VC/DC

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VC/DC
No Screenshot Available
Homepage Homepage
Latest Version 0.2
Downloads Offsite Link
Release Date 6/6/2007
Author OneThirty8
Active Yes

VC/DC is a basic VCD and MPEG stream player for Dreamcast developed by Josh Sutherland (OneThirty8). It is based on code from several open-source projects including libmpeg2/mpeg2dec, mpglib/mpg123, LAME, libID3, GhettoPlay, and vcdimager.

Version 0.1a implemented a single circular buffer in the audio output system. This improved the viewing experience on some files while rendering others unwatchable due to the inefficient way in which the audio output was handled. Version 0.2 handles the audio and video output routines more efficiently, which minimizes the aforementioned problem from the 0.1a release, and most VCD-quality files should be watchable, and with fewer dropped frames. VC/DC 0.2 also is the first to support Playback Control, which most users will recognize as the ability to navigate VCD menus. Much time has been taken to ensure that the most commonly-used features will function as expected, although several features that the author felt were less important are either not working or untested. The player is in active development and further improvements in playback quality and features are expected.

Supported Formats

  • ((S)VCD (real discs or bin/cue files produced with the GNU VCDImager suite)
  • MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 program streams (*.mpg, *.mpeg)
  • MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 elementary video streams (*.m1v, *.m2v)
  • MPEG elementary audio streams (*.mp1, *.mp2, *.mp3)
  • Dreamcast Sofdec movies (*.sfd, untested and won't play audio)
  • Playstation2 pss movies (*.pss, barely tested and won't play audio)


Supported Features

  • ID3 tags in MP3 files
  • Fast-Forward
  • Pause
  • Stop
  • Skip between VCD Entry Points on any VCD/SVCD authored with chapters
  • Playback Control and Extended Playback Control on VCD 2.0 and SVCD/HQVCD, with a few minor limitations. Most users will understand this as the ability to use menus on VideoCD, similar to a DVD menu.
  • Beginning with VC/DC 0.2, the application's main menu is themable with DCDivX-like themes.


Controls

In the menu

  • DPAD-UP/DOWN browses the menu.
  • Y adds the selected file to a playlist.
  • A plays a file/playlist or opens a folder.
  • X gives you a rather crappy-looking settings menu.
  • DPAD-LEFT/RIGHT change the settings in the settings menu.
  • START will replay a VCD.

In a movie

  • A will pause/resume.
  • Y will stop and bring you back to the menu.
  • Analog right will fast-forward.

VCD-only controls

  • D-Pad Right will skip to the next chapter (or the 'next' item defined in the current PSD item).
  • D-Pad Left will skip to the previous chapter (or the 'prev' item defined in the current PSD item).
  • B will display/hide a numerical entry box in the top right-hand corner of the screen, as well as a pointer (controlable with the analog stick) if there are hotspots in the current PBC item.
  • D-Pad Left/Right will increment/decrement the avobe-mentioned number by 1.
  • D-Pad Up/Down will increment/decrement the number by 10.
  • A will enter the chosen number and close the numerical selection box (or pause if that box is closed).
  • START acts as the 'Default' button on a VCD remote.
  • X acts as the 'Return' button on a VCD remote.