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- What are the System Requirements for running MacVCD?
- What's the difference between MacVCD and QuickTime Player?
- Is there an OS X version of MacVCD?
Registration and Installation
- How do I install/uninstall MacVCD?
- I can't find a place to enter my Registration Key/Serial Number. Where is it?
- MacVCD only plays the first minute of the VCD and the Registration Dialog box is displayed when MacVCD is started. What's wrong?
- MacVCD won't unlock. I entered the Registration Key and MacVCD still only plays the first 1 minute of the VCD. What’s wrong?
- Where do I find my Registration Key/Serial Number?
- Is a Registration Key the same as a Serial Number?
Sound
- Why do I hear more than one soundtrack at the same time?
- I've tried more than one VCD. MacVCD won't play the sound on any VCD. Why?
- MacVCD plays the sound on other disks, but will not play it on this one disk. Why?
Playback
- Why can't I get MacVCD to play this one VCD?
- Why can't I get MacVCD to play any VCD?
- Why can't I play a DVD on my Macintosh using MacVCD?
- The Self-Contained Movie file I created is larger than I expected. Why is this?
- MacVCD skips frames in full screen mode. The playback is choppy. Why?
- MacVCD skips frames in fast motion mode. The playback is choppy. Why?
- I can't get "hands free" to work. Why?
- Your FAQ doesn't answer my question/I need further help. What do I do?
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1. What are the System Requirements for running MacVCD?
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To run MacVCD you need:
- Macintosh™ PowerPC
- Mac OS® 8.5 or later, or Mac OS® 9.x
- QuickTime® 4 or later
To play a movie in full screen, you need:
To play a movie in fast motion, you need:
- Macintosh™ PowerPC 500 mhz or faster
To use the "hands free" feature, you need:
- Macintosh™ PowerPC 300 mhz or faster
- USB stereo Headset (headphones and microphone
we used the Plantronics DSP-300 Headset
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2. What's the difference between MacVCD and Quicktime Player?
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Just like the free QuickTime Player available from Apple, MacVCD can be used to play standard QuickTime content, which includes VCDs. But MacVCD was designed specifically for playing VCDs and offers an elegant and easy to use interface for playing VCDs.
- Automatic Full Screen playback
MacVCD will automatically playback a VCD in full screen mode. You need to purchase Quicktime Player Pro (or use the old Movie Player) to get full screen playback from Apple and its selection is not automatic
- Automatic VCD format recogniton and file chaining
When you put a VCD into the CD drive, MacVCD automatically displays it on the VCD menu, so you don't have to navigate to the file to play the movie. And some VCDs split the movie into several files. MacVCD knows where all the files are located and plays them in sequence. With QuickTime Player you need to find the files on the VCD, open them, confirm format conversion, and play them in the correct order.
- MacVCD uses the standard Macintosh interface
All of our Macintosh products are implemented using the standard Macintosh interface, so they are consistent and easy to use. With Quicktime Player you get the brushed metal interface (you can use the old Movie Player to get a standard Macintosh interface).
- Automatic VCD eject
Typically VCDs ship on two CDs. With MacVCD the first CD is ejected when it finishes playing and the second CD starts playing as soon as you insert it. With Quicktime Player or Movie Player you need to manually eject and play when the first CD ends.
- MacVCD saves to disk
MacVCD allows you to save VCDs (or any QuickTime format) to hard disk as standard QuickTime movies. You might want to do this for better playback performance, or to take the movie with you without having to carry the CD. You need to purchase QuickTime Pro to get this from Apple.
QuickTime Player is available for free and QuickTime Pro is available for purchase from Apple at
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3. Is there an OS X version of MacVCD?
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4. How do I install/uninstall MacVCD?
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For complete instructions on how to install or uninstall MacVCD, refer to the Read Me file included in the documentation folder.
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5. I can't find a place to enter my Registration Key/Serial Number. Where is it?
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The Registration Dialog Box will pop up when you start MacVCD and it is not registered. Then you can enter your key. If the Dialog Box does not pop up, your copy of MacVCD is already registered. This will happen if:
- You are already a MacVCD registered user and you have downloaded a free upgrade. Your old registration information is retained. You don't need to re-register.
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6. MacVCD only plays the first one minute of the VCD and the Registration Dialog box is displayed when MacVCD is started. What's wrong?
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You are trying to run MacVCD without entering a valid Registration Key/Serial Number.
- If you want to quit from MacVCD, click the "Run Demo" Button and then select Quit from the File Menu (File>Quit).
- If you are trying to run the demo, click the "Run Demo" Button. A Registration Key/Serial Number is not required. For further information about running MacVCD in demo mode, refer to the MacVCD Read Me in the documentation folder.
- If you want to buy a Registration Key/Serial Number, click "Buy Now".
