-=.Sega Saturn VCD Card Format Compatability.=-  

By Blitzkrieg  (blitzkrieg@atari.net)
ver 1.1
Revised 6/25/01


Introduction
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many hardcore Saturn owners know about the somewhat rare peripheral known as
the Sega Saturn Video CD Card. It was used in games like Lunar to provide very
high quality FMV, something that, overall, the Saturn lacks. But more
importantly, you can use it to play Video CDs, so you can watch feature length
movies like Fight Club, right on your Saturn! Some versions of the VCD Card
also allowed playback of PhotoCDs too!

This FAQ's purpose is to state (and test) the limitations of the wonderful VCD
Card. So read on, fellow Saturn freak... and please enjoy!


Revisions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ver 1.1 - Just a day after the initial release, I've already gotten a comment
          which overflows with possible revisions!
          I added information about the PhotoCD option with some VCD Cards.
          Also, I added info about the Sega brand PAL-only card and the RG-VC1
          card by Victor.
          All revisions pointed out by Dag Bremer <dagb@world-online.no>

ver 1.0 - Initial release


Contents
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The VCD Format - What are these things?
2. XVCD Restrictions - How much can it handle?
3. PhotoCD Support - The Saturn lets you share those Kodak moments...
4. Troubleshooting - Something's wrong here...
5. Final Words


The VCD Format - What are these things?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(all definitions courtesy of http://www.vcdhelp.com)

VCD stands for 'Video Compact Disc' and basically it is a CD that contains
moving pictures and sound. If you're familiar with regular audio/music CDs,
then you will know what a VCD looks like. A VCD has the capacity to hold up to
74/80 minutes (on 650MB/700MB CDs respectively) of full-motion video along with
quality stereo sound. VCDs use a compression standard called MPEG to store the
video and audio. A VCD can be played on almost all stand alone DVD Players and
of course on all computers with a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive with the help of a
software based decoder / player. The quality of a VCD is about the same, but
usually better than VHS tape based Movies. 

-VCD is the format that the Saturn's VCD card was made for, so obviously it can
 play them just fine.

SVCD stands for Super Video CD. A SVCD is like a VCD but the video are stored in
MPEG-2 Variabel Bitrate(like DVD Movies) and in higher resolution. A SVCD can
contain from about 35 to 80 minutes video/CD(740 MB on a 74 min/cd and 800 MB on
80 min/cd) and therefore most movies on 2-3 CDs. The quality is worse than DVD
but better than VCD and VHS. SVCD does also supports up to 4 removable subtitles
but SVCD subs is only supported by a few standalone DVD Player and no software
DVD Player or H+, DXR3, DXR2 supports it.

-The Saturn CAN NOT play SVCDs. This is because the VCD Card is made for
 decoding MPEG-1 video... not MPEG-2, which is what an SVCD uses.

XVCD stands for eXtendedVCD and is an extension of VCD 2.0. It tries to [take
advantage of faster CD-ROM drives by increasing the birate to as high as the
CD-ROM drive can handle]. Some people speak from a mix between VCD 2.0 and
SVCD. XVCD uses like VCD MPEG1 but it is possible to set up the bitrate to 3.5
MBit/s and use a higher resolution. It is impossible to use multi audiostreams
for multilanguage or use subtitles.

-Can the Saturn play these? Well, yes AND no. There are guidelines that you
 must follow for it to play correctly. See "XVCD Restrictions" below.



XVCD Restrictions - How much can it handle?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now that you know what an XVCD is, you should now realize that the format has
no set standards, so you'll need to know what settings are right for an XVCD to
play on your Saturn.

===Audio===
Stream type:         MPEG-1 Audio Layer II

Sampling Frequency:  44100 Hz

Channel Mode:        Stereo

Bitrate:             224 Kbits/sec


===Video===
Stream Type:         MPEG-1 Video

Size:                352 x 240 pixels (NTSC)
                     352 x 288 pixels (PAL)

Aspect Ratio:        4:3 525 Line (NTSC)
                     4:3 625 Line (PAL)

Frame Rate:          29.97 FPS (NTSC)
                     25.00 FPS (PAL)

Rate Control Mode:   Constant Bitrate (CBR)

Bitrate:             Between 1150 and 2250 Kbits/sec


If you set the bitrate higher than 2250 Kbits/sec, the video may skip! This is
because the Saturn's CD-ROM drive can't take in all of the information as fast
as it's being sent. You can try to set it a little higher, but around 2500 is
when the video starts skipping and sound becomes distorted.

