Making an (S)VCD with chapters

This article will explain step by step how to make an (S)VCD with chapters including a navigation menu.

It is not meant to be a technical article to explain the XML language that is used to develop the navigation and link the chapters. It is simply a practical guide with which you can do it in a very short time. There are definitely more elegant methods, but this one is simple and makes use of freeware tools.

Installing the programs
Making your MPEG
Finding the chapter points
Preparing your disc image
Burning

1. Installing the programs

Apart from a program to make your MPEG, you will need the following programs which you can download from or download page :

VCDEasy and all of it components: More information on the VCDEasy homepage

ChapterXtractor: Download here - more information on the site of Christophe Paris

CDRWin: More information on the CDRWin site

You also have to check your ASPI drivers. If VCDEasy or CDRWin asks you to, you will have to install the appropriate ASPI drivers. Under Windows 95 and 98 they are usually present. Under XP, you will have to reinstall them. Personally I have installed version 4.6 because I had difficulties with 4.71. You can find everything you need on the Adaptec site

2. Making your MPEG

If you are using your own footage there are many good solutions to encode it to VCD or SVCD compliant MPEG. You can for example try TMPGEnc as indicated in our article Tips and tricks for TMPGEnc and then proceed to section 4 of this article.

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