xvid codec or decoder download?

[lakedude]

Stupid question but where is it?? If you go to codecs xvid is not listed. I can play xvid movies fine on my system cause I got the Gknot pack. I want to include the codec on a cd for systems that might not have the codec yet, like I've been doing with 3.11. I always include divx 3.11 and 5 with all my 3.11 movies.

Is ffdshow the codec? if so which of the 20 different versions should I download?

What is the difference between a codec and a filter? Codec = Coder/decoder, I get that.

[avih]

you need the codec only if you want to ENCODE using xvid. you can download the xvid codec from umaniac's/koepi's/nic's site.

if you only want to include a DECODER on your cd such that it can be played on any system, you can indeed use ffdshow. from my experience any version will work well, at least for the basic options. and each new version has more features and bugfixes. ffdshow has more postprocessing options than the default xvid dshow filter and it can decode many other video formats, although some say that it's basic postprocessing capabilities are not as good as with nic's dshow filter, esp with the latest builds.

i personally put the latest ffdshow on my cd's. and zoom player as well btw (v3.0).

a filter (usually a direct show filter. direct show is part of directX) is a component used by windows to process media streams. when windows plays a media file, it uses a chain of filters. the 1st will read the file, the second will split the data into audio/video streams, the third may decode the compressed data, etc. the final filter is usually a renderer, either video or audio which actually delivers the decoded data to the screen/speakers.

so ffdshow is a Direct SHOW filter, derived from the ffmpeg open source decoder project. it can decode many compressed video formats, and can also process the video a bit (clean/sharpen/offset/etc).

xvid includes a basic direst show filter, and nic has made a more advanced dshow filter, available from his site.

ffdshow doesn't have any relation to xvid, except for the fact that it used xvid dshow filter as it's skeleton.

[APF_Gandalf]

if you want to use ffdshow, just download the latest version of ffdshow-alpha.
for Xvid, I guess there are links somewhere to Koepi, Nic or Umaniac builds (maybe in the Xvid faq).
before posting, please use the search button (as said in the forum rules).

[lakedude]

avih

Thank you




APF_Gandalf

Thank you and

please use the search button (as said in the forum rules). I did. I read the Xvid faq, went to the xvid "developer" web site (where they directed simple questions here), did a search for xvid codec, went to the codecs/show all looking for the codec, went to the ffdshow site (not sure if this was even what I needed)and found too many choices, and finally decided to ask. Did I do enough searching for you?

The answer is NOT out there in a form that a xvid newbee coming from the 3.11 world can understand. With 3.11 you include a small file called divx 3.11 alpha found in the codec section and others can play a 3.11 encoded movie. The first place I looked was in that same section but nothing for xvid is there. I don't really understand why the 3.11 decoder is called a codec and why the ffdshow thingy is called a filter.

[avih]

the divx3.11a is both a codec (has modules for encoding and decoding) and a direct show filter (has a module inserted into the filters chain, that uses the decoder).

ffdshow is only a decoder and a filter, but you can only use the decoder from the filter. (with divx3.11a you can use the decoder regardless of the filter as well, i.e. when you open a divx file with virtualdub, only the decoder is used, and not the filter).

the encoder part of ffdshow is called ffvfw, and is available as a separate download, in case you need it for encoding.

now it's about time you start searching all these apps, and understand what they do. ;)

[manono]

Ahh, let him off the hook. Personally, I use ffdshow for everything but for decoding XviD movies. I prefer Nic's decoder for that. And you can get it here:

http://nic.dnsalias.com/XviD-Dec.exe

[bond]

Originally posted by lakedude
Is ffdshow the codec? if so which of the 20 different versions should I download?there is one big rule (which also counts for xvid):
always use the latest version ;)

I did. I read the Xvid faq, went to the xvid "developer" web site ... Did I do enough searching for you?So you didnt read precise enough cause already in the xvid faq you would have found the answer to your question

[lakedude]

manono and avih thankyou and thankyou again.


bond

So you didnt read precise enough cause already in the xvid faq you would have found the answer to your question No clearly the answer is not there as you force me now to demonstrate.

FAQ:1. Why XviD?
2. How do I encode using XviD?
3. What do all the different options mean?
4. Is XviD better than DivX?
5. Where can I get XviD binaries?
6. Which quantizer mode should I use?
7. What to do if I get green and or pink blocks?
8. What filter should I use to play back XviD encoded videos?
9. What is Lumi masking?
10. What is the Chroma Optimiser
11. Why are there new binaries on a daily basis?
12. Can I start using XviD now and will I be able to play files created with today's build once the final version comes out?
13. What does the quality mode do?
14a. What's the difference between Payback with bias and Payback proportionally?
14b. Thx for the info But what are the advant/disadvant of each?
15. I want to playback this movie I d/l'ed but there is no sound!
16. I only get a green/no picture on playback!
17. Are B-Frames safe to use?
18. How does Q-Pel work and when should I use it?
19. How do I get the latest CVS sourcecode?

