Page 1 of Are VCDs any good at all ?

First question : Will all DVD players play them ? (Mines a Wharfy 750s).

Second question : Whats the quality like compared to DVD and also VHS video ?

Since buying my DVD player, in my opinion the picture is much much sharper than VHS video and the sound is cracking.

How would VCD compare ? For instance, do you get Dolby Stereo sound ? Whats the picture quality like ? Better than VHS, but worse than DVD ?

Bearing in mind there seems to be some cheap VCD stuff on some of the auction sites, are they worth getting for a few quid at all ?

i occasionally buy vds from a local computer fair in manchester. i only tend to buy films that are out on the cinema but probably wouldnt buy on dvd and just want to see. its cheaper than going to see them in the cinema, although for big blockbusters id rather pay the extra for the cinema. ive found the quality to vary quite considerably. some are vhs standard, some watchable and some dreadful with people walklng past and wrappers rustling etc. ive not really found any that are any better than video quality and that includes the sound too. as ive not bought any original vcds i cant really comment but ive yet to come across surround etc. playback on your dvd player can vary as in some players only play certain coloured discs. eg, my brothers sony player wont play vcds which are blue or green in colour whereas it will play silver ones and my philips will play all. to be honest if its a big film or one you love wait always wait for the dvd, but if its one you just want to see and am not arsed about maximum quality then buy it on vcd...