VCDGear 1.5 for MacOS

Well, looks like you've finally found a program to convert your VCDs to a format that can playback in QuickTime Player! VCDGear will convert VCD image files, .dat files, and even fix some errors in .mpg files. However, the use of this program requires some knowledge of the VCD format. I suggest you check out the VCDGear FAQ to address these questions:

http://www.vcdgear.com/faq.html

REQUIREMENTS:

PPC (any), MacOS 8.0 or later (with Appearance Manager 1.0 or later).

HOW TO DO A BASIC CONVERSION:

1. Open VCDGear.

2. Select the conversion type from the pull-down menu.

3. Click "input file" and specify the file you want to convert.

4. Click "output file" and specify what to call converted file.

5. Clock "convert". If you specified the proper conversion type for the file you selected, the conversion will proceed. Note that conversions may take a while to complete. This is normal.

HINTS:

How to abort a conversion:
command-. (that's a period) or control-c will terminate the conversion process, but will not delete the partially converted file.

What's with the dumb terminal console?

VCDGear was first ported from the UNIX command-line version to a MacOS command-line version. Since I figured most Mac users out there are confused by the command-line stuff, I wrote a GUI front-end to interface to the command-line options. After the options have been entered, they are sent to the barely modified console program, which displays the terminal window. Sure, a Mac progress bar would be nice here, but I didn't want to modify the UNIX version too much, for ease of porting future versions. If you really want to use the command-line instead of the GUI, hold the option key down when you open VCDGear.

The classic "Not a file that QuickTime understands" problem

Often .mpg files are renamed VCD .dat files. Windows users do this renaming to get the files to open up in M$ MediaPlayer. However, when MacOS users try to open the file, which appears to be a valid MPEG file, we get the message, "Not a file that Quicktime understands". This is because QT doesn't recognize VCD .dat files! So what do you do? You convert the .dat file to a .mpg file and it opens up in QT!

BUG REPORTS:

Since this is the first MacOS release, I expect a few bugs.

If something is not working and you have already read the FAQ, you can send a bug report to the lead programmer, dracore@home.com. He will route any relevant issues to me, the guy who did the MacOS port.

Original file name: Readme - converted on Thursday, 11 May 2000, 17:57