VCD stands
for Video Compact Disc. Essentially, it is a regular CD that contains moving
pictures and sound, in much the same way as your own CD's may hold audio or
software. They are the exact same CD's as you would buy in any store - they
simply have video(s) on them, rather than music or software.
A VCD is
able to hold up to 74 minutes of video on a 650MB (or 80 minutes of video
on a 700MB CD.) This is full-motion video along with stereo sound. VCDs use
a compression standard called MPEG-1 to store the video and audio.
A VCD can
be played on most standalone DVD Players, as well as on all computers with
a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive, using a software-based player. It is also possible
to create menus and chapters on a VCD, as well as simple photo slide shows
with background audio. The quality of a VCD is about the same as VHS tape
based movies.
Many
people wonder if you need to be involved with Usenet in order to get or create
VCDs. The answer is no, although there is a wealth of nicely formatted videos
available in the VCD newsgroups. This site will help you learn how to create
your own VCDs, either by ripping them from a DVD or simply converting from
another video format, such as DivX. So useful, in fact, are the usenet newsgroups,
that many of the questions in this FAQ pertain to Usenet users, particularly
those who are new to it. In fact, this website started out as the official
site of "alt.binaries.vcd.only", a Usenet-based newsgroup that I
founded.
What
do I need to download to watch a complete video?
You'll need
all the matching RAR files (They're like ZIP files), and hopefully that will
be sufficient.
However,
the reality is that you'll often get a 20-part download, and one of the files
aren't complete. In this case, you'll need the PAR files as well.
Other unnecessary
(but helpful) files are the NFO and SFV. The NFO is simply text information
about the post, such as how many parts are supposed to be there, video quality
of the post, etc. You can read these right in Windows Notepad or any text
program. An SFV
(Simple File Validator) file opens up in a program like QuickSFV, and tests
the list of downloaded files to see if all are there and accounted for. Think
of SFV as a sort of "roll call" for the necessary files. If you
don't happen to have an SFV program, don't worry! You can open an SFV file
in any text editor (Notepad, etc.) where it will simply list the files so
you can easily tell if you're missing one.
What
is a RAR file? (RAR, R01, R02...)
A RAR file
is a compressed file (like a ZIP file) made up of one or more individual files.
Unlike ZIP files, RAR files can be broken into multiple pieces (for example,
to save a large file onto 3 floppy disks for transport elsewhere). This is
convenient for us in the newsgroups because if one part of the file is damaged,
we can replace just that one small part, rather than having to start the entire
download again from the very beginning.
You'll need
a program like WinRAR.
What
is a PAR file? (PAR, P01, P02...)
PAR files
are the nickname for redundant parity files. Honestly, you don't want to know
the math behind "why" they work. It's complicated. Suffice it to
say that a PAR file can repair (or replace) a damaged RAR file like magic.
You need one PAR for each missing or damaged RAR.
You'll also
need a program like SmartPAR.
Are
VCD and SVCD the same thing?
No. They are both MPEG's,
but they are encoded entirely in an different format. DVD players that support
VCD do not always support SVCD. Please do not post SVCD videos in alt.binaries.vcd.only,
as this group is designed specifically for [notice the name of the group]
"VCD's only".
What
is an NFO file?
An NFO file
is simply an "i-NFO-rmation" file. (INF was already taken,
in case you were wondering...) You can read these files right in Windows Notepad,
or any text editor. The NFO should typically contain useful information about
the post, such as number of RARs involved, number of PARs posted, length of
the video, a description of the video, etc. In other words, it should be informative.
How
do I request a video?
Politely.
This is very important. Begging, bitching, whining, and complaining will get
you "plonked" (kill-filtered) by many members, and they will simply
never see anything from you again. This means they can't even SEE your requests
in the future, let alone provide them. So, it benefits you to be polite and
follow the generally accepted "rules" of how to make a request.
First, be
patient. Don't post your request 20 times in a row, as this annoys nearly
everyone, and will never help you get the video you want.
Second, be
patient. Wait a day, and if no one is posting your request, or mentioning
that they'd "see what they can do", etc., then ask again, as sometimes
a request does get simply overlooked, especially in the larger groups.
Third, be
patient. If you're looking for something "new", it will likely be
posted soon enough anyway. If you want something "old", bear in
mind that not many people may have it.
Finally,
be patient. You must understand that on the internet, and particularly in
the newsgroups, no one owes you anything. If someone is kind enough to take
the time to post something for the benefit of others, be thankful for that,
and not resentful that they didn't post what you wanted.
Is
it cool to post the parts I have of a video and ask for the rest of the pieces?
No! This
is one of the most annoying things someone can do. If you want a certain piece
or part of a video (R13, R14, and R18, for example) feel free to request it,
but under no circumstances should you intentionally post an incomplete video,
and ask for the missing pieces.
This is known
as a "Here's what I have", or "HWIH" post, and is banned
in nearly every group. All it does is take up room in the group with an incomplete
video, and all the headers involved with it. Also, since many times two different
people download a video from two different sources, the "R13" you
want from post "A" may not be the same as "R13" from post
"B", which leads to general confusion, and even more wasted space
in the group.
I
want to "give back" to the group. How do I start?
Assuming
you don't happen to have a lot of "in-demand" videos already, the
best way to start is usually to provide "fills" for others. There's
always going to be someone who missed something, and all you have to do is
download the part(s) yourself, and repost them. This is often the result of
people using news services with very poor retention (how long they keep the
posts before deleting them).
Make sure
to use the EXACT SAME filename as the original post, to avoid confusion.
Can
I post through my ISP's news service?
