Amiga VCDGear
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the Amiga port of VCDGear (console version) for creating VCDs on your
Amiga. The porting is done by Sigbjørn (CISC) Skjæret <cisc@c2i.net>.

There's currently 3 different versions of VCDGear included in this archive:

VCDGear         - Normal binary that uses asyncio.library
VCDGear.noasync - Binary with asyncio.library disabled
VCDGear.elf     - MorphOS binary. DO NOT run under PowerUP!

To get the full benefit of VCDGear, I suggest you buy the DAO version of
BurnIT, as it's the only program afaik that can burn true VCDs (mail me with
info if you know different).


The following changes have been made especially for the Amiga port:

· AsyncIO read/write using asyncio.library (if this isn't convenient (f.ex.
  if it doesn't work over your network), use the .noasync version).

· Makes Amiga specific .cue files (BurnIT, as it's the only program that
  supports MODE2/2352 BIN/CUE afaik).

· Reads Amiga specific as well as standard .cue files.



How to make a VCD from mpeg-file in BurnIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First make sure the mpeg-file has the right packet-size (VCDGear will complain
and abort if it's not), if it's not you either need to remux the mpeg or pad
each packet, the latter being the easiest (using vcdpad or similar), but also
the worst solution as your VCD might not play correctly.

Then run VCDGear on it with the -mpg2bin option, this will produce a rather
large .bin file which is the real data, and a small .cue file which contains
the information needed to divide the tracks (the .bin is worthless without
the .cue!).

Run BurnIT and start a DAO session. Load the .cue file. Write CD. And you're
done, congratulations... ;)


How to make mpeg-files from a VCD in BurnIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Assuming the VCD is a real VCD (it should have atleast 2 tracks (unless it's
a CDi, in which case it'll only have one)), you can rip the VCD with BurnIT
and produce mpeg-files with VCDGear using the following method (beware, some
VCDs aren't real VCDs, and have simply been copied by reading the files in
Windows (in which case you have to use -dat2mpg on the .DAT file instead)):

Start a DAO session and make sure you have Mode2 2352 selected. Scan CD
unless BurnIT has already done so. Then click Change and pick a path and
filename to save to (don't worry about the requester saying the file doesn't
exist). Now click Read Data and sit back and enjoy the progress-bar. ;)

Run VCDGear with the -cue2mpg option (if it's a multitrack VCD you might
want to use the -track option as well (and if it's a CDi you might want to
use the -nobumper option)) on the .cue file, and VCDGear will extract the
mpeg-data into your destination-file. ;)



Q&A:

Q: What's with the "þ" symbol?
A: It's from the Linux version, I left it in there for its cuteness factor. ;)

Q: Why no GUI version?
A: Because that would make the porting much more complex and time-consuming,
   however, if I find the time at some later date, I might add one.

Q: How do I remux a mpeg?
A: Afaik you can't do this on Amiga atm, as I haven't seen any utilities, or
   found any sources that does this properly (the options are either too
   complex for the average user and/or the file produced doesn't work). Your
   best shot is finding one of the several progs that do this on PC .. check
   the links sections for where you might find these...

Q: How can I tell if the VCD is a real VCD, a Windows-rip or a CDi?
A: Real VCDs have atleast 2 tracks (where the real data starts on the 2nd
   track), Windows-rips usually just have 1 .. CDi also just has one track,
   but has its own format, so it's not readable with your CDFS (ie, no files).


Links:

VCDGear - http://www.vcdgear.com/
VCDHelp - http://www.vcdhelp.com/


- CISC