DivX Pro 5.2, DivX 5.2, Dr DivX 1.0.5, and DivX Player 2.5.4 released!

[DigitAl56K]

Hi all!

It's been just over 5 months now since I officially joined DivXNetworks, and during that time a lot of really cool things have been happening in the world of DivX. It's been a while since I've been able to fill you guys in on all the details, so I'm going to run through a ton of information for you today. Take a deep breathe, relax, and commence reading below when fully prepared :)

DivXNetworks launches four new products
Today (Thursday 15th July) we are announcing the release of 4 new products:

DivX Pro 5.2
DivX 5.2
Dr DivX 1.0.5
DivX Player 2.5.4


We've all been working long hours to bring you a bunch of great new stuff. So now, ladies and gentlemen, here's what we have been working on here at DivX, and what's new in each product:

DivX is now available in four languages
DivX Pro 5.2, DivX, and DivX Player 2.5.4 are now available in English, French, German, and Japanese. Each of these product bundles contains all four languages. You'll also find various parts of the newly redesigned website (http://www.divx.com) have been fully localized, as well as our support system (http://support.divx.com/cgi-bin/divx.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php).


No Adware! (w00t!)
Since the inception of DivX Pro, we have strived to provide all our users with access to DivX Pro for free. In the past, we have achieved this by shipping DivX Pro 5 with an Adware package. As of DivX 5.2, we are taking action on your feedback, and all Adware has been completely removed from every single product bundle.

Get DivX Pro for free
So if there is no Adware, the next logical question is: "Can I still get a free version of DivX Pro?". And the answer is a resounding "Yes!".
You can now get DivX Pro, completely free, for an unprecedented 6 month trial period with no Adware. This means:

The DivX Pro codec
All the Pro features
The EKG application (http://www.divx.com/divx/divxpro/features/ekg.php)
No Adware
No nag screens

We will continue to strive to give you DivX Pro for free, who knows what the future may bring? ;)

Get the optional Google Toolbar!
You love Google, we love Google, everybody loves Google! And now you can get the Google Toolbar (http://www.divx.com/divx/divxpro/whatisgoogle.php) for Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and higher with your DivX installation. The Google toolbar allows you to:

Search the web with Google from any site
Eliminate pop-up ads
Fill in forms with one click
Highlight search terms on a page
... and more

The toolbar is also completely optional - you don't need to install it to take the DivX Pro 6 month trial, and if you uninstall the toolbar later it doesn't affect your trial period. Cool huh? :)

Automatic update and "Check For Updates" tool
All of our products can now check for updates online automatically. This means that you can receive update notifications as soon as we make a release, and also check out other products and downloads that are available from DivX. No information is sent to DivXNetworks when updates are checked, and you can turn it off if you like from the product settings windows. You can also check for updates manually at any time by choosing Check for updates in the DivX folder on your Start menu.

DivX Certified DVD Players now in stores
Probably the coolest thing that has happened over the past few months has been seeing DivX Certified DVD players appear in retail stores worldwide. Here in the States, for example, you can now pick up a brand new Philips DVP 642 (http://www.divx.com/hardware/detail.php?p=7) in stores such as Best Buy, CompUSA, and Wal-Mart. In Europe, take a look at the Philips DVD 737 (http://www.divx.com/hardware/detail.php?p=6), or the newer DVP 632 model. All you have to do is burn your DivX movie to a regular data CD or several DivX movies to a regular data DVD and pop it into the player. No file conversion is necessary, and many stores are selling DivX Certified players for as little as $70! The positive feedback we have received not just in our own forums here at DivX.com, but also on forums across the web, and in reviews on the likes of Amazon.com, has been immense. We are regularly informed that DivX Certified units literally go of stock the same day shipments arrive because they're so popular, which is pretty incredible! Check out our newly redesigned Hardware section (http://www.divx.com/hardware/) for more information.

DivX 5.2
DivX 5.2 now includes:

Support for three new languages
DivX 5.2 is available in English, French, German, and Japanese.
DivX User Guide
Full 120 Page illustrated User Guide (http://go.divx.com/divx/guide), updated for DivX 5.2, including Quick-Start Guide. Localized versions (French, German, Japanese) will follow shortly - stay tuned!
How-to Guides
Learn how to encode DivX video (http://www.divx.com/divx/divxpro/guides/) using a variety of software products, including VirtualDub, Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle Studio, and Ulead Video Studio. More to follow...
Encoder: New Fast mode
A new Fast mode has been added to the encoder that lays around half-way between Fastest and Standard mode in terms of performance, but virtually matches Standard mode in terms of quality and compression. It is now possible to encode live capture directly to DivX without huge file sizes! Click here (http://support.divx.com/cgi-bin/divx.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=730) to read how Performance/Quality mappings have changed.
Encoder: Fix for Fastest mode
Fastest mode now better respects the encoder rate control (http://support.divx.com/cgi-bin/divx.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=803), so files more closely match the average bitrate you specify. This also means that Fastest mode now produced DivX Certified-conformant video. Note that Fastest mode requires a very high bitrate to achieve good quality. To obtain the DivX 5.1 behavior for this mode, disable DivX Certified Profiles and select 1-Pass, Quality-based mode with Quantizer=3
Encoder: Bitrate Calculator
You can now calculate the bitrate you need to hit a target file size directly within the encoder configuration dialogue. Simply enter your target file size, the length of your video, and the audio bitrate. The bitrate calculator (http://www.divx.com/divx/divxpro/screenshots/) will enter the correct bitrate for you!
Encoder: Intel SSE3 (Prescott) Optimizations
The DivX 5.2 encoder features optimizations for Intel Prescott CPU's, improving performance by up to 15%.
Decoder: Generic MPEG-4
The DivX 5.1 encoder included a Generic MPEG-4 decoding option. In this release we have improved our generic MPEG-4 support so that your favorite decoder can play more of your favorite movies.
Decoder: Blocking fix (Oops!)
The 5.2 decoder corrects a small issue that can cause blocks to be displayed along high-contrast edges in the picture, mainly affecting anime content. Watch Pokémon as it was meant to be viewed once again!
Handheld Profile update
The handheld profile has been updated to better reflect the capabilities of DivX Certified devices already present in the consumer marketplace. By encoding with the new Handheld profile you can create higher quality video for your Handheld Certified device.