- If you want to register your copy of MacVCD, enter the Registration information from the email you received when you bought MacVCD and click the "Register" Button. For further information about registering MacVCD, refer to the MacVCD Read Me in the documentation folder.
- If you have already bought a Registration key/Serial Number, have entered it and are getting this message, there is an error in the registration information you have entered. For further information, see question 7
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7. MacVCD won't unlock. I entered the Registration Key and MacVCD still only plays the first 1 minute of the VCD. What’s wrong?
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There is an error in the registration information you entered. Please follow these steps:
- Verify that you have entered your Registration Key correctly. The easiest way to do this is
to copy (Apple - C) your Registration Key from the email and
paste it (Apple - V) it into the Registration Key Field.
If you have entered your Registration Key correctly,
- the Registration Dialog Box will disappear
If you have not yet entered a Registration Key,
- the Registration Key field will be blank and the Registration Dialog Box will be displayed
If you have entered an incorrect Registration Key,
- the Registration Key field will be blank and the Registration Dialog Box will be displayed
- If that didn't solve the problem, verify that you purchased a Registration Key for MacVCD. Check the Registration Key email you received from Mireth Technology. It will state what product the key you purchased is for.
Example:
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MacVCD Key: xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx
or
MacVCD serial number:
Serial Number: XXXXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
End of Example:
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- If that didn't solve the problem, delete your preferences file and configure ShredIt again. The preferences file's location is:
"Hard Drive>System Folder>Preferences>MacVCD Prefs"
- If that didn't solve the problem, please download and install a new copy of ShredIt. Sometimes an file is corrupted in transit. To download a new copy from http://www.mireth.com/pub/download.html, or request a copy by email from Product Support at:
support@mireth.com
- If that didn't solve the problem, send a copy of your preferences file to Product Support so we can determine the problem. The preferences file's location is:
"Hard Drive>System Folder>Preferences>MacVCD Prefs"
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8. Where do I find my Registration Key/Serial Number?
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After you have purchased MacVCD, you will receive an email that contains your Registration Key/Serial Number. It will either be called a Registration Key or a Serial Number, depending on which Payment Processor you used. It will look like one of the following:
MacVCD Key: xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx
MacVCD serial number:
Serial Number: MACVCD3001-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
If you haven't received an email containing your Registration Key/Serial Number within 24 hours, contact support
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9. Is a Registration Key the same as a Serial Number?
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Yes, a Registration Key is the same as a Serial Number. Different Payment Processors use different terms. Because we use more than one Payment Processor, we have more than one term for the same thing.
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10. Why do I hear more than one soundtrack at the same time?
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VCDs support multi-language soundtracks by recording one language on the mono left soundtrack and the other on the mono right soundtrack. If you play a multi-language soundtrack in stereo, you will hear both languages at the same time. To hear only one language, use the Sound Menu to select Mono Left or Mono Right, depending on which track has the language you select.
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11. I've tried more than one VCD. MacVCD won't play the sound on any VCD. Why?
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Here are some possible causes:
- The system volume level is set too low. In order to hear sound, both the system volume level and the MacVCD volume level must be set sufficiently high. To determine whether the system volume is set too low, see whether you get sound playing something else.
Go to http://www.apple.com/trailers and play one of the movie trailers featured there. If you get sound, then the problem is not with your system volume.
- The MacVCD volume is set too low. In order to hear sound, both the MacVCD volume level must be set sufficiently high. To determine whether the MacVCD volume is set too low, turn the volume up. For further information, please refer to the MacVCD Read me.
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12. MacVCD plays the sound on other disks, but will not play it on this one disk. Why?
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Here are some possible causes:
- The VCD has no sound track or no sound in the first minute of play for the MacVCD demo. To determine whether the VCD has a sound track, play it using QuickTime or on another machine, (a stand-alone VCD or DVD player, a Windows or Unix computer).
- The disk is dirty. Clean it and try again.
- The disk is corrupted or scratched.
- The disk is not a VCD. There are many formats available and MacVCD only support Video CD (VCD) and Super VCD (sVCD). Ensure that the disk is not some other format, such as
- HQ-VCD, DVD, Compact Disc Interactive (CD-i), CD-i Bridge, Video Compact disk (CD-V or LD), China Video Disc (CVD), DVCD, Compact Disc Graphics (CD+G)
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13. Why can't I get MacVCD to play this one VCD?
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Is the problem with the disk?
Try playing it on another machine, (a stand-alone VCD or DVD player, a Windows or Unix computer). If it does not play, the problem is with the disk. Here are some possible solutions:
- Some VCDs don't play due to poor mastering. Try making a copy of the VCD since the copy may play. This is the most common problem with VCDs that play on Windows but not on the Macintosh.
- The disk is dirty. Clean it and try again.
- The disk is corrupted or scratched.
