[SOLVED] How can I play a VCD on Linux?

Matthew Wai · 06-29-2023, 07:52 AM

I have a VCD entitled "SPHERE". On Windows, I can watch it on KMPlayer. However, I cannot watch it on Linux. I installed VLC Player and read the following instructions:
https://www.ubuntugeek.com/ubuntu-ti...lc-player.html

However, by using both method 1 and method 2, I can watch only the one-minute advertisement but not the "01:09:38" movie. How can I watch it on Linux?

uteck · 06-29-2023, 09:01 AM

Try installing Mplayer and use it to play instead of VLC.

Matthew Wai · 06-30-2023, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uteck

Try installing Mplayer and use it to play instead of VLC.

Do you mean the following one?

http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html

I need a Debian package.
I have just downloaded "MPlayer-1.5.tar.xz", but I don't know how to use it.

uteck · 06-30-2023, 09:46 AM

You should be able to install mplayer from the normal Debian repos.
Did you even scroll down to read the link you posted?

Quote:

2021-04-03, Saturday :: MPlayer Debian Packages
posted by ib

We are proud to announce that we offer some ready-to-use Debian packages now.

Namely these are a compact and up-to-date MPlayer for some architectures with minimal dependencies and including the GUI variant and our actively maintained skins.

Matthew Wai · 07-02-2023, 06:45 AM

@uteck
I have installed SMPlayer. Whenever I try to play a VCD, I will see the error shown in the attached image.

Code:

/opt/apps/info.smplayer.smplayer/files/usr/bin/mpv --no-quiet --terminal --no-msg-color --input-ipc-server=/tmp/smplayer-mpv-2f63 --msg-level=ffmpeg/demuxer=error --video-rotate=no --no-config --no-fs --hwdec=no --sub-auto=fuzzy --no-input-default-bindings --input-vo-keyboard=no --no-input-cursor --cursor-autohide=no --no-keepaspect --wid=75497542 --monitorpixelaspect=1 --osd-level=1 --osd-scale=1 --osd-bar-align-y=0.6 --sub-ass --embeddedfonts --sub-ass-line-spacing=0 --sub-scale=1 --sub-font=Arial --sub-color=#ffffffff --sub-shadow-color=#ff000000 --sub-border-color=#ff000000 --sub-border-size=0.75 --sub-shadow-offset=2.5 --sub-font-size=50 --sub-bold=no --sub-italic=no --sub-margin-y=8 --sub-margin-x=20 --sub-codepage=ISO-8859-1 --sub-pos=100 --volume=55 --cdrom-device=/dev/cdrom --cache=auto --screenshot-template=cap_%F_%p_%02n --screenshot-format=jpg --screenshot-directory=/home/Matthew_Wai/Pictures/smplayer_screenshots --audio-pitch-correction=yes --volume-max=110 --term-playing-msg=MPV_VERSION=${=mpv-version:}
INFO_VIDEO_WIDTH=${=width}
INFO_VIDEO_HEIGHT=${=height}
INFO_VIDEO_ASPECT=${=video-params/aspect}
INFO_VIDEO_FPS=${=container-fps:${=fps}}
INFO_VIDEO_FORMAT=${=video-format}
INFO_VIDEO_CODEC=${=video-codec}
INFO_DEMUX_ROTATION=${=track-list/0/demux-rotation}
INFO_AUDIO_FORMAT=${=audio-codec-name}
INFO_AUDIO_CODEC=${=audio-codec}
INFO_AUDIO_RATE=${=audio-params/samplerate}
INFO_AUDIO_NCH=${=audio-params/channel-count}
INFO_LENGTH=${=duration:${=length}}
INFO_DEMUXER=${=current-demuxer:${=demuxer}}
INFO_SEEKABLE=${=seekable}
INFO_TITLES=${=disc-titles}
INFO_CHAPTERS=${=chapters}
INFO_TRACKS_COUNT=${=track-list/count}
METADATA_TITLE=${metadata/by-key/title:}
METADATA_ARTIST=${metadata/by-key/artist:}
METADATA_ALBUM=${metadata/by-key/album:}
METADATA_GENRE=${metadata/by-key/genre:}
METADATA_DATE=${metadata/by-key/date:}
METADATA_TRACK=${metadata/by-key/track:}
METADATA_COPYRIGHT=${metadata/by-key/copyright:}
INFO_MEDIA_TITLE=${=media-title:}
INFO_STREAM_PATH=${stream-path}
 --audio-client-name=SMPlayer --term-status-msg=STATUS: ${=time-pos} / ${=duration:${=length:0}} P: ${=pause} B: ${=paused-for-cache} I: ${=core-idle} VB: ${=video-bitrate:0} AB: ${=audio-bitrate:0} vcd://2

No protocol handler found to open URL vcd://2
The protocol is either unsupported, or was disabled at compile-time.
Exiting... (Errors when loading file)

Beazy12 · 07-03-2023, 01:11 AM

Install "restricted-extras" and test if it works with it.

Alternatively, I would try the VLC player.

Matthew Wai · 07-03-2023, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beazy12

Alternatively, I would try the VLC player.

I have already tried it. See: https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=399320

uteck · 07-04-2023, 04:08 PM

Since you watch a minute of the video, the system is seeing it, but the player is getting confused by the chapters it seems.
In the past I have had good luck with the xine player for watching DVDs, so trying that player may work better.

dugan · 07-04-2023, 05:41 PM

The VCD will have a large file with a .dat extension. That's the movie in MPEG format. You just play that directly.

enigma9o7 · 07-04-2023, 06:04 PM

What dugan said. VLC should be able to open it as a disc, dunno why it's not, but since it's not, just open the disc with a file manager and play the big DAT file with vlc (or anything).

Matthew Wai · 07-05-2023, 06:02 AM

@uteck, @dugan, @enigma9o7,

Someone on Linux Mint Forums has provided the solution. See below:
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=399320

Matthew Wai · 07-05-2023, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

The VCD will have a large file with a .dat extension. That's the movie in MPEG format. You just play that directly.

No, the DAT files cannot be played directly.

Matthew Wai · 07-05-2023, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enigma9o7

What dugan said. VLC should be able to open it as a disc, dunno why it's not, but since it's not, just open the disc with a file manager and play the big DAT file with vlc (or anything).

No, the DAT files cannot be opened with any media players.

Matthew Wai · 07-05-2023, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uteck

Since you watch a minute of the video, the system is seeing it, but the player is getting confused by the chapters it seems.

The player will play the next chapter, i.e. the movie "SPHERE", only if the user has manually selected the corresponding "Title" after clicking on "Playback" on the toolbar. That is the solution provided by a member on Linux Mint Forums.

dugan · 07-05-2023, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Wai

No, the DAT files cannot be opened with any media players.

Eh?

Can you post a screenshot?