DivX Pro 5.2 (Upgrade Instructions (http://www.divx.com/divx/divxpro/upgrade/))
DivX Pro 5.2 includes all of the changes in DivX 5.2 (above), and:

Encoder: Adaptive Bi-directional Coding
Bi-directionally encoded frames were first introduced in DivX 5.0, giving a staggering 20% reduction in file size at equivalent perceptual quality. To date, all versions of DivX 5 have used only one non-adaptive bi-directionally coded frame in sequence. DivX 5.2 expands the scope of this feature. The DivX 5.2 encoder now selects both single and multiple consecutive bi-directionally coded frames adaptively, leading to higher compression ratios and even better quality.
Encoder: MPEG2 Quantization
DivX 5.2 has better scalability thanks to MPEG2 Quantization support. Quantization plays an important role in the process of reducing the data used to store the picture. DivX normally uses H.263 quantization, which is optimal for low to high bitrate encoding. MPEG-2 quantization is useful at extremely high bitrates.
Encoder: Multi-threaded Feedback Window
The encoder feedback window (http://www.divx.com/divx/divxpro/features/feedback.php) is now multi-threaded. If your PC has a HyperThreaded CPU, or multiple CPU's, you can now enjoy the benefits of real-time encoder feedback and control with minimal impact on encoding performance.


Dr DivX 1.0.5 (Upgrade Instructions (http://www.divx.com/divx/drdivx/upgrade/))
Dr DivX 1.0.5 includes all of the changes in DivX & DivX Pro 5.2 (above), and:

Surround sound AC-3 audio
Dr DivX can now preserve the original surround sound AC3 audio track from VOB files
High Definition transport stream encoding
Dr. DivX now has improved handling of High Definition transport streams
New and improved video analysis
Dr DivX 1.0.5 contains many improvements to video analysis, including determining the duration of a VOB file more accurately
MP3 CBR/VBR audio encoding
Dr. DivX now offers more control in MP3 audio encoding with full CBR and VBR support, and bitrates up to 320kpbs
New audio boost to fix low audio encoding
Dr DivX now boosts the audio volume automatically when encoding AC3 audio/VOB files
Latest DivX Pro 5.2 codec
Dr DivX now features the latest DivX Pro 5.2 codec for superior performance, quality, and compression.


Numerous fixes:
File splitting is more accurate
Better optimized DV encoding to incur less dropped frames
Better accounting for RIFF chunk overhead for more accurate file sizes
Fixed slow audio bug for certain DV cameras
Fixed the opening of transport (.ts) stream files
Fixed the encoding for playback on PocketPC player
Fixed a bug where file splitting would cause a crash on 2nd pass
Fixed a bug that caused Dr. DivX to crash when using VirtualDub filters


DivX Player 2.5.4 (Upgrade Instructions (http://www.divx.com/divx/player/upgrade.php))
DivX Player 2.5.4 now features:

DivX 5.2 decoder
The DivX 5.2 decoder has been integrated into the player, adding support for all our new DivX Pro 5.2 features and enhancing playback quality and performance.
Support for three new languages
DivX Player 2.5.4 is now available in English, French, German, and Japanese.
High Definition support
Support for playback of High Definition clips. Support for playback of High Definition clips (720p playback requires a minimum system of 2.4Ghz, 384 RAM, 64 MB VRAM or better. 1080p playback requires a minimum system of 3.0 Ghz, 512 RAM, 128 VRAM or better.
Enhanced MPEG-4 playback support
The DivX Player can now play an even greater range of MPEG-4 videos using the DivX 5.2 decoder.
Multiple speeds for Fast Forward and Rewind
Clicking the Fast Forward and Rewind controls multiple times changes the Fast Forward and Rewind rate.
Improved performance
Playback is smoother and drive activity is reduced when playing from CDs or DVDs

[Hiro2k]

Great News, time to test the decoder with my other Mpeg4 files.

Also I'm very happy that the adware has been removed, 6 months seems like plenty of time to test new things. I'm glad DivX has changed for the better.

I hope DivX keeps getting better, it's good to have competition.

[bond]

Originally posted by Hiro2k
Also I'm very happy that the adware has been removed, 6 months seems like plenty of time to test new things. I'm glad DivX has changed for the better.hm i am not so sure if this is a good thing
i for myself prefer a 100% free and unlimited codec, which is also ad-ware free after removing/blocking the ad-ware :D

now people get the same, but limited to 6 months

[Darrius "Junto" Thompson]

Originally posted by bond


now people get the same, but limited to 6 months

We don't intend to not have another release or release cycles less than every 6 months thus you can feel fairly certain we will have a release prior to the trial being up... and if not you might imagine we'll do something to keep your build working ... ;) consider this just the first step in ensuring everyone can utilize the best of what we have

Darrius

[Tuning]

Originally posted by bond
now people get the same, but limited to 6 months

IMO, With recurring M$ windows crashes and re-install this move is extremely good for the consumer side. :devil:

[Hiro2k]

Originally posted by Tuning
IMO, With recurring M$ windows crashes and re-install this move is extremely good for the consumer side. :devil:

That was exactly how I saw it. I re-install my Windows usually before 6 months go by.

@Bond
You have to admit that it's getting better. I also would prefer a 100% free codec, but I don't think that it's in the best interest for DivX. If they want to have their product be supported in the industry by hardware manufacturers they are going to have to charge something for it. It's just a mentality that most companies/CEO's haven't been able to overcome. I tried to sell a company a completely open source "Free" software solution that would save them thousands of dollars in licenses, but they just didn't trust it. They still believe in the old saying "You get what you pay for." Which is not true at all with open source products. What most companies worry about is the tech support offered by Open Source software. If they pay for the liscense then they know if the product doesn't work they can call the company and get something worked out. Which is not something you can easily do with a company that owes you nothing. You have to spend time researching the problem on forums and use groups, which takes time. And time is money in the buisness world.

[DarkWave]

Hi,

just one question:

you wrote "No Adware! (w00t!)", but the codec tries to "phone home" to this ip: 216.73.82.14 (reserved-216-73-82-14.dclk.net)
-> doubleclick.net...

there are some other ips, that divx tries to connect to. can you tell us, for what?

it even connects to them when disabling the automated update...

DW

[stax76]

great to see a new version, some feedback: a DShow encoder that shares the registry settings with the VFW encoder or another interface to the filter parameters and a smaller download for modem users

[DigitAl56K]

Originally posted by DarkWave
Hi,

just one question:

you wrote "No Adware! (w00t!)", but the codec tries to "phone home" to this ip: 216.73.82.14 (reserved-216-73-82-14.dclk.net)
-> doubleclick.net...

there are some other ips, that divx tries to connect to. can you tell us, for what?

it even connects to them when disabling the automated update...

