My laptop plays DVDs just fine, but doesn't read VCDs. A regular DVD player attached to a TV reads everything, so I thought that a laptop that could read DVD material would surely be able to read VCDs. Am I wrong? Are the two technologies really totally different?

Yes they two technologies are totally different. DVD or Digital Versatile Disks are the newer ones that hold more data and are usually read by all the usual DVD rom drives... however VCD's (or Video CD's) are totally different. Even the disk is different for that matter (i.e. it's a CD). However you should be able to play any VCD on any regular CD/ DVD-Rom drive.

The problem probably is that you aren't using a proper player (well to be specific it probably doesn't have the codecs to do is since VCD's might be slow, or the ability to decode VCD's werent' in the player that you are using) to play the VCD.

The solution probably would be using something like Quick VCD(I haven't tried this out though..) or something like that.

VCDs are definatly funny things, i wouldn't recommend them to anyone, there is enough technology and software available to create mpegs or dvd readable software at higher res and frame rates with better quality. Thus ensuring your compatability.
I have seen the odd vcd that is decodable by software, that the dvd drive seems incapable of. I suggest getting a few of the newer codec packs as Risherz suggested and get yourself a copy of VLC, it is the best shot you have, it plays nearly anything!!

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</Dream In Code>
-William. § (marvin_gohan)

Couldn't that be a codec-related problem? I don't know much about it, but you could be k-lite codec pack a try and see if it works. You can download it here.

Definitely sounds like a codec problem since DVD discs are read fine.

Worst comes to worst, just google VCD codec...