According to manual Baier does not support VCDs and sadly this seems to be true with every (S)VCD tried. Even if the hardware itself is capable of playing VCDs, SVDCs (also DVD Audio and JFIFs) and the display has (S)VCD indicators. Baier can be fooled with some non-standard VCDs which do not play in true VCD capable players. This quick tutorial describes one method of creating a standard VCD that works with Baier and other VCD players as well.
VCDEasy 1.1.5.2 (last freeware version)
or VCDGear
Golden Hawk CDRWin 3.9x
I presume that source video clips are already prepared as VCD compliant files. Recompress them with TMPGEnc if needed.
We are creating simple VCD without any fancy menus, chapters or keyboard shortcuts. See Afterdawn for more info about more complex stuff. Download, install and start VCDEasy. VCDGear user, scroll downwards.
Select type VCD 1.1 and video format (PAL/NTSC) depending on your source file(s).
I had PAL this time. Enter the label of the disc and select destination folder
for image files (.cue/.bin).
Import source file(s) by pressing Add or dragging them from Explorer. VCDEasy warns about
PAL not supported, but add it anyway.
Checkmark indicates that file is sequence (movie). Then hit Go in the bottom right corner.
Compilation finished and the image is ready for burning.
Start VCDGear and click video-cd. Select cue/bin creation method. Add or drag source MPEG(s).
Enter volume name and destination image filename. Hit start at the bottom left.
We are going to materialize the newly created image with the real CDRWin (v3.9) from the
inventors of .cue/.bin image format, Golden Hawk. Don't be fooled to try devilish
V5 rip-off. Select Record Disc icon.
Press Load Cuesheet and browse to the .cue file. Check that RAW mode
is enabled. It is essential to burn Baier compatible discs. Hit Record Disc
and pray that your recorder supports RAW recording.
Uuhh, we were lucky ones. My DVD/CD-Plextors, 32x CyberDrive and 2x HP (Philips) recorders are all RAW compatible.
Out of luck?
If you got 'SCSI Error: Invalid Command' or similar, go and buy a new Plextor made burner.
If you are really desperate, you may try Nero and burn .bin (not .cue) as
'Foreign Image' (MODE2/RAW). This non-standard VCD should work with Baier, but not much anything else.
Samsung 52x(R)/24x(RW) recorder falls to this incompatible category.
Now forget this .bin trick.
No much trickery needed. I have successfully tested these CDRWin3-burnt VCDs in Aboss, Fintec, JVC (Combo), LG, and
Sony branded DVD players. Baier 903 does play (S)VCDs. It also fully supports more
sophisticated features of VCD2.0 and SVCD, such as Hi- and Lo-res MPEG Stills (for menus),
chapters, branching, selectable subtitles/audio, etc, but these are beyond the scope of this tutorial.