DW

Sure,

We use a very simple method to get a few statistics during installation where our installer basically sends a ping that is counted at our end. One example is the language selection you make when you install. E.g. if you choose "French", we count a French installation. It's that simple. There's no other information being transferred - we're very pro-privacy here at DivX. We don't know who you are, we don't know your e-mail address, we don't know your serial number etc. :)

The reason you probably see the codec trying to "phone home" even when check for updates is turned off, is that we wanted the ability to switch out the artwork at the top of the encoder GUI from time to time. Over the next few weeks you'll see some cool artwork from our artist BusinessmanBob showing up there, and we were thinking of throwing in comic strip designs etc. and other cool stuff in future. You can disable this feature in the codec settings, too :)

We totally respect your privacy here, and you'll see that we have updated our license agreement for this release to reflect each and every event under which our software might contact our servers, and the majority of the time its nothing more than a simple ping count (DivX Player is an exception, it asks you if you want to subscribe to the newsletter the first time you run it and in that case we will record the e-mail address you enter, and also your system specs but only when you specifically check the box to send them - you can also see exactly what is sent before we get it). These changes are also echoed in our updated website privacy policy.

I hope that addresses your concern :)

-Al

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by DigitAl56K
The reason you probably see the codec trying to "phone home" even when check for updates is turned off, is that we wanted the ability to switch out the artwork at the top of the encoder GUI from time to time. Over the next few weeks you'll see some cool artwork from our artist BusinessmanBob showing up there, and we were thinking of throwing in comic strip designs etc. and other cool stuff in future. You can disable this feature in the codec settings, too :) What happens if you choose to delete all the folders except the DivX folder in Program Files?

Will you prying-ware still try to phone home?


Cheers

[DigitAl56K]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
What happens if you choose to delete all the folders except the DivX folder in Program Files?


You can disable rotating artwork and auto-update in the codec settings. There is a checkbox there for each.

You don't need to delete any files, and the codec will only check for banners and updates when the configuration GUI is open. Like I say, we don't use anything more complex than a simple hit counter :)

[Arcon]

is there an easy way how i can get divx 5.2 to NOT decode divx 3.11 content? i'd like to use divx 3.11 for divx 3.11 material and the 'support generic mpeg-4'-switch seems to release just the xvid 4cc.

[KoVaR]

Encoder: New Fast mode
A new Fast mode has been added to the encoder that lays around half-way between Fastest and Standard mode in terms of performance, but virtually matches Standard mode in terms of quality and compression. It is now possible to encode live capture directly to DivX without huge file sizes! Click here (http://support.divx.com/cgi-bin/divx.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=730) to read how Performance/Quality mappings have changed.

link not working ?
im gettind permission denied message...

[JohnV]

Can anybody comment on this message:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=23590&view=findpost&p=226367

Is there any truth in it, or should the message be axed?
Thanks.

[DigitAl56K]

Originally posted by KoVaR
link not working ?
im gettind permission denied message...

I think we've fixed this now, thanks! :)

[Gej]

Yes, I take on me to send some serial # to early posters in the DivX 5.2 thread, yes even offer to send a DivX DVD player to one of them. I do not try to bribe anyone, but rather give them a chance to understand the bigger picture and what we are trying to do here: More than just a Codec but a complete ecosystem, where the movies you guys create can be played everywhere...

Next time move quicker if you wants some goodies also...

[DigitAl56K]

We do give out goodies from time to time. Sometimes to those who help us test, sometimes to those we want to experience what DivX has to offer, and sometimes to those who just send us really useful feedback :)

We appreciate your input to DivX :)

[JohnV]

Hmm, seems that Peter "zZzZzZz" (one of our admins) didn't like the japanese writing spam from divxnetworks IP. I wouldn't have banned you, but he did and insisted it. Sorry..
I don't know if you care, but I can unban you if there won't be more japanese spam. I understand it was a joke from you, but he is a really stubborn guy...

[DigitAl56K]

We have a few crazies here (which is what makes DivXNetworks such a fun place to work). I'll ask them to stick to English spam in future ;)

Thanks JohnV

[chilledoutuk]

excelent, a new codec for me to test ill post my findings later good work Divx team

[DoC hEx]

To be honest I find the XviD gives at least the same if not better results then Divx5.11. I see little reason to go to software that for a while stopped Virtual Dub run in Debug mode and the so-called “free” version was castrated i.e. not worth using.

Divx has lost a lot of ground to XviD, hence the no adware!!! If they included adware no one would even download it. I’m going to download just for tests, but it would want to have some pretty incredible quality to make me stop using an Open Source Project for some company that wants me to by there version.

[DigitAl56K]

This isn't why we removed Adware :) Adware allowed us to give DivX Pro to millions of people all around the world for free, some of whom could not afford to buy it, some who just found that adware was an acceptable option for them. However, there have always been a growing volume of requests that we remove adware from our bundles. Today we are responding to everyone who has ever made such a request to us - DivX 5.2 is 100% adware-free.

Please, if you are going to evaluate DivX 5.2, judge it on its own merits, recognize the leap forward we are making in removing adware from this release, and try not to pass judgement based on a small technical problem we had some time in the past.

As much as is possible, we are striving to give you DivX Pro for free, just as we have always done. With our 5.2 release we are taking a huge step towards acheiving that with a massive 6 month trial of Divx Pro. In the future, things may get even better for you guys :) But we have to take one big step at a time, rather than a giant leap that could see us falling flat on our ass, so to speak :) It might help appease your concerns if I told you that we plan to release more frequently than once every 6 months ;)

Having said all that, I'm very interested to hear what you think of DivX 5.2, and how your test results turn out :)

[RedDwarf69]

Since no one complains, I should think DivX sended a special gift only for me too? :)
When installing DivX Free or Pro, VirtualDub(Mod) starts using 100% CPU when I go to compress window (Ctrl-P).
Just tested: same think happens with graphedit when going to "Video Compressors"
Is a spanish Windows XP, nothing more "special".

By the moment I just installed manually "divxdec.ax" to be able to decode those 2 b-frames that will come...the decoder seems to work with only this file.

[DigitAl56K]

Thanks RedDwarf69! We're already looking into that problem :) If your application pauses when it tries to open the DivX Codec, wait a few seconds and it should come back.

