What is a VCD?

[DigiDiva]

I would like to create a video CD for my Family.....what exactly is a VCD? and where can we buy them?
DigiDiva

[Brett]

A Video CD (or VCD) is like a DVD except that it is on a CD-ROM instead of a DVD. However, VCDs should play in most DVD players and be viewable on your TV. All you need to do is Publish using the VCD option and put a blank CD-R into your CD burner (if you have one).

[Sandy]

Chapter 6 of the User's Guide has some helpful information regarding this topic. The User's Guide can be found in Scrapbook MAX! under Help > Scrapbook MAX! User's Guide.

[Corey]

Yep, you can just use ordinary inexpensive CD-Rs. The only thing to check is the DVD player. In general almost all modern DVD players will play VCDs, even some which don't say so in the manual. However some don't. The only way to check 100% is to create one and try it out in the DVD player. VCDs can also be played back on PCs if the person has VCD viewing software installed. Or they can also be viewed on a portable VCD player, i.e.:

http://www.vcdgallery.com/vcd_player.htm

The beauty of VCD output in Scrapbook MAX! is that it allows you to view your scrapbooks on a TV, so it's awesome if you want to share them with someone who isn't a "computer person" or if you want to watch them in the comfort of your living room.

There are DVD players out there for under $50 which play VCDs well, so it's affordable enough that one could say, buy a DVD player for grandma and grandpa which definitely plays VCD format, and then be able to mail them your Scrapbook MAX! VCDs anytime you wantm confident that they will be able to view them as you intended. Etc... Anyhow VCD output is a bit of an overlooked feature but I think ultimately it will be very popular. Especially these days with so many DVD players being sold.

Hey I bet you could even play VCDs in those automobile DVD players too. Never thought of that. Cool.

[DigiDiva]

Thank you Everyone! I have a lot of those CD-R's here in the house so I'm going to give it a try. So far I'm using the trail version of Max, if I am able to create a cd of my layouts for non computer family members to view on their DVD players I'll be buying the program LOL
DigiDiva