and burn an SVCD, convert and burn the SVCD  using CucuSoft

*** to burn an SVCD where you have the SVCD structure already on your hard drive, just use Nero !!!

*** to play an SVCD on your PC, use Power DVD  -  to play on your home system, use your DVD player (most will play SVCD's) - check here for compability list .  If your DVD Player does not support SVCD you can try this VCD header trick, it requires no reconverting which mean that you do not lose any quality.

***  Buy original SVCD Movies direct at VCDGallery.com
 

SVCD Folder/File Structure - the root has no files (just sub-folders)

NOTE:  you can tell if a disc is VCD or SVCD. VCD has a .dat file in the MPEGAV folder, and SVCD has a .mpg file there

NOTE:  the simplest SVCD would have the following 4 subfolders: 

* the name "MPEG2" is the standard folder name, but some SVCD's use "MPAGAV" instead.  Nero will accept and burn one with MPEGAV folder but you must go to the "Compatibility" section and select that

The Super Video CD (SVCD) standard upgrades the Video-CD (VCD) format. It allows better video and audio quality, including extensions for surround sound, multi-channel audio and provisioning for PC playback. It's based on variable bit rate (VBR) MPEG-2 coding for more efficient use of optical disc capacity.

1. Super-VCD standard
2. Super-VCD players
3. XSVCD format

1. Super-VCD standard

The DATA track ( #1 ) uses Mode 2, Form 1 data sectors ( 2,048 bytes ) and MPEG files use Mode 2, Form 2 MPEG sectors ( 2,324 bytes ). 

The Super Video-CD 1.0 features ( IEC 62107 standard ) are given in the table below: 
 

Features Super Video CD 1.0 Video bit rate resolution NTSC resolution PAL  MPEG-2 variable up to 2.6 Mbps 480x480 interlaced, 29.97Hz 480x576 interlaced, 25Hz Still picture (photo) resolution NTSC resolution PAL MPEG-2 ( I Frame ) 480x480, 704x480 480x576, 704x576 Audio sampling bit rate audio channels surround sound MPEG-1 layer II 44.1 KHz from 32 to 384 Kbps up to 2 stereo or 4 mono MPEG-2 ( 5+1 ) extension Overlay graphics and text sub-channels coding  overlay video plane <=4 4 color CLUT ( 2bits/pixel )

The Program Stream contains two audio streams, usually for two separate languages. Audio streams are MPEG-1 audio formats, given in the table below:
 

MPEG-1 (ISO 11172-3) audio formats Layer layer II only Bit Rate may vary from frame to frame single channel mode dual channel mode stereo mode 32 to 192 Kbps 64 to 384 Kbps 64 to 384 Kbps  Sampling frequency 44.1 KHz

The video MPEG-2 streams are defined by the constraints of Main Profile at Mail Level ( MP@ML ):
 

MPEG-2 video MP@ML profile B-frames YES Chroma format 4:2:0 Scalabilty NONE Intra DC precision 8, 9, 10 bits Buffer size 1,835,008 bits Luminance sample rate 10,368,000 Horizontal vector range -512..+511.5 Vertical vector range (frame pictures) 128..+127.5

The interlaced nature of the video signal is preserved. This results in smoother-looking motion for video footage that was originally shot with a field-based video camera.

The typical running time of an SVCD disc (with full resolution and quality) is about 35-45 minutes, although it can be extended to over 70 minutes by compromising image and sound quality. 

For PC playback, the format allows storing applications or setup files in the EXT directory. The main root can even contain autorun enabling files.

An SVCD detailed technical explanation is available from Philips licensing page and a copy is also available from our documentation at sl00811.zip (86.5KB) in Acrobat PDF format. Jukka Aho has published a very good Super Video CD Overview.

If SVCD resolution is only 480×480 or 480×576, doesn't the picture look all too tall and squished on my TV?

No. When encoding (or preparing video for encoding), the material will look squished, but at playback time, the player will strech it horizontally to fill the whole 4:3 screen.

Note that even the 720×(480|576) (as used on DVD or MiniDV / Digital8 tapes) or 704×(480|576) aren't exactly 4:3. This is also true for VCD's 352×(240|288). Unlike computers, most digital video storage formats do not use square pixels.

Authoring SVCD

• Download TSCV (free)

- How to author a SVCD with VCDEasy
How to author a basic SVCD with no menuas using VCDEasy...by Baldrick

- How to make a VCD/SVCD with CD Audio (CDDA)
The VCD and the SVCD standard allows CD Audio(CDDA). A VCD/SVCD with CD Audio will work on all ...by Baldrick
- doom9 TSCV Guide
TSCV is a pretty complete VCD and SVCD authoring solution for VCDimager. It supports chapters, ...by Doom9
- How to create a VCD or SVCD menu and chapters with TSCV
How to create a VCD or SVCD menu and chapters with TSCV...by Sefy
- How to create a VCD or SVCD chapters with VCDEasy
How to create a VCD or SVCD chapters with VCDEasy...by Sefy
- Simple Menu using VCDEasy Guide 1.1 by Sullen
This guide is for creating a very basic menu with VCDEasy. When finished the menu will work ver...by Sullen

2. Super-VCD players

In general, people want to play Super-VCD on a TV-set with a standalone DVD player. Most DVD players sold in Asia can read SVCD but in America and in Europe only a few players are SVCD compliant.

Because some identical DVD player platforms are used all over the world, one can sometimes upgrade it's firmware and hack the player to make it read SVCD. One example is given at Leon's Lab for the Philips DVD-950 shipped in Europe.

3. XSVCD format

• Higher resolution up to DVD resolution at 720x480 for NTSC (720x576 for PAL)
• Higher bit rate up to 9.8Mbps (DVD bit rate) for standalone or 15Mbps for PC (MP@ML constraint)