Please notice that the word codec not used once. Also notice that the word playback is only used in conjunction with a sound problem and a green picture problem.

The answer is actually found on option 8 but lets take a look at what 8 actually says:

8. What filter should I use to play back XviD encoded videos?

The two main filters of choice are:
Nic's XviD DShow Filter ( http://nic.dnsalias.com )
or
Milan's FFDShow ( http://sourceforge.net/project/show...?group_id=53761 )

Although FFDShow has more options, it is not based on the XviD project and may contain incompatibilities from time to time. It is advised to try both and see what works best for you.
(These filters do not decode audio! only video! XviD does not decode or deal with audio in anyway)

Of course this is where I got the idea to ask about ffdshow in my original question. I still hadn't found anything about codecs or anything explaining that ffdshow contains the decoder part of xvid. The message in parens leaves one to believe that if you use ffdshow you will have no sound output.

The xvid site says something about ffdshow having nothing to do with xvid further confusing the issue.

I am not the only confused one as demonstrated from the following quote from the xvid site:

Dear users,

in the last days and weeks we had more and more inquieries how the XVID archive xvidcore-0.9.0.zip or new xvidcore-0.9.1.zip can be installed to play files that had been downloaded from the internet.
The simple answer for most of you is: THEY CAN'T!

These archive contain the XVID source code. Before you use it for anything you have to compile it. If you don't know how to do this, the files won't help you. Please go to some other video site like www.doom9.org for questions of this kind.

Nice answer, why not post a link to the correct filter? Notice where it says to go "for questions of this kind."

[Nic]

How much more obvious does it have to be???:


8. What filter should I use to play back XviD encoded videos?

The two main filters of choice are:
Nic's XviD DShow Filter ( http://nic.dnsalias.com )
or
Milan's FFDShow ( http://sourceforge.net/project/show...?group_id=53761 )


Surely that tells people where to go....if you type xvid and codec into google Koepi's site is high on the list. XviD.org clearly states that there downloads dont play files.

"(These filters do not decode audio! only video! XviD does not decode or deal with audio in anyway". <- Thats because we got loads of threads saying "Ive installed the XviD codec but I have no sound!".

Number 5 in the FAQ:
"Where can I get XviD binaries?"

I think its obvious enough where to go for XviD...bond was right in his statement. People should read the FAQ. Not skim through it and give up.

However, I will add the word "codec" next to binaries...just to stop any confusion. If you have any other additions for the FAQ please post them, sometimes its hard to see it from a newbie's point of view :)

-Nic

[Rash]

Gee, sorry guys for coming back to the world after such a long time, but I was really busy at college! Last time I checked Nic's page I read the really bad news he was about to close his page.

So, Nic, are you back? Is everything OK now? :) I do hope so!

[lakedude]

My questions have been fully answered, thankyou. Perhaps if I were a true newbee the quest would have been easier. I've been doing the 3.11 thing for several years and have used many of the programs like Divx, Flask, Clad, Smartrip, VD, Nandub, DVD2AVI, Vfapi, Graphedit, BeSweet, and Fair Use for years. I'm only new to GKnot and Xvid. With both 3.11 and 5.x to play you need a codec. I was looking for a codec or a decoder or a player not a filter. I couldn't use my system to test because it already worked so I couldn't keep trying things till I found one to work cause it already worked. I'm not stupid and understand the whole thing now. Perhaps I'm spoiled cause Fair Use is sooooo easy to use but I find this whole Gknot/xvid thing way harder then it needs to be. Why does the xvid site not contain a link to their own decoder/filter/player thingy? If you go to the divx site they have a spot to download their codec/player right on their page. With xvid the only information is telling you that they have nothing to do with ffd and that the source code is not a player. Is there a pissing contest between ffd and xvid?

[Acaila]

Why does the xvid site not contain a link to their own decoder/filter/player thingy?Because XviD is an educational project so it would be illegal for them to put a binary on their website. If they did they would have to start paying MPEG for using licensed code.
DivX is paying, so that's why they can afford to put a codec download on their website.

Besides, binaries can easily be found with a google search in case someone overlooked the entry in the FAQ.

[Nic]

"Is there a pissing contest between ffd and xvid?"
Not at all, ffdshow is a great project and milan and the guys of ffmpeg do an amazing job. Its just the XviD developers know really nothing about it so don't want their forums full of questions about it.

@Rash:
Ive never really gone but...
Im off to San Francisco for a week now, so all you guys be good in my absence :)

-Nic