VCDs

[Fredson]

Hi!
I know you guys are totally into DVDs but still are there any good VCDs out? I've never seen one and I've never seen any review page for it. And I'm pretty much interested as I heard that they sometimes have better video quality than tapes and are pretty cheap too.
So does anybody know any good review pages or VCDs I should definetly get?
thanks
Fredson

[rxfiend]

VCDs are a mixed bag. sometimes they can be better than a new vhs tape, but they are pixelized to some extent. but then again, quality doesn't go down upon multiple viewings (which is a plus for me!).

i have a few movie vcds (dead alive workprint, notld90 workprint, charlies family, f13 uncut, etc...), but most are homemade, except the f13 uncut (which i purchased for $10, but it's not that much different from the r version).

i got the f13 vcd at:
http://www.pokerindustries.com/acatalog/

They are US based. they have vcds along with many asia dvds (most are regionless so they can play on R1 players). they are very fast in shipping, and i was satified with them. you might want to check out what they have.

[Shannafey]

There really isn't any reason to buy a VCD unless the film isn't available on DVD. The factory made VCDs are mostly Asian in origin and there were a few made in the US to be played in CDI players. There are a lot of bootleg ones around with varying quality. I have bought a few factory ones off Ebay and other sites; ones that you cannot get on DVD, and are hard to find on VHS, like the unedited versions of Hardware, The Burning and the Star Wars films. I also have a friend who lives in Hong Kong who has sent me Bio-Zombie and Battle Royale. The quality varies, but I like them for the reason stated above and also, due to the fact that they don't wear out with multiple plays, like VHS tape. They are below VHS quality, but the positives outway the negatives, when it comes to wear and tear and shelf life. I am a video producer, so I have also taken to the notion of making my own out of my old wearing VHS tapes, to save for many more years. I, of course, also transfer my home movies to the format. In order to do this, you have to have a DVD player that reads CDRs or RWs. If you want to know more about this and want some links to ligitimate sales sites, visit www.vcdhelp.com They have been a valuable resource for me. Hope this helps you to some degree.

[MonsterMan]

I saw a JEEPERS CREEPERS VCD on Ebay the other day. Isn't that illegal? It's probaly homemade and really crappy, RIGHT?

[Shannafey]

Any movie that is still in the theatres, but is available as VCD, is more than likely a bootleg. They vary in quality, depending on the source material. Some are shot off the screen with a camcorder, some are fairly good copies that were made from screeners, which are VHS tapes sent out for sales to distributors. I have seen some good ones and some bad ones. There are actually some sites out there where, if you have a broadband connection, you can download the vcd file and burn a copy yourself. I saw a copy of Snatch somebody downloaded weeks before it hit DVD and the quality was fairly good. All in all, though I wouldn't buy any. Just stay away from these things, and wait until it comes out on DVD. The wait period is so short nowadays and the bootlegs will run you as much as the store bought DVDs. Also, you'd be helping some jerk profit off someone else's product, and that takes money away from the studio, making them less apt to give us our special edition DVDs that we love so much.
SH

[David666]

rxfiend,

The VCD store you recommend, I know you said it was US based, do the VCDs play well in region 1 players?

Thanks

[rxfiend]

play well...of course. i have had no problems. if your dvd says it'll play vcds, then you shouldn't have a problem. now if you're wanting to make your own vcds, make sure you have a player that'll play cdr vcds.