Just follow these guidelines, and you'll be able to watch XVCDs on your Saturn
without a hitch!


PhotoCD Support - The Saturn lets you share those Kodak moments...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some versions of the VCD Card could also read PhotoCDs. What is a PhotoCD, you
ask?

PhotoCD is the format for storage of high-quality visual material. Pictures
can be stored at various levels of resolution, the highest of which can be used
as originals for printed matter such as posters or brochures. PhotoCD's can be
read by a variety of platforms including computers, PhotoCD players, CD-I
players, and (of course) the Sega Saturn.

Here's a rundown on what VCD Cards support the PhotoCD option:
(All information courtesy of Dag Bremer <dagb@world-online.no>)
 ____________________
|VCD Card | PhotoCD? |
|---------+----------|
|Sega     |    NO    |
|HSS-0119 |          |
|---------+----------|
|Sega     |    NO    |
|PAL Card |          |
|---------+----------|
|Victor   |    NO    |
|RG-VC1   |          |
|---------+----------|
|Victor   |    YES   |
|RG-VC2   |          |
|---------+----------|
|Victor   |    YES   |
|RG-VC20  |          |
|---------+----------|
|Victor   |    YES   |
|RG-VC3   |          |
|---------+----------|
|Hitachi  |    ???   | <- I strongly doubt it, though.
|VCD Card |          |
 --------------------


Troubleshooting - Something's wrong here...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Depending on what kind of VCD Card you use, you may run into some problems...

===Problem #1===
Sometimes when I watch a VCD, the audio gets out of sync with the video!

Disable the 'PBC' option on the main screen of the VCD interface. I don't know
why, but when you are watching movies in this mode, the audio and video get out
of sync very easily.


===Problem #2===
There are green (or sometimes pink) blocks jumping around at the bottom of my
screen!

This common problem is due to NTSC/PAL inconsistencies. If you try to watch a
PAL VCD with an NTSC card, or vice versa, you'll find that the video is filled
with green (or in some cases, pink) motion artifacts that jump about at the
bottom of the screen. This is due to the fact that your NTSC VCD Card doesn't
support PAL VCDs (or vice versa), and this is how it reacts to it. 

Here's a chart which shows if your VCD Card supports PAL discs.
 ____________________
|VCD Card | Support  |
|---------+----------|
|Sega     |   NTSC   |
|HSS-0119 |          |
|---------+----------|
|Sega     |    PAL   |
|PAL Card |          |
|---------+----------|
|Victor   |   NTSC   |
|RG-VC1   |          |
|---------+----------|
|Victor   |   NTSC   |
|RG-VC2   |          |
|---------+----------|
|Victor   | NTSC/PAL |
|RG-VC20  |          |
|---------+----------|
|Victor   | NTSC/PAL |
|RG-VC3   |          |
|---------+----------|
|Hitachi  | NTSC/PAL?| <- I know it supports NTSC,
|VCD Card |          |    but I'm not sure about PAL discs
 --------------------



===Problem #3===
I burned a video file as a VCD, but when I try to play it, all I get is a black
screen and the Saturn freezes!

When you burned the VCD, the video file that you used wasn't VCD compliant! The
file must have not conformed to the statistics shown above in the section "XVCD
Restrictions". You can get various programs that will convert videos so they
are VCD compliant at places like http://www.vcdhelp.com.


===Problem #4===
I have an XVCD, but the video skips and the sound is distorted when I play it
on my Saturn!

The video that is on the VCD is apparently too much for your Saturn to handle.
But that XVCD should play on your PC fine, due to the more capable hardware.


===Problem #5===
I have a VCD card in my American Saturn, but when I try to play a VCD, it just
takes me to the CD Player and I get an error!

Sorry. You'll need a territorial switch, Japanese Saturn or Pro Action Replay
cart in order for your Saturn to recognize the VCD card.


===Problem #6===
When I have my Pro Action Replay (PAR) cart in, and I try to play a VCD, I
can't get past the "loading" screen!

When you are using a PAR cart, go to "Start Game" then use the C button to exit
to the CD Player. Then it should start playing.



Final Words
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you have enjoyed my FAQ! If you'd like to add something, just email me
at blitzkrieg@atari.net and I'll add whatever you have to share (with credit to
you of course!).

If you are going to post this FAQ on your website, or if you would like to
borrow information from it, please email me (blitzkrieg@atari.net) and I'll say
"yes"! Simple as that!

But keep in mind that this document is COPYRIGHT 2001 Steve Panicho. If you
use this document without my permission, you will be prosecuted to the full
extent of the law! Ph33r. ;)

 -Blitz
