DivX or XviD

[joshbm]

Which one is better? DivX or XviD. To my understanding they are both MPEG-4 encoders and decoders.

Edit: to bad I can't delete or move this... I appologize for the wrong forum, just saw XviD and DivX boards.

[KpeX]

Originally posted by joshbm
Which one is better? DivX or XviD.

Forum Rules
Do not ask "what's best" because this question cannot be answered objectively. Each and everyone has their own view about what's best in a certain area. The best is what works best for you!

As the rules say...test for yourself and decide based on your eyes and your equipment.

[Selur]

Yup, it's a question like:

"What do you like more, green ord organge rabbits?" :D

You really should do some tests of your own and maybe read doom9s codec comparisons.

Cu Selur

[DevilsChild]

Actually, I think it's a perfectly valid question. Not everyone has the time/knowledge to test with so many different codecs/settings.

Get DivX 5 Pro, use the guide on doom9.org and you WILL get near DVD quality backups on 1 CD.

[Wilbert]

Get DivX 5 Pro, use the guide on doom9.org and you WILL get near DVD quality backups on 1 CD.
I guess that depends on how you define 'near'. Anyway, both codecs are good. So, it doesn't really matter which one you use.

[Nic]

Yup, there's a reason why in the forum rules it says don't ask questions like "whats best?" its too subjective. There is no best. If you don't have time to test, then pick one and go for it. The difference now days is only small between them anyway...

-Nic

[Teegedeck]

Yes, it would make more sense to search for some poll results about codec preference.

We won't have any 'codec x is better than codec y' here because there aren't any test routines that would help us being more 'objective' in answering the question. There are methods of displaying the difference between an original and an encode of the original but this doesn't help us objectivating perceived quality. For audio, there's something like that (ABX - I've never tried it, but it seems to work for the guys on hydrogenaudio.org), but I don't believe it would work quite the same way for video.

[TactX]

Originally posted by joshbm
Which one is better? DivX or XviD.
Imho libavcodec is best :p

[bond]

doom9's codec comparison:
http://www.doom9.org/codecs-103-1.htm

[temporance]

Originally posted by bond
doom9's codec comparison:
http://www.doom9.org/codecs-103-1.htm A lot's changed since then, especially DivX and RV9 - these codecs have special releases that perform much better than the versions doom9 compared back in May.

[bond]

i guess you mean tahanea and kauehi?
these are non-official version only for testing!
i dont know if it is recommended to use them for non-testing purposes as their features can lead to playback problems with later official version i think

and yup there is a new version of rv9 out ("ehq")

[Brother John]

Concerning quality there won't be a clear answer. I personally think both codecs are on the same level. So let's try another point of view.

From your question I assume you're not an encoding veteran, joshbm. That's why I would recommend DivX, because it provides not so many options and therefore is more straight forward to use.
XviD has enough settings to confuse a beginner totally. Also with every additional option there's an additional way of messing things up. If the possibility to change settings is there it's always tempting to use it, even if you have no idea what you're doing.

Sure there are guides. The only problem is, you'll find guide A saying "use setting X". Then you read guide B declaring: "Do everything you like, everything, but do not use setting X" (though I must admit it's similar with DivX guides). Without a general understanding, what a particular setting does, you're completely lost after the 3rd or 4th guide.

DivX is great for the beginning. If you have gathered some experience you can move on to XviD and then decide, which one you prefer.

[Koepi]

Nice put, Brother John!

I think there's nothing more to add. Learn the simpler things first (DivX 4/5 is definatly easier to setup), and if you want to, go deeper into the materia and try to unleash the magic of xvid ;)

Regards
Koepi

[stax76]

everytime I read topic like this it comes out like if you want to use XviD you need to learn first, you are better by using DivX. The reason for this might be some people want to see XviD as the expert codec, I rather would like to see XviD as the free codec for everybody and tell a newbie to use the default settings and you can't do anything wrong, it will be as good as DivX or even better, it won't install adware and will play in standalone players

[bilu]

There's a somewhat updated Newbie Sticky on the XVID forum. Just follow the procedures while you learn from the guide.

I agree with Dolemite ;)


Bilu

[Koepi]

Well, there is a simple reason why I won't necessarily advise "newbies" (bad word!) to use xvid: if you look into the past, there were plenty of (te same) questions regarding how to encode properly/perfect etc. from the people who didn't touch anything else before.

I think the proper way is learning easy things first, look at the results you get, and if you like, go further and test something else.

...just to explain why I think this way is a right one. You can of course say "use the defaults", but the people start getting angry if you reply that to such questions ;)

Regards
Koepi

[erbuk]

Personally I prefer orange rabbits :)

You are forgetting about encoding time. DivX is twice as fast as XviD if you use the settings recommended in the guides (and as an eternal newbie I wouldn't dream of using anything else).