- The disk is not in a format playable by the machine. There are many formats available. Ensure that the disk in question is a Video CD (VCD) and not some other format.
Is the problem with the Macintosh computer?
Try playing the disk on a non-Macintosh machine. If it plays, then the problem is either with the Macintosh computer, or with MacVCD. Here are some possible solutions:
- The disk is not a VCD. There are many formats available and MacVCD only support Video CD (VCD) and Super VCD (sVCD). Ensure that the disk is not some other format, such as: HQ-VCD, DVD, Compact Disc Interactive (CD-i), CD-i Bridge, Video Compact disk (CD-V or LD), China Video Disc (CVD), DVCD, Compact Disc Graphics (CD+G)
- The problem is with the CD Driver software in the OS. Due to a problem with the CD Driver software supplied by Apple, some VCDs will not play on a Macintosh.
- You have an earlier version of Joliet Extension installed. The joliet extension is a freeware extension that allows you to mount joliet cds. There is a known conflict between earlier versions of the Joliet Extension and playing VCDs.
To determine if you are having this problem, try disabling the (Tempel) extensions via the controlstrip. If this solves the problem, you can upgrade to Joliet 1.4.2 and to QuickTime 5.0.1 or later. Get more info on this at: http://www.tempel.org/joliet
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14. Why can't I get MacVCD to play any VCD?
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Here aresome possible causes:
- You are not using MacVCD correctly. Please re-read the instructions in the Read Me.
- The copy of MacVCD you downloaded became corrupted in transit.
Download a new version from our site at:
http://www.mireth.com/pub/download.html
or email us at support@mireth.com and request one
- The machine does not meet the system requirements. The machine must be a PowerPC, running OS 8.5 or later
To verify that this is not the problem, go to the finder and select the "About this Computer" from the Apple Menu
- The machine is not running QuickTime 4 or later
To verify that QuickTime is not the problem, try running the VCD using Quicktime. If it plays, Quicktime is not the problem. Please contact Product Support at
support@mireth.com
QuickTime Player is available for free from Apple at
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/
If none of these solves the problem, try the solutions presented in the "Why can't I get MacVCD to play this one VCD?" question in this faq.
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15. Why can't I play a DVD on my Macintosh using MacVCD?
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MacVCD is a Video CD (VCD) player, not a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player. There are two types of drives found in Macintosh computers,
- CD-ROM drives which can read CDs and VCDs, and
- DVD-ROM drives which can read DVDs, CDs and VCDs
There is no software that will allow you to play a DVD in a CD-ROM drive. To play DVD movies on your Macintosh, you need a DVD-ROM drive, so if you don't have one, you may want to consider upgrading your hardware.
However, DVDs are not the only way to play movies on your computer. You can also use your Macintosh to play VCD movies. To play VCD movies on your Macintosh, you need either a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM, and a software Video CD Player, like MacVCD.
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16. The Self-Contained Movie file I created is larger than I expected. Why is this?
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For further information on this, see the "Known Poblems" section of the MacVCD Read Me
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17. MacVCD skips frames in full screen mode. The playback is choppy. Why?
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Your Macintosh is not fast enough to play VCDs in full screen mode from a CD drive. A 300 mhz machine is required to support full screen playback. To solve the problem, try the following:
- Make sure your configuration meets the system requirements.
- Play the movie in a resizable window (Edit>Toggle Full Screen). You can configure the preferences (Edit>Preferences) to not use full screen by unchecking the Present Movie on Full Screen checkbox.
- Set your display to thousands of colors instead of millions of colors. On slow machines this improves overall performance.
- Set your display to a lower resolution. On slow machines this improves overall performance.
- Rip the movie to your Hard Drive using MacVCD's editting feature and watch it from the hard drive
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18. MacVCD skips frames in fast motion mode. The playback is choppy. Why?
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Your Macintosh is not fast enough to play VCDs in fast motion mode. A 500 mhz machine is required to support fast motion playback.
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19. I can't get "hands free" to work.
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Your Macintosh is not fast enough to support "hands free" mode. A 300 mhz machine is required.
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20. Your FAQ doesn't answer my question/I need further help. What do I do?
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If your question is not answered, please contact Product Support at support@mireth.com. Please include the following information:
- Problem description
- If you are having problems with a particular product, please include the following information as well:
- What product and version you are having problems with.
To find the version number,
Mac: single click the product icon and Get Info
(OS8/9- File:Get Info) (OSX- File:Show Info)
Windows: single click the product icon and show properties (File:Properties:Version tab)
- What OS version you are running.
To find the version number,
Mac: OS8/9: (Apple Menu:About this Computer)
OS X: (Apple Menu:About this Mac)
Windows: (Start Menu:My Computer:Help:About Windows)
- Whether you are using the demo version or the registered version of the product
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