Divx

[RCBH928]

Hello

Can any one give me a better understanding about Divx?
I know someone will say google it, but sometimes they don't give out the clear picture

I just recall Divx as being a new extension and very cool(like how mp3 when it started out) , years ago but then I stopped hearing about it.

I see a lot of hardware stating that they run Divx.

What is Divx really?
Are people really using it , or is it going downhill like real player?
Why would I want to use Divx format?

I read that one of its features that it runs on everything from web to mobile phones, but I never saw it or heard about it being used

Where are the Divx content? I went over to their website and there are only few websites that sell Divx content.

They say that Divx delivers clear pictures, but so does a Bluray, DVD-rip, even avi, mpeg, and flash run HD.

They also state that it runs high picture quality for like fraction the size of other extensions(avi and mov, etc) , but I found HD trailers on their site with a size of 100 MB and short movies for like 500-600 MB . Seems to me thats the size in any format.

enlighten me please.

[Hobie-wan]

Divx is an encoding scheme. When it was new (and not the shitty Circuit City disc renting scheme) it was a revelation in compression versus quality much like MP3 was for music tracks. Now it isn't perfect and it depends on the material, your playback equipment, and how good your senses are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divx

[Limewater]

Hello

Can any one give me a better understanding about Divx?

Well, this wikipedia entry is actually pretty good, but:

Divx is a video codec. It originally became widespread after it was stolen or hacked from some commercial product (I think the *.asf format). That was Divx3.11;), I believe, and the punctuation at the end (except for the comma) was part of the name. It was, to my knowledge, the first MPEG-4 compliant codec, or at least it was close to MPEG-4 compliant. There is currently a legitimate commercial divx codec, though I don't know how widespread it is. Xvid has really taken over as the codec of choice for free MPEG-4 compression.

But, since divx is just a codec, you can find it in files with different file extensions, but usually it's avi. But now there are lots of different MPEG-4 codecs available in different file formats, do divx isn't so special anymore.

It was a big deal because MPEG-4 simply delivers better compression than MPEG-2. MPEG-2 is what is used on DVDs. MPEG-4 is used on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. I think it's also used on most video sold over iTunes.

I hope that helps!

[jp1]

I had a whole description typed out and then Hobie beat me to the punch with a much simpler description.

Anyway, if you are looking to use the codec for an HD tv your time would be better spent looking at the superior .mkv container using h264 compression.

Xvid is a free alternative to Divx by the way and it has a pretty good compatibility rating with Divx certified hardware.

I remember when they had that garbage at circuit city. The problem was it was just too expensive. The small bonus of not having to return the disc was negated by the additional setup and rental costs.

[RCBH928]

So its just a codec that no one uses?
Why so many hardware has its logo?

It really got me when they mentioned that they can make a compression at a fraction of the size of other codecs.

I read the Wikipedia article, i just want to be clear on the subject.

If a movie is 2GB on another format, and 500mb on divx. Thats something to think about.
I tried to look for divx content. It seems non existing.

[jp1]

Nearly everyone uses it. It does have a better compression ratio. To find content that is encoded in Divx look for the .avi container. It is almost always a Divx file.

Most hardware that has Divx logo will play many more formats as well. It is used more often because it is a branding thing. It's more popular and it is standardized.

[Limewater]

So its just a codec that no one uses?
Why so many hardware has its logo?

It really got me when they mentioned that they can make a compression at a fraction of the size of other codecs.

I read the Wikipedia article, i just want to be clear on the subject.

If a movie is 2GB on another format, and 500mb on divx. Thats something to think about.
I tried to look for divx content. It seems non existing.

Divx isn't really special anymore. Its logo shows up a lot because it is recognizable due to widespread use a few years ago. Divx is a lot better than MPEG-2, but not really much different than any other MPEG-4/h.264 codecs.

The whole 2GB to 500mb comparison is marketing. That may have been true when comparing MPEG-2 to Divx, but now MPEG-2 is mostly just used on DVDs. Now, it's possible that the Divx encoder may be faster than others, but that doesn't really make any difference in playback.

[Limewater]

Nearly everyone uses it. It does have a better compression ratio. To find content that is encoded in Divx look for the .avi container. It is almost always a Divx file.

Not quite. These days, .avi files are usually MPEG-4/h.264, but not necessarily using the Divx codec. The Divx codec is allegedly MPEG-4 compliant, though, so other MPEG-4 decoders should be able to read the files.

Most hardware that has Divx logo will play many more formats as well. It is used more often because it is a branding thing. It's more popular and it is standardized.

This is true. People associate Divx with MPEG-4.

[jp1]

I suppose it is a broad statement to say "nearly everyone". I just double checked though and around 80-90% of the currently released .avi files on my main tracker are Xvid or Divx.

[Limewater]

I suppose it is a broad statement to say "nearly everyone". I just double checked though and around 80-90% of the currently released .avi files on my main tracker are Xvid or Divx.

Oh, it's still used in piracy. I'm not aware of it being too widely used by legitimate distributers, though. But Xvid =/= Divx.