As for serial numbers, we'll maybe have another look at that tomorrow ;)

[RedDwarf69]

Ok, 40 secons for the codec list, 5 second to be able to click on configure and another 40 seconds for the codec properties. But after this everything works fine.
You guys are a lot more patient than me :D 20 seconds and CTRL+ALT+SUPR

[Doom9]

@DigitAl56K: what happens after the 6 months run out?

/me wonders how long it takes until I get the first "please make a new codec comparison with divx5.2 and xvid 1.0.1". I guess I should start taking bets now ;)

[iwod]

Originally posted by Doom9
@DigitAl56K: what happens after the 6 months run out?

/me wonders how long it takes until I get the first "please make a new codec comparison with divx5.2 and xvid 1.0.1". I guess I should start taking bets now ;)

OK. I bet 10 dollars the anwser is after you read this sentence......

"please make a new codec comparison with divx5.2 and xvid 1.0.1" :D

[DigitAl56K]

Originally posted by Doom9
@DigitAl56K: what happens after the 6 months run out?



We should have a new release out by then ;) But once you reach the end of the trial, the codec simply reverts to DivX (non-Pro version).

[DigitAl56K]

Not to derail the current line of discussion, but I thought it worth mentioning that Dr DivX 1.0.5 is also receiving a warm welcome in our Dr DivX forum.

I know we have a lot of GK/AutoGK users here, but if you haven't tried Dr DivX in some time, or if you're new to DivX, you might like to check it out :)

[Spotpuff]

How nice of DivX 5.2 to start decoding all my xvid videos and overriding my FFDSHOW config :rolleyes:

Someone help? I already tried reinstalling FFDSHOW and that didn't work... wtf.

*EDIT* Fixed. Uncheck "decode generic MPEG 4" option. How nice of the codec to have that checked by default. :rolleyes: I guess that's one way to make people's XVID encoded videos not work.

[DigitAl56K]

Turn off "Support Generic MPEG4" in the DivX Decoder configuration tool (accessable via the Start menu or via your media player during playback).

Overriding takes place when this feature is enabled to help out all the newer DivX/XVID users out there who install a dozen codec packs bundling old versions of various decoders that exhibit very bad playback problems - unfortunately these older decoders override our DivX decoder by default. Based on the volume of support calls we get on associated symptoms, we think it will solve a lot of problems for a very large number of users. I'm sure you see a lot of posts on this here at Doom9.org also. We believe that those who actually install XVID or FFDShow intentionally will be able to find our decoder option and turn it off. We've also worked hard to provide good compatibility between the DivX decoder and generic MPEG4 video streams.

Maybe we could have our installers offer the option of switching this at install time.

[CruNcher]

BANNERS: This software will download banners from our servers and display them within the GUI of the software. A message will be sent from the software to our servers indicating that an ad has been served. There will be no personal identification sent with this message.



DigitAl56K:
The reason you probably see the codec trying to "phone home" even when check for updates is turned off, is that we wanted the ability to switch out the artwork at the top of the encoder GUI from time to time.


On wich marketing School you graduated DigitAl56K ?

Banner Ads == artwork ???

i only say "BannerAdXML"

couldn't you guys be more honourable and tell the people (maybe your customers) the truth instead of trying to carry them behind the light ?

Edit: Ohhps :eek: could a mod please move this into -DivX Pro 5.2, DivX 5.2, Dr DivX 1.0.5, and DivX Player 2.5.4 released!- thx :rolleyes:

[Spotpuff]

Originally posted by DigitAl56K
Turn off "Support Generic MPEG4" in the DivX Decoder configuration tool (accessable via the Start menu or via your media player during playback).

Overriding takes place when this feature is enabled to help out all the newer DivX/XVID users out there who install a dozen codec packs bundling old versions of various decoders that exhibit very bad playback problems - unfortunately these older decoders override our DivX decoder by default. Based on the volume of support calls we get on associated symptoms, we think it will solve a lot of problems for a very large number of users. I'm sure you see a lot of posts on this here at Doom9.org also. We believe that those who actually install XVID or FFDShow intentionally will be able to find our decoder option and turn it off. We've also worked hard to provide good compatibility between the DivX decoder and generic MPEG4 video streams.

Maybe we could have our installers offer the option of switching this at install time.

I guess that's a situation I never considered, given that I never installed any codec packs ever. Things like Nimo's pack or whatever could really mess things up from what I hear.

Still though, I'm not sure exactly why DivX takes over when XviD has the same options checked... I mean, both of them can't possibly be set to decode all mpeg4.

At any rate, I guess you're probably right about the whole "99% of end users..." comment.

[Millenod]

@DigitAl56K,

Hi,

I've downloaded Divx Pro Free, and Dr DivX.
These are some remarks :

I - Web Site
- I install Divx Pro Free (french) without problem
- French DR-Divx download doesn't work : the site send me an english version of the software.


II - Installers
When I install Dr-Divx, this one doesn't detect that DivxPro is already installed, and install it's own codec. It's disturbing to have links in english and in french.
I look at your files, and see you're using language dll (DrDivXRes1033.dll) (77Kb)
Why don't add 2-3 others languages in the package, or connect to your site to download new language file pack?

When I've installed Dr-Divx, this one ask by default, to install programs in "c:\Program Files\Divx".
Personally, I install previous files in "D:\Programmes\Divx".
When I re-install software, it will be nice, if the installer could remember my previous divx folder. To make an update of files, it could be better ;)


III - Dr Divx
Today I decide to try Dr DivX, because I had a problem encoding a movie using GordianKnot 0.32
The first pass encoding was OK, but during the second pass, I obtain a message : invalid image size :S
It's the first time I obtain this one, and I'm using GordianKnot for more than 3years...

The source video was an mpeg file make from a pva file using pvastrumento (no errors during converting process)
This was my script :
LoadPlugin("D:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\dgdecode.dll")
LoadPlugin("D:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\UnDot.dll")
LoadPlugin("D:\PROGRA~1\GORDIA~1\AviSynthPlugins\SimpleResize.dll")
mpeg2source("D:\####.d2v")
crop(2,126,716,324)
SimpleResize(716,296)
Undot()

I don't know where was the bug :S


These are some wished I think that could be usefull :
- minimize Dr-DivX in the sistray
- disable the real time bitrate viewer
- Support for PVA files.
More and more users have a DVB card. (for my part a Nexus-S (SkyStar 1)) and this card record by default using PVA format.
It's right that I'm currently use, PVA Cut to cut unwanted part of a movie, then PVA Strumento to convert the file into an mpeg one.
It will be great if DR-DivX could do the same
- adding the ability to cut movie or select only many parts of a movie to encode to a new one (example : remove trailers in the middle of the movie)

- Encoding step : why not ask directly to users to choose their bitrate (I'm encoding satellite movies using a 1600Kbps).
Dr DivX ask only the size, or in the advanced codec configuration allow me to choose the chosen bitrate.

