SVCD was bred out of China to replace VCD as the next generation of digital video and as an alternative to the costly DVD that the rest of the world is looking at. SVCD is big thing there now and look likes it has spread to HK and SEA countries. SVCD offers better video thru higher resolution made possible with MPEG-2 compression, the same technology embodied in DVD. It also apparently offers multi-channel audio capability

Does anybody know more about the penetration and acceptance of this SVCD in the SEA countries particularly Singapore? Will SVCD succeed DVD given that it's more pocket friendly? There are SVCD titles already available in Singapore albeit limited, but no commercial player as yet. Any idea when a SVCD player will be available? Will the player more likely to be combo with VCD or DVD (given they share the same MPEG-2 technology)? Any opinion at all on this SVCD?

Thanks and regards,

Jung Zen

-- Jung Zen (jungzen@hotmail.com), June 17, 1999

Answers

Hi all,

SVCD Players are launched on the 18th of June 1999 in Singapore, see Straits Times on the 18th june 1999. JVC is the first on the market with SVCD players in Singapore. There are two models available the XL-MV777GD and XL-MV757TN, c/w three disc changer tray for uninterrupted movie viewing. E-mail me for further info and availability.

As for the future of SVCDs in SEA and Singapore, I would say that it is still rather hazy and too early to tell. As had been said before, the penetration and acceptance of any new format would depend mainly on the range, availability and price of software, and this was the main reasons for VCDs meteoric rise in SEA, as it was widely available, cheap and had no region coding and was not subject to any form of release schedules.

The acceptance of the SVCD format would also depend on the next generation of digital video cameras which are reportedly able to record material using MPEG 2 A/V compression standards, what this would mean, is that there would be near perfect digital telesync copies of movies and easy transfer to SVCD format. If this proves true, there would also be sufficient push factor for pirates to move into SVCD production.

Does anyone really have any news of SVCD acceptance and penetration rates in China ? This information is very important and would really help in the analysis of SVCD acceptance in SEA.

But if you really are thinking and would like to get a new VCD player there is absolutely no harm in getting the SVCD player as it is backwards (VCD) compatible and also plays SVCD, and are really cheap. As of now people in SEA and Singapore can only cross our fingers and wait.

Sethsolo

-- sethsolo (sethsolo@hotmail.com), June 17, 1999.