(Source: Philips)  Super VCD (SVCD) standard is set by the China National Committee of Standards & Philips, Sony, Matsushita and JVC. It is based on MPEG-2 technology with variable bit rate (VBR) support. SVCD can deliver up to 2 times sharper video images than the previous VCD standard. SVCD specifies MPEG2 video at 576x480 resolution, almost four times the MPEG1 resolution specified in VCD.

SVCD is backward compatible with VCD1.1, 2.0, and Interactive VCD 3.0 formats. Furthermore, while VCD requires text to be embedded in the video, SVCD uses a dedicated text data stream. This allows graphics and text such as multi-language subtitles for movies or karaoke text to be added at any time, while eliminating artifacts common with the compressed graphics and text streams of VCD.

Why should i care about it ?

There is a market need for a standardized full digital Compact Disc based video reproduction system. The standard has been specified to allow for cost optimized Super Video CD players. The Super Video-CD standard upgrades the current Video-CD format. It utilizes better Video and Audio Quality. It also standard includes extensions for surround sound multi-channel audio, provisions for PC playback, and is prepared for further future improvements. It is also based on variable bit rate (VBR) MPEG2 coding for more efficient use of the disc capacity. The playing time per disc can vary from 35 minutes to more than 70 minutes depending on the average bit rate used. The objective of the new standard is to ensure the best price/ performance combination possible with the latest state of the art technology available, and to offer more flexibility for publishers to use the best video/audio quality given its limited bandwidth and disc capacity.

In conclusion you can have:
- Flexibility to use the best Video and Audio quality given the limited disc capacity.
- Best price/performance combination.
- Utilizing low cost CD duplication technique.
- Make use of the installed gear of CD recorders.

Hey..How is Super VideoCD compared with DVD?

- Similar Audio and Video quality Same MPEG2 technology
- Super Video CD has lower cost Normal CD mastering and duplication
- Super Video CD authoring much easier Desktop PC systems with CD recorder
- Simplified Licensing
- Super Video CD has less playing time

Which are the Super VideoCD main features ?

- Resolution: 480x576 (PAL) / 480x480 (NTSC) (2/3 resolution of D1, better as regular TV)
- Video : MPEG2 VBR, average bitrate up to 2.6 mbps
- Still picture resolutions up to 704 x 576
- Graphic overlay in separate video plane
- 4 selectable subtitles for Movies or lyrics for Karaoke
- Audio : Variable audio bitrate, 32 kbs to 384 kbs allowing (5.1) MPEG2 Multi-channel
- Dual audio streams for multi-lingual sound
- Extended interactivity : Player control API, variables, conditional instructions

Where it now used (or will) ?

(western world)
- Movie applications. Only for prototyping, testing and low volume duplication.
- Non movie applications : Educational, point of purchase, site based advertising, cover mount, personal video, photos and soon video.

(Far-East)
- Movie distribution
- Karaoke
- Educational applications

What are the improvements over the VideoCD v2.0?

OK..now give me a roundup between SuperVCD vs. VCD

Where i can play it?

The Super Video CD is based on the CD-ROM-XA format. This format allows the possibility to add PC playback applications on the same disc enabling the disc to be played on a PC. The "EXT" directory is mentioned to contain such application and setup files. The main root could contain even an autorun enabling files.

So in other words you can play it into :

- TV based systems
- DVD players (New DVD players will soon (Q3, 1999) have Super Video CD playback including CD-R capability)
- Super VideoCD players (can also play Mp3 CDs or serve as a WevTV bronswer)
- PC based systems.