You asked for MPG==>DAT conversion.

MPG==>DAT can be done with VCDGear, and is uneccessary (the most common use for VCDGear, if I understand correctly, is exactly the opposite: DAT==>MPG).

What VCDImager can do, is prepare a BIN file - which is a CD image - that includes everything; - it's a CD image, in this case - a VCD image.

VCDImager is a full-featured VCD authoring program. That means, you prepare everything in it - it can be a simple VCD which will not take long to Author, or it can be a complex VCD with nested menus, backgrounds and all sort of razzle-dazzle tweakings (which, eventually, will take some time to prepare, and learn how to do it). After it's authored, VCDImager outputs the CD Image in BIN format, alongside with a CUE file.

Then, you take the BIN file (which is the CD image) and the CUE file (which is the track layout for the CD image] and burn it with whatever software you like that supports these formats - it can be CDRWin, it can be Fireburner, it can be Nero.

Once it's in BIN/CUE format, it's totally irrelevant what's your source and what's in it - MPG files, Nero track layout, VHS capture, Squiddly-diddly drawings from Paintbrush - it's a CD image. It holds whatever the program that produced the BIN put in it, and it is burned 'as-is'. No conversions, and no software cares what sort of files it holds. It doesnt' matter if it's a Data CD, a VCD, Audio CD, Photo CD, Mixed-Mode CD or LCD. A CD image is a CD image is a CD image.

All 'track' layout is done before the CD Image is created - hence, in our case, in VCDImager.

All proper files - in this case, MPG files - are to be prepared before going to VCDImager (same as it should be prepared before going to produce a VCD in Nero).

What the BIN/CUE format can give you (aside from the pluses and minuses of authoring a VCD in VCDImager, which are currently discussed in several other threads) is bypassing any problem you may have with Nero dealing with MPG files.

The short answer (will there ever be such a thing from me?) to what you just asked, is that if you want to use other file types (AVI, DIVX, Quicktime, etc.) as your source, you'll first need to convert them with another program. Check the Convert section for tutorials about how to convert from such types to others.

PigOnWing

> > there is no reason for doing t his..
>
> yes.there is..
> because, i can move the files onto the tracks and burn..
> nero shouldnt start conversion then?

Nope, you can't move files 'straight to tracks'. What nero expects, when you 'move file to track', is a proper MPG file, and it does the 'conversion' itself.

<technical bit> - feel free to skip. There are several kinds of 'sectors' on a CD, as far as the user is concernerned (actually, there is only one kind, but for the sake of explanation).

What is called 'Data', which is what we use when we store files one a CD, are sectors that hold 2048 bytes. With that, we get 650 MB per 74 min CD.

'Raw' sectors, use 2352 bytes per sectors. Mixed-mode sectors use 2336 bytes. In that way, we get what's called '700 MB' on a cd.

There are the same amount of sectors in all cases.

As far as the CD is concerned, all sectors use 2336 bytes. The difference (between 2038/2352 and 2336) is used for error-correction - sort of 'checksum' in order to compensate for any reading errors which may occur.

What seems to us as a .DAT file on VCD, is actually a reference to the second track, which is written in RAW (Or Mixed-?) mode. It includes the checksums.

</technical bit>

Hence, by 'converting' an MPG to DAT, you add to it the information which should only reside on the CD. If you treat it as an ISO (i.e., normal) file, and don't tell your burning software to treat it specifically as an 'already-prepared for CD' file, then it will get re-checksummed, and yet more data may be added to it, wasting space at best, rendering it unuseful at worst.

Yes, Nero might deal with it, and do the re-checksumig properly, hence creating a new DAT file. But if it has problems doign it with a proper MPG, it will probably have the same problems with a DAT.

Answer to the point, eventually Yes, what you ask can be done, either by VCDGear (which will output a DAT file) or VCDImager (which will output a BIN file, which is a complete-CD image) along with a CUE file. The CUE file actually tells the burning-software, to treat the tracks which hold the 'DAT' information, as RAW (or Mixed? don't remember off hand) data. Yes, Nero can recognize CUE/BIN files, yes, it burns them properly.

With that option you actually bypass all of Nero's special features and special bugs regarding VCDs (or any other kind of CD, for that matter) - it doesn't convert anything, it doesn't add anything, it doesn't do anything. It acts as a mere typist, not as a Word-processor. :smile:

(People, does anyone know how many claories per hour are being burned per hour of typing? As long as I blabber, I want to know what use I make of it…)

PigOnWing