[KpeX]

This may be a little OT but I think Wilbert made a really good point earlier in this thread....there's a lot of talk about 'near dvd-quality backups' on this board..IMHO any MPEG-4 transcode of a DVD in a 1-2 cd size is nowhere near DVD quality...at least to my eyes and my equipment. Theoretically any transcode at all regardless of bitrate/codec will be lossy. Not to knock Xvid or Divx or anything else out there, but IMO that kind of a backup is far from perfect. Maybe time to get a DVD burner soon ;).

[joshbm]

Wow thanks guys, for all the input. I should have rephrased my question to a comparison, because I did try out both codecs and they both are good, except on defaults for Divx, Divx is smaller than Xvid.

I have been looking into my options and right now it looks like Xvid is a good choice. Why? Because I would like to use a codec for commercial use. Currently I am making Video CD's with MPEG-1 as well as offering VHS, DVD's (which I do have 2 DVD burners ;-) KpeX). Amazingly some people want the Video CD's. I figured I could get excellent quality and fit more on a Video CD if I just switched from MPEG-1 to MPEG-4.

If I used Divx for commercial use, I would have to buy a license, while for Xvid... just include the source code and the installer on the CD. Although Xvid looks better I did request a price for a license on Divx.com, so we will see.

Thanks for any and all the input you will or have given!
- joshbm

[-=Stan=-]

Originally posted by joshbm
Amazingly some people want the Video CD's. I figured I could get excellent quality and fit more on a Video CD if I just switched from MPEG-1 to MPEG-4.

Sorry to disappoint you Josh but you CANNOT use Mpeg-4 in video-CDs

:(

[temporance]

Originally posted by joshbm
If I used Divx for commercial use, I would have to buy a license, while for Xvid... just include the source code and the installer on the CD.No. In most countries, you can't use xvid for commercial purposes. To be legal commercially, an MPEG-4 codec needs a patent license bought from MPEGLA. DivX would take care of this if you paid for their codec. But the GPL under which xvid is released effectively forbids you from buying any patent licenses. Ergo, you can't use xvid legally in a commercial application :( .

[joshbm]

lol... Thank you, back to Divx...

@ -=Stan=-:
Sorry I should have specified more lol. Video CD's for our company is an autorun-ed HTML file which launches the video from there in a new window with our logo etc on it. It is not your typical Video CD.

[Gaia]

xxx

[joshbm]

@ Gaia:
Settle down Gaia. That is why I am asking on the forum. I am a NEWBIE to all this stuff. Please, please, I would NOT do anything illegal, I am simply trying to gather information. Our company does weddings, special events, etc, which we film ourselves.

[joshbm]

LOL!

[Gaia]

Sorry i just read your answer and edited my post :) Still you can't use XviD for free... It's Mpeg4 for codec.

[joshbm]

:)

Yes, I understand I cannot use Xvid for commercial use. Glad I talked to you people first. I guess I will have to see how much a commercial license is for Divx and buy Divx Pro 5.

[stax76]

Not to knock Xvid or Divx or anything else out there, but IMO that kind of a backup is far from perfect. Maybe time to get a DVD burner soon.


I've got one and still encode MPEG4 ;), compressing 4 times higher is a pretty good argument for me :D

[bilu]

@joshbm

I've encoded a honeymoon from a neighbour of mine in MPEG-1 for VideoCD (the real format) because he wanted to play it on the DVD standalone player. Also I didn't had enough free space on disk to use Huffyuv or something before the real encode, so I used my Pinnacle PCTV for MPEG-1, realtime hardware encoding. Then splitted each tape on TMPGEnc for CD size, and authored with VCD Easy.


IMHO the best you could do on a wedding-recording commercial application would be buying a Sony MicroMV camcorder, it records MPEG-2 over tape, so it gets easier to edit without reencoding. Then you could master it into a DVD. Much more professional, I think. ;)


Please ask for advice in the DV or Capturing forums, I don't know that area well :)


Bilu

[joshbm]

What we do is record the entire thing on Sony's DCR-VX2000 NTSC. We take the mini-DV and put it on the PC straight to MPEG-2 do exactly that, give them a DVD--which still has great quality :).

Edit: And saves on hard-drive space.

[bilu]

Then I think it's perfect already :D

MPEG-4 would limit your universe of customers, most of them want to watch it on TV and there are more DVD standalone players around than PC's with a connected TV-out in the living room.


Bilu

[joshbm]

:D

True lol. But see what I am saying is we have a package... some people want the "Video CD" we make. We STRONGLY urge them to get the DVD or VHS, but they would like the "Video CD".

So right now we are in the process of throwing back and forth ideas of making the "Video CD" better. Right now I threw at them the idea of Divx and MPEG-4, they seemed to accept the idea with enthusiasm.

Of course we would still give them the option of DVD and VHS.

[temporance]

@joshbm,

The advantage to your customers of DivX/xvid/MPEG-4 is that you could make the files small enough for transfer over the Internet. They can then email or host their wedding highlights.

[joshbm]

@ temporance:

That's a thought. Although we already stream using Windows Media Server. I'll have to suggest that.