Two options - XviD or Divx 5??

[Electrox3d]

Hey, which codec would be the best for anime movies? I like Xvid, but its a hassle if I loan it to a friend and they have to go out to find the codec. is there a big quality difference?
Also, dvd players are starting to support divx, it might be worth sticking with it. let me know what anyone thinks. thanks!

[jkwarras]

Originally posted by Electrox3d
Hey, which codec would be the best for anime movies? I like Xvid, but its a hassle if I loan it to a friend and they have to go out to find the codec. is there a big quality difference?
Also, dvd players are starting to support divx, it might be worth sticking with it. let me know what anyone thinks. thanks!

First of all, no one knows which one is the best codec. Some likes XviD, some likes DivX, some likes RV9, and so on... But i suggest you to run a search, and check the forums, and best of it all: do your testing. No matter what people will say around here (which is always smart and very useful), you will never know if you don't look at it with YOUR eyes :rolleyes:

But here are some (personal) tips:

- For anime movies: XviD with cartoon mode is quite good, but RV9 EHQ is just incredible. But, no support on standalone players.

- XviD or DivX?: XviD is sharper and faster (than last DivX build). Don't handle fades as good as DivX (use VHQ4 if you encounter that problem). Allmost anyone here will tell you that XviD is better than DivX, but, try it yourself. For the codec (when you lend to your friends), DivX si not installed with every PC so your friends will have (at least once) to install the codec. The same for XviD. Just burn the codec with the CD, or better: burn a ffdshow build that decode almost any MPEG-4 (DivX, XviD, blabla) file.

- Standalone: Last standalones (elta) support XviD, but have problems with XviD GMC (that will aparently be solved around february). ANything else is more or less supporteds: QPel, bframes, etc... I'm sure at the end of the year 2004 all standalones will support XviD.

Many people will disagree with me, so please go on :eek:

Hope it helps.
Regards.

[bond]

nothing to add to what jkwarras said

to the hardware-divx issue:
the hardware players support mpeg-4 (divx is only the marketing description as its the most famous mpeg-4 codec)
xvid, divx5, 3ivx, nero digital, ffmpeg aso are all mpeg-4 compliant codecs, which means all of them can be played back on mpeg-4 standalones (some have problems with advanced options like qpel, gmc but newer ones shouldnt)

the same goes for software decoders:
every mpeg-4 decoder can decode mpeg-4 content
tell your friends to install ffdshow, which is imho the best mpeg-4 decoder. it can handle all divx5, xvid, 3ivx aso movies (no need to install a xvid, divx5 codec)...

[Wolfman]

Ho-hum.. NO standalone will play nero digital, AFAIK none have plans too. Ffmpeg is unknown. 3ivx is almost unused. MOV is incompatible. REALMAGIC is compatible but universally ignored.The only two codecs worth worrying about are xvid/divx. All standalones will play MOST (nearly all) divx xvid, however if the encoder has used gmc,qpel then they will not play.
Saying that, I have yet to come across a file I couldnt play.. to ensure standalone compatibility the Home theatre profile is used in divx encoding and in xvid just turn off gmc and qpel. Xvid is implementing a similar schema to divx. JFYI :)

[bond]

Originally posted by Wolfman
NO standalone will play nero digital, AFAIK none have plans too.you mean the .mp4 container?
the tevion player firmware claims to be able to handle the .mp4 container but first tests show that this is not true
the next version of the xoro player is said to support mp4 too...

Ffmpeg is unknown. 3ivx is almost unused. MOV is incompatible. REALMAGIC is compatible but universally ignored.mov has nothing to do with mpeg-4
and ffmpeg, 3ivx aso are all mpeg-4 complaint, simply change their fourcc to xvid and the player will play it (this wouldnt be necessary if .mp4 would be supported cause mpeg-4 content in mp4 isnt flagged with something like a 4cc)

however if the encoder has used gmc,qpel then they will not play...to ensure standalone compatibility the Home theatre profile is used in divx encoding and in xvid just turn off gmc and qpelwrong, newer players like the ones based on the mediatek chip handle it
so to say it depends on the player wether you can use all mpeg-4 options or not

[Wolfman]

So you agree, no standalone will nero.
mov based on mpeg4..
NEXT xoros ..
"and ffmpeg, 3ivx aso are all mpeg-4 complaint, simply change their fourcc to xvid and the player will play it ".. unproven or uknown.

NO standalones play mp4 files.. future/vapourware claims notwithstanding.

"to ensure standalone compatibility" change to "to ensure maximum standalone compatibility".

Otherwise you are correct ..

In answer to the original question .. I think you are best to stick with divx then xvid anything else is minority interest at the momemt.

[bond]

Originally posted by Wolfman
So you agree, no standalone will nerono, you will have to extract the video stream out of .mp4 and put it correctly into .avi and change the fourcc to something the player might know, ie xvid

mov based on mpeg4..wrong, parts of the .mp4 container are based on the .mov container by apple, not the other way round

"and ffmpeg, 3ivx aso are all mpeg-4 complaint, simply change their fourcc to xvid and the player will play it ".. unproven or uknown.well search around before you claim that something is "unproven or uknown"

mpeg-4 is mpeg-4 no matter if it comes from xvid, divx5, ffmpeg, 3ivx, nero or whereever
only the avi container and old standalone players are making compatibility problems

Otherwise you are correctthanks that you allow my existence, master :rolleyes:

[SeeMoreDigital]

Wolfman,

The QuickTime .MOV container can't store Mpeg4 video streams (AFAIK). It's more usually used to store Sorenson video streams with a variety of types of audio streams, even Mp3!

And even though I love my Sigma Xcard, the day the first ASP .MP4 container standalone players arrive.... I will be at the front of the queue.... "Somebody... stop me"!

Cheers

[Wolfman]

"thanks that you allow my existence, master " ?? what?
"you claim that something is "unproven or uknown" ..to me .. and to most people AFAIK.

[Teegedeck]

@Wolfman: The compatiblity of standalone players has been discussed extensively on forum.doom9.org; as soon as a new one is available it gets thoroughly tested by some valued forum members. I can only stress what bond said.

As I'm already talking about 'valued forum members'; we're indeed a community here, and in contrast to some other forums the status of a member on it is not really defined by his number of posts but by the quality of his/her posts. Whatever we write here is read by a large and very well-informed public. One well-written (complete sentences and stringent punctuation) and fact-based post will earn you more respect in their eyes than a couple of hundred short replies.

[Wolfman]

I was replying to the acerbic comment at the end of a previous post,
Without further inflaming the discussion.

[Teegedeck]

I take it that you really don't want to flame; I dig that. Just take my words as a piece of advice (not limited to this specific thread) from a fellow forum-user, 'kay?