Using Video CDs For Education

Phil Shapiro writes: "Video CDs offer one of the lowest-cost ways of distributing training and instruction. They can be duplicated much faster than VHS videotapes, the media is much cheaper and the postage costs are much cheaper. Learn how and why we ought to be exploring the educational potential of this new media."

Comments

Watch out for CD-R VCD in older DVD players

[benwaggoner]

One great thing about VCD is that they work in standard DVD players (NTSC and PAL VCD discs only work in players for the respective formats, of course; a limitation not seen on computers). However, lots of older DVD players can't read CD-R media, because of an incompatibiliity with the DVD laser. Duplicated VCDs on normal CD media work just fine, of course. All DVD players in the market today should work, AFAIK.

Re:Watch out for CD-R VCD in older DVD players

[sfe_software]

I've had a lot of Sony products that piss me off in that respect. I bought a newer-model car CD player that won't read most CD-R's; yet my $25 "Lennox Sound" portable will even read CD-RW audio CDs.

OTOH, I have a Pioneer DVD player I picked up in 1999 that plays VCDs, and will read any media I can throw at it. I picked that model specifically because it mentions VCD on the front panel, and at the time I thought that was a pretty unique feature.

I personally like the 8mm CD-Rs. They hold about 24 minutes of audio or VCD, and are perfect for typical 30 minute shows (minus commercials == 22 minutes). They're much more convenient than the 12mm discs IMO.

vcdhelp.com

[metatruk]

A good place to learn how to convert various media to burnable (S)VCD format can be found at http://www.vcdhelp.com

VCD & DVD

[quakeroatz]

Many people are posting on how DVDs are better than VCDs... while this may be true in some cases, in other ways they're the same thing

DVD = 4.7GB
CD = 650-700MB

(NTSC)
DVD = Mpeg2 video 720x480
VCD = Mpeg2 video 352x240 - 720x480 (xvcd)

Were really talking about storage capacity and video resolution as the main differences here.
My point being that a VCDs with educational content can be produced with DVD video quality, at a cheaper price and still maintain compatibility with standalone DVD players.

Re:More access to learning opprotunities?

[FattMattP]

Why do you think a school that can't afford books can afford a VCD player?

Since you didn't pay attention to the original article, I'll quote this part for you:

An interesting angle to the video cd story is that in the next year or two most of the laptops entering the donation stream will have built-in CD-ROM drives. Law firms, corporations and government offices that upgrade their laptops will pass along to charities and the nonprofit sector a very usable, portable multimedia access device.

Remember that each book is expensive to produce and duplicate. Digital media, by contrast, is cheap to duplicate. If you combine this with royalty free content you create educational materials that are far easier to multiply among students than books alone.