'Bug' in the Preview windows, to remove black bands :
- There is a little ennoyous "bug" in the remove black bands option :
I've on my movie, 2 vertical bands of 1px.
If I remove the left band, the left preview border display a vertical gray bar (i'm seeing in fact the left border color, which seem to have a width of 1px).
It's right this is not a bug, and this is a very detail of my part.


That's all for suggestions, wishes and "bug" list :)


IV - Personal Comments
Great codec, with better performance in standard mode than DivX 5.1 : I'm temporary making tests on a P4b@2.2Ghz using 1Gb DDR on Win 2003 Enterprise Server fr, and DrDivX encodes at almost 25fps (I'm making multitask, and the system works fine).
I'll make others tests on a P4@3.06Ghz with 1Gb DDR using XP Pro SP2 b2162 and on a P4@3.06Ghz with 512 Mb RDRam using MCE 2005
Divx will be test on standards 4/3&16/9 Pal TVs, using these computers (don't have standalone player)

Well, the opportunity to obtain DivX Pro for 20$, makes the codec available for all, and using for free without ads for 6 months is great.
Very nice politic. I'd like to see more company using the same point of view as you.

If you have comments or want some testers, don't hesitate to contact me.

En tout cas, ce codec est une excellent réussite.
Merci beaucoup et encore bravo :D

[obieobieobie]

I'm having a problem with DivX Pro 5.2 and Zoomplayer 3.20

After playing an AVI with video content being decoded by DivX Pro 5.2 and then closing Zoomplayer 3.20 by clicking the X, the window does not disappear from the desktop and zoomplayer remains in the taskbar. I have to right-click on the program in the taskbar, choose close and then force the program to end when Windows asks me to close an unresponsive program.

I tried installing Zoomplayer 4.00 final, but it did not help. Only downgrading to DivX Pro 5.1.1 helped.

I am using WinXP SP2 RC2 (I don't have an AMD64 or a Prescott so no Data Execution Protection).

[Lord_KiRon]

Same problem as RedDwarf69 exacly ! - VDubMod freezes for almost a minute until you can do something .
Also the damn thing constantly tries to go to different locations on the net , good thing I used Kerio fwall to stop it once and for all .

Also 2 questions :

1. Where I can turn 3 point GMC on ?
[Edit:] disregard this one , DivX only DECODES 3-point GMC .

2. Why it's 2 DivX codecs now installed on my system - one with "divx" FOURCC and another with "yv12" FOURCC ?

[obieobieobie]

Lord_KiRon: As far as I know, there is no 3-point GMC encoding in DivX Pro 5.2.

Edit: Whistle, whistle. :D

[Lord_KiRon]

Originally posted by obieobieobie
Lord_KiRon: As far as I know, there is no 3-point GMC in DivX Pro 5.2.

Look Here : http://www.divx.com/divx/divxpro/versions/


You right it's 3 point GMC support in DECODER , my mistake .

[LostMP4]

Any 64 bit optimization?

[communist]

Originally posted by DigitAl56K
Maybe we could have our installers offer the option of switching this at install time.
Yep that would be the best. XviD (Koepi's latest builds) offers this at installation too.
Just give some options like :
- Decode MPEG4 with DivX5.x decoder
- I have an MPEG4 decoder installed - dont register MPEG4 content with DivX5.2 decoder

Give a small warning for n00bs who dont know what to click that its better to take first option ;)

[Boulder]

Originally posted by DigitAl56K
Turn off "Support Generic MPEG4" in the DivX Decoder configuration tool (accessable via the Start menu or via your media player during playback).


Doesn't work for me, using the standard DivX v5.2. It's unchecked and still the decoder won't give up and let ffdshow do the DivX material decoding.

[LostMP4]

Originally posted by Boulder
Doesn't work for me, using the standard DivX v5.2. It's unchecked and still the decoder won't give up and let ffdshow do the DivX material decoding.
I guess that option refers only to MPEG-4 not DivX encoded videos (3ivx, Xvid, Nero Digital...)

[Sharktooth]

Im asking myself why DivX network opted for MPEG matrix ONLY.
Since the code is able to work with Quantization Matrices (H.263 is not a quantization matrix) why the heck is there only the MPEG matrix?
Ok, 5.2 is a nice codec but a better CQM support as in XVID is needed.

[Boulder]

Originally posted by LostMP4
I guess that option refers only to MPEG-4 not DivX encoded videos (3ivx, Xvid, Nero Digital...)

Well I sure hope there is some easy way (probably some registry hack) to prevent the decoder from decoding all DivX content..I like ffdshow a lot better due to all the postprocessing options.

If there isn't a simple way, I'll have to ask the question "Why?" .

[communist]

Originally posted by Sharktooth
Im asking myself why DivX network opted for MPEG matrix ONLY.
Since the code is able to work with Quantization Matrices (H.263 is not a quantization matrix) why the heck is there only the MPEG matrix?
Ok, 5.2 is a nice codec but a better CQM support as in XVID is needed.
They're saving that for the next upgrade? ;)

[Sharktooth]

Uhm... that's not a good reason coz it needs less than 5 minutes of GUI reworking and less than 2 minutes of coding...

[DPR]

What happened to the good old motion vector file ? It seems that the feature is again unavailable. Can't find any information about the feature being removed or deactivated on the offical DivX page.

BTW: some german translations are horrible ! I don't recommend using the german version ... some descriptions are confusing and only lead to misunderstandings.

I'm momentarily testing the new version and it seems that it's great ! :)

[Sharktooth]

A small comparison between Xvid 1.0.1, DivX Pro 5.2 and VP6.2 is available here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79091&perpage=20&pagenumber=3#post524549
Not very detailed but screenshots talks an universal language...

[DigitAl56K]

Originally posted by CruNcher
On wich marketing School you graduated DigitAl56K ?

Banner Ads == artwork ???

i only say "BannerAdXML"

couldn't you guys be more honourable and tell the people (maybe your customers) the truth instead of trying to carry them behind the light ?