Of course
you can, but it is STRONGLY CAUTIONED AGAINST!
Since many of the posts in binary newsgroups involve potentially copyrighted
material (especially in VCD newsgroups) it could result in a complaint to
your ISP, which could ultimately result in termination of your DSL or other
service.
Only the
copyright holder or legal representative (ie - the Motion Picture Association
of America, or MPAA) can legally claim copyright infringement, but this does
not mean that some random person can not send a letter to your ISP, who may
decide to warn you or even terminate your account to prevent any liability
on their part.
I strongly
recommend that you get a separate service such as EasyNews. That way, even
if you lose your account, you're only out the $10 or $20 for that month, rather
than losing your internet connection totally. Besides, many ISPs have very
poor completion and retention rates, especially with the larger newsgroups.
A free, unlogged, uncensored
Usenet account is available at Tera
News.
Who
owns the group?
No one owns
the group. No one owns any of the unmoderated groups on Usenet, despite what
a certain few individuals may want you to think.
I created
this group for everyone to share VCDs freely, without the hassle of wading
through thousands of SVCD posts. (Yes, they're different.)
Do
I have to follow the charter to the letter?
Yes and no.
The charter has been put into place as a set of guidelines, with the intention
of providing a plan for an efficient and well-maintained group. The charter
is not a law, but a set of guidelines. All members of the group have it within
their means, and have the right, to request that others follow it. However,
with the exception of extreme violations (ie - posting child porn, posting
a virus, etc.) the charter has intentionally been worded in such a way as
to discourage complaints to anyone's ISP.
Some other
groups have a certain few individuals who have taken it upon themselves to
VERY publicly "enforce" the charter. They cry and scream at every
slight violation, and routinely imply that they can cause someone to lost
their internet service as a result of their complaints if the other person
doesn't do things their way. They are generally known as "FAQ Thumpers"
or "FAQ Nazis". They have no authority whatsoever, other than the
same authority that all members have to attempt to maintain some order in
the groups. If you notice these people in this group, feel free to plonk them.
I created this group, I wrote the charter, and I am specifically telling you
that they hold no power whatsoever in this group. This group's charter is
intentionally flexible, with the concept being "majority rules"
on almost everything.
However,
if someone, especially a regular poster, makes a reasonable request or suggestion,
please take it under consideration. So far everyone has been very friendly
in this group, and hopefully it will stay that way for a very long time.
Don't get
angry, don't flip out on them... If what they're asking makes sense, talk
it over and ask them why they asked you to do (or not do) whatever it was
that they asked. 9 times out of 10 they'll have a good and valid reason. :)
What
makes alt.binaries.vcd.only different from the other VCD groups?
First and
foremost, this group is designed for the members. It is a friendly place,
and changes can be made as technology (and the membership) changes.
Second, this
group specifically allows television shows, concerts, cartoons, etc., as well
as movies. Anything (except porn) is permitted as long as it meets VCD specs.
Third, non-VCD
posts such as VCD-related utilities are permitted in this group. You'll always
be able to find VCD encoding software, CD-burning programs, and even newsreaders
here. (You've got to be able to efficiently and effectively use the newsgroup,
so newsreaders are technically related.)
Fourth, there
is no FAQ thumping here. This is a friendly environment, and screaming idiots
should simply be filtered out.
Which
newsreader (client program) should I use?
Well, this
depends on what you intend to do. If you're going to be active in a VCD newsgroup,
it will involve a lot of downloading (and hopefully uploading), and much less
reading than say, a cat-lover's newsgroup. I suggest XNews
for the serious downloader.
There are
folks who swear by Agentbecause it has
a "prettier" interface than XNews, and is considered a little easier
to use, but it lacks some of the advanced features of XNews.
What
is Usenet?
Usenet is
a world-wide distributed discussion system. It consists of a set of "newsgroups"
with names that are classified hierarchically by subject. "Articles"
or "messages" are "posted" to these newsgroups by people
on computers with the appropriate software. These articles are then broadcast
to other interconnected computer systems via a wide variety of networks.
Taken from:
What
is Usenet FAQ.
Why
do some of the links on this site open in a new window?
Some of the
links on this site are actually links to other sites. These links may be tutorials,
documentation for a certain program, or whatever content was worth a link.
We respect the work that other website designers have done, and wish for them
to get full credit for their efforts. To avoid confusion as to what is (or
is not) VCDHelp.us material, I've chosen to simply open the offsite tutorials and
links in a new window.
How
do I get started?
To start
enjoying this wonderful tool we call Usenet you need a two things: a news
client and a news server. Most people already have a news client installed
on their computer and they don't even know it.
Netscape
and Internet Explorer both have a built-in basic news client, but they are
generally considered to be inferior. I recommend you have a look at our newsreaders
list.
Next you
need a news server to read news from. That's easy! Just create a free account
on with Teranews. They
offer a free (one time $3.95 setup fee) account with 50 MB of downloads per
day. This should get you connected and give you a chance to learn your way
around. Once you learn your way around, however, I recommend that you upgrade
to EasyNewsor GigaNews.
You need
to configure your news client to use your new account. Look for the 'news
server' settings or preference panel. You will need to enter the server name,
user name, and password.
Tip:
The server name is usually news.<news server's name>.com and the user
name and password are whatever you picked during the account creation process.
Save and
exit the configuration panel and your news client should download a group
list. It may take several minutes to download the group list as there are
well over fifty thousand (50,000+) different newsgroups available on any major
news provider. Once it has completed you will be able to read articles. download
files, and even post your own articles for others to read.
Tip:
To avoid spambots, do not publish your primary email address in the large
newsgroups.