Hey CruNcher :)

We may occasionally show a "banner" there for things like our forums, DivX Certified devices, maybe even other forums like Doom9, but we're going to have plenty of cool artwork, too. In fact, we currently have 4 pieces of artwork already done and ready to go, and none of them are actually "banners". We have a policy against third-party advertising in our products - you won't see any banners for "Product XYZ".

We actually added an option to the codec settings to turn the artwork rotation off - just uncheck it and you'll never see anything but the regular product artwork.

Hope that helps! :)

[DigitAl56K]

Hi all, I need to leave for the office here - I'll jump right back in and answer some more posts in a little while :)

[nicco]

The 5.2 decoder corrects a small issue that can cause blocks to be displayed along high-contrast edges in the picture, mainly affecting anime content. Watch Pokémon as it was meant to be viewed once again!

Great! I have this problem with 5.1.1 and it's not a small isuue, it's terrible! Does 5.2 correct this problem in 5.1.1-encoded-video playback too?
I'll try 5.2 as soon as I can..

[Sharktooth]

It should.

[bond]

Originally posted by Sharktooth
Im asking myself why DivX network opted for MPEG matrix ONLY.
Since the code is able to work with Quantization Matrices (H.263 is not a quantization matrix) why the heck is there only the MPEG matrix?
Ok, 5.2 is a nice codec but a better CQM support as in XVID is needed.there is a difference between mpeg and custom quants!
afaik with custom quants the used matrix is stored in the stream, but with mpeg its only signaled to decoder that it uses the default mpeg matrix

also i assume that dxn didnt hesitated to add custom quants as some "divx players" have problems with some custom matrices
i assume thats also the reason why they didnt use packed bitstream for there multiple b-frames mode (some players have problems with packed bitstream on more than 1 b-vops too)

Originally posted by LostMP4
I guess that option refers only to MPEG-4 not DivX encoded videos (3ivx, Xvid, Nero Digital...)just to make sure that everyone knows it: divx5 is mpeg-4 compliant, just as 3ivx, xvid, nd, etc... too

Originally posted by CruNcher
Banner Ads == artwork ???
i only say "BannerAdXML":eek:

[DigitAl56K]

Lol, hey folks. A little background for you:

Product manager (me): "Please build us a system for switching out the artwork in the codec gui, and make it clickable so it can go to web pages. Kind of like a banner ad system..."

Engineer: "OK!"

A few months later, we got exactly what we asked for: A system for switching out the artwork in the codec gui, kind of like a banner ad system. In fact, a little too like a banner ad system, a.k.a. the XML file name :) Unfortunately, I only realised this after CruNcher pointed it out, DOH!!

This is my first time as a product manager, I need a little bit of a break here folks ;) lol

Rest assured there will be no third-party advertising in the codec, and if you're still unsure, you can turn off ALL artwork rotation in the codec settings, but we do plan to have some cool stuff here :)

[Millenod]

@DigitAl56K

Another bug with Dr-Divx (please refer to the wishes\list above) :
I start the software for the second time, and the button "15 day trial extension" is grayed :confused:
Very nice for a second test...

Well, I can't tell you exactly the bug :
- choose the crop size.
- modify settings
=> my personal crop settings are lost :scared:

[Sharktooth]

Originally posted by bond
there is a difference between mpeg and custom quants!
afaik with custom quants the used matrix is stored in the stream, but with mpeg its only signaled to decoder that it uses the default mpeg matrix
Yes, i know the difference... what i'm trying to say is if the encoder part can "use" the mpeg matrix, could "use" any other matrix too...
Adding the ability to distinguish the MPEG matrix from a custom matrix and eventually add it to the stream is 5 mins of coding...
Originally posted by bond
also i assume that dxn didnt hesitated to add custom quants as some "divx players" have problems with some custom matrices
i assume thats also the reason why they didnt use packed bitstream for there multiple b-frames mode (some players have problems with packed bitstream on more than 1 b-vops too)
Thats not a problem coz they could have added some other and better matrices (choosen by their engineers to ensure standalones compatibility) to the dropdown list.
However a better compromise can be reached by enabling MPEG and H.263 if any of the profiles are selected and enabling custom matrices if no profiles are selected...
For what concerns the multiple B-Frames i would have put the same restrictions as above... enable them only if no profile is selected.
PB enabled with profiles, PB disabled whithout profiles...

[Sharktooth]

Originally posted by Millenod
@DigitAl56K

Another bug with Dr-Divx (please refer to the wishes\list above) :
I start the software for the second time, and the button "15 day trial extension" is grayed :confused:
Very nice for a second test...

Well, I can't tell you exactly the bug :
- choose the crop size.
- modify settings
=> my personal crop settings are lost :scared:
Yes there are some bugs in the GUI...
If you play with settings (resize on/off, remove black bars on/off) you could end with unpredictable results :confused:

[Sharktooth]

@exiztone: disable post processing in the DivX decoder settings.

[Sharktooth]

Dunno, but i keep it always disabled because i dont need it for my encodings and it hurts the CPU usage and sometimes (depends on the CPU load) the playback.

[RadicalEd]

My "Registration license for EKG Application is not valid."

Running the DivX 5.2 Pro trial version.
:/

[CiTay]

Originally posted by exiztone
Hey, that's much better, thanks. But, with DivX 5.1.1 I was able to use post-processing. How come I can't with this version? :(
My system specs aren't bad or anything.

Go to DivX decoding options and configure like this:
[x] Smooth playback
[ ] Yuv extended mode
[x] Overlay extended mode
[x] Double buffering
[x] Disable logo
[x] Support generic MPEG-4

You can also try using a decent player like Media Player Classic (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=82303&package_id=84358).

[Millenod]

no lag with MPC, one of the best player...

[niamh]

hhhmm DivX is trying to phone home through gordian knot too, that's quite devious methinks...

And the disabling of most of the various annoyances is well hidden in the gui down in settings, but that's fair enough in a way for a commercial product :D .Is there a way to disable that rotating thing at the top? I feel cross eyed already :)

[DigitAl56K]

Turn off the option to automatically check for updates in the codec settings. It's not all that devious if you want to be notified when updates are available ;)

Sidenote: All update checks are done client-side, no configuration information is sent to DivX.

[niamh]

it's just a matter of principle, not actual paranoia, but to be fair , to get the chance to turn the thing off, you have to install it first ...that's devious ;)

[ookzDVD]

Is there available the DivX 5.2 "codec only" installation package,
the official download file is about 7 MB which contain the player.

I think they should release the "lite" version which contain the
codec only. :)

Thank you.

[nicco]

I agree with you!
I have new questions:

in 5.1.1 I can do all but the last pass in standard mode then the last pass in slow mode, in 5.2 I can obviously do the same, but can I do all but the last pass in fast mode?

Why there is no more the slowest option?

[Sharktooth]

Coz slowest mode was extremely too slow and the gain in quality was near to zero.

[Arcon]

Originally posted by Sharktooth
Since the code is able to work with Quantization Matrices (H.263 is not a quantization matrix) why the heck is there only the MPEG matrix?
it's a bit OT but i'd really like to know why h.263 is no quantization matrix? how does it work if it doesn't use a qm? maybe you could give me some hints where i can find some more infos on that matter.

[Nazgul]

Originally posted by Arcon
it's a bit OT but i'd really like to know why h.263 is no quantization matrix? how does it work if it doesn't use a qm? maybe you could give me some hints where i can find some more infos on that matter.

There's no need for a matrix because H.263 quantization is not weighted toward high- or low-frequency details. All the values of the matrix would be identical.

[Sharktooth]

h.263 is a "way to quantize". the specs are in the mpeg standard. if you search the web or the forums you can find much more details.

[Soulhunter]

Originally posted by Arcon
...maybe you could give me some hints where i can find some more infos on that matter. Look here... (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=468911#post468911) ;)


Bye

[AmigaFuture]

@DigitAl56K

Does the Philips DVP 642 support AVI files with 2 or more AC3 tracks?

How does the player handle skipping through the Video? Does it only support FF/REW or does it handle seeking, etc?

Thanks ahead of time.

[DarkWave]

Originally posted by DPR
What happened to the good old motion vector file ? It seems that the feature is again unavailable. Can't find any information about the feature being removed or deactivated on the offical DivX page.

BTW: some german translations are horrible ! I don't recommend using the german version ... some descriptions are confusing and only lead to misunderstandings.

I'm momentarily testing the new version and it seems that it's great ! :)
No answer yet. I'd like to know this, too...

DarkWave

[DigitAl56K]

http://support.divx.com/cgi-bin/divx.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=801

You will probably recieve better performance and better quality by using the new Fast mode than you would have with the MV file.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by AmigaFuture
@DigitAl56K

Does the Philips DVP 642 support AVI files with 2 or more AC3 tracks?

How does the player handle skipping through the Video? Does it only support FF/REW or does it handle seeking, etc?

Thanks ahead of time. It might also be worth pointing out that the Philips DVP630 is the European equivalent of the player.


Cheers

[AmigaFuture]

@SeeMoreDigital

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
It might also be worth pointing out that the Philips DVP630 is the European equivalent of the player.
"DivX Certified DVD Players now in stores" at the top of the thread which lists the available in U.S. & Europe.

Does anyone have experience with the Philips DVP 642 in the U.S.? I'd love to get one but I'd like some info 1st.

@DigitAl56K

Since you posted the info...could you lend a hand? Thanks.

[eLeKtriK EyE]

I can't get the register application started. I run the .exe file and it does nothing. Am I doing sth wrong or is the file corrupted?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
What happens if you choose to delete all the folders except the DivX folder in Program Files?

Will you prying-ware still try to phone home?Originally posted by DigitAl56K
You can disable rotating artwork and auto-update in the codec settings. There is a checkbox there for each.

You don't need to delete any files, and the codec will only check for banners and updates when the configuration GUI is open. Like I say, we don't use anything more complex than a simple hit counter :) Well I decided to delete the folders and their corresponding registry entries...

DivX5.2.0 still functions...


Cheers

[DigitAl56K]

Originally posted by AmigaFuture
@SeeMoreDigital


"DivX Certified DVD Players now in stores" at the top of the thread which lists the available in U.S. & Europe.

Does anyone have experience with the Philips DVP 642 in the U.S.? I'd love to get one but I'd like some info 1st.

@DigitAl56K

Since you posted the info...could you lend a hand? Thanks.

Sure, take a look here:
http://forums.divx.com/viewtopic.php?page=1&start=0&topic=58271&forum=21

Remember that after you buy a player, you should check the manufacturers website to get the latest firmware for the best experience.

[AmigaFuture]

@DigitAl56K

Thanks. I'm reading now for muli-AC3 (2 or more & switching ability) support with an AVI. Subtitle (.srt) support as well.

[AmigaFuture]

Hm...I read nothing about multiple audio (AC3) support. It does seem that some of the players are having audio sync problems which isn't good. Multi-Switchable-while-playing AC3 support in an AVI is important to me. I do not use MP3 when I backup my movies because MP3 is lossy compression & that doesn't make sense to me because AC3 (2.0 & 5.1) uses lossy compression also. For me, 320kbit is sweet, for music, but 128kbit I can really hear the loss.

The player is getting really great reviews, & that's cool but if AVI with AC3 playback is limited to 1 AC3 track then it's not worth it to me yet (because I backup commentaries), there would have to be no audio sync problems as well.

I'm betting that if you play a DivX encoded AVI with AC3 sound on a DVD+/-RW that it would play without audio sync problems? You posted that DVDs are recommended, & it seems that most people are using 700MB CDs which was not recommended. Am I folling all of this corrctly so far?

Also, it DOES play DivX encoded 704xXXX with the backbars just as it does with MPC (Media Player Classic)? In other words, it does not convert it down to 480x480, correct?

These things are important to me before I hand over hard-earned money. :)

[Spotpuff]

Is there a way to make FFDSHOW play divx 5.2 content?

I got DIVX to stop playing my XVID finally, but what about DivX? I prefer FFDShow's controls to DivX.

[AmigaFuture]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but FFDShow is meant to be used in conjunction with MPC (Media Player Classic) & the like, right? As a video is playing just right click on the movie & you pick Filters from there & adjust options.
It's not a stand-alone player.

[Spotpuff]

Originally posted by AmigaFuture
Correct me if I'm wrong, but FFDShow is meant to be used in conjunction with MPC (Media Player Classic) & the like, right? As a video is playing just right click on the movie & you pick Filters from there & adjust options.
It's not a stand-alone player.

You're correct, I did mean play divx content in MPC with the FFDSHOW filter... that's the problem I'm having now, DivX content is STILL playing with the DivX filter.

FFDSHOW is already set to play DivX content using the libavec codec... but divx 5.2 is taking over :T
I can play xvid content fine.

[AmigaFuture]

@Spotpuff

I don't know the libavec codec, so I'm unable to help with that. I JUST installed the new DivX 5.2 recently, so I don't know yet. However I'd say check your FFDShow config (from the StartMenu/Program Files). Heh, ATM that's the best help I can offer until I play with it more.

[Spotpuff]

Originally posted by AmigaFuture
@Spotpuff

I don't know the libavec codec, so I'm unable to help with that. I JUST installed the new DivX 5.2 recently, so I don't know yet. However I'd say check your FFDShow config (from the StartMenu/Program Files). Heh, ATM that's the best help I can offer until I play with it more.

FFDShow is a set of filters that will play xvid/divx (and a bunch of other stuff) that MPC wouldn't normally handle on its own (if it doesn't have a filter to handle the content).

FOr example, MPC can't handle XVID/DIVX by itself , so you install those filters yourself.

FFDShow uses the libavec codec to play xvid/divx (and some others), rather than xvid/divx.

[Spotpuff]

Problem fixed; just needed to update FFDSHOW to 20040718 version.

Apparently DX 5.2 has very high 'Merit" and takes over, so FFDSHOW updated to fix that.

[Brother John]

if you don't want to use the DivX decoder unregister divxdec.ax.
regsvr32.exe /u divxdec.ax
This should prevent DivX from decoding anything.

[DigitAl56K]

Originally posted by eLeKtriK EyE
I can't get the register application started. I run the .exe file and it does nothing. Am I doing sth wrong or is the file corrupted?

This means you're already registered.

[bond]

ffdshow has nothing directly to do with mpc...
mpc is a player using the directshow codec interface, just like many other players including bsplayer, zoomplayer and even the windows media player

[AmigaFuture]

@Spotpuff

Glad you got it worked out. :)

@bond

Yeah, I know that. I didn't have a lot of time when I wrote that so I didn't make it clear. Thanks for doing so.

[sterlina]

Originally posted by DigitAl56K
This means you're already registered.
well... how about making on the next update a small box appears with something like "DivX is already registred on this computer" instead of just closing the application? The fact that if the .exe doesn't opens it means that you're registred is not so obvious
¤ster¤

[DigitAl56K]

Good call, I meant to have that done for 5.2, infact. I'll see what we can do ;)

[Cyberman]

Originally posted by CruNcher
On wich marketing School you graduated DigitAl56K ?

Banner Ads == artwork ???

Where did you read that a Banner MUST be an Ad? A banner could just as well be a mere picture, with no message at all.

But indeed, it´s probably a way of DivXNetworks to keep a place for potential advertisments...

[edit]Or it´s not, just read the explanation. Well, could have been.

[SeeMoreDigital]

I really don't like this banner feature at all, what ever it's eventual intension's are!

Correct me if I'm wrong but has anybody else noticed how slow the DivX5.2.0 codec is to load (much slower than previous versions). Could the reason for this be because it's reporting in and looking for a new banner????

Personally, I've had enough... DivX5.2.0 has been deleted from my system and no DivX encoder is not going to be re-installed until DNX get their act together and stop believing their own hype!

Sorry to come on so strong... but that's the way I feel :(


Cheers

[V-tec]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital

Correct me if I'm wrong but has anybody else noticed how slow the DivX5.2.0 codec is to load (much slower than previous versions). Could the reason for this be because it's reporting in and looking for a new banner????

I have noticed the same thing, if you deactivate the autoupdate the codec loads faster, but there are something strange, the first time that the compression tab of vdub is opened, the codec list freeze for some secods, the other times load faster.

that is strange is the fact that all other codec opens instantly, also when a job list is started from job to job there a pause for various seconds... what happens during this time?

I have noticed that with 5.11 version but with 5.2 that is more noticeable.


sorry for my maccaroni english...

[niamh]

Unfortunately I've done the same as you SeeMore, mainly after having to unregister divdec to let ffdshow do the job(to be fair, the divx decoder is more pleasing to the eye anyway) , and having to reinstall my codecs and my players after re-registering the ax. 5.1.1 is as much as I can take ,mostly since I hardly ever use it.
I will look forward to a DivX that doesn't try to bully me and my system.

[Piper]

Firstly, congrats to DivXNetworks on the new release - I'm in agreement with the 6 months trial for the Pro version is indeed a positive step.

I'd like to post some comments regarding the current state of MPEG-4 encoding - specifically in reference to where DivX and XviD relate to each other.

As I can only speak for how I encode video, here's a bit of background on myself. I've been encoding video for about four years now and have spent a great deal of time with various codecs, filters and processing using avisynth. The vast majority of my encoding is done on analogue sources whether it's tv caps, or from VHS. I'm by no means an expert when it comes to the detailed specifics of what makes an encoder great, but I am a seasoned user and can achieve reliable results with a variety of codecs.

Up until XviD 1.0 was released, I either used DivX for CD storage or to MPEG-2 on DVD. With XviD 1.0.x I've since found my incentive to continue to use DivX has decreased dramatically. That doesn't mean I don't have concerns about XviD, far from it, but from a quality perspective (my primary motive) XviD serves me fine and is now my MPEG-4 codec of choice.

My intention here isn't to start another XviD vs DivX discussion but rather to point out how my usage habits have changed in recent months. It leaves me wondering if others are finding themselves in similar circumstances. If this is the case then I would agree that DivX has some ground to catch up on - at least with the geeks anyway. ;)

Where DivXNetworks does do well (or at least better than the XviD camp) IMHO is to project their product to more of a mainstream audience. This is an area where I believe XviD could really use some polish if they want to excel outside the existing community. Why they can't provide binaries for a supposedly legal Open Source codec would be a place to start. Casual users coming to xvid.org looking for a way to play a file they downloaded off the internet are only going to be scared away when they A) can't find binaries (if they even know to look for them) B) have to search elsewhere when the hosting site itself won't provide binaries for "legal reasons". This too has been discussed elsewhere and doesn't need much more rehashing here.

Regardless of what codec you use, I'm sure it can be agreed we con tinute to live in interesting times. Competition is always a good thing and the current positive state of things is due in large part to DivXNetworks. I for one thank them for that as much as I do for the codec itself. :)

[Taurus]

Just yesterday I decided to give new Divx encoder a shot.
Installed it, and Wow! my firewall gets nagged.
Without even starting the installed application it wanted to phone home.
Next, when starting the encoder via VirtualdubMod, Bam! The firewall gets annoyed by VirtualdubMod trying to access the internet.
During opening the compression tab in VirtualdubMod it took a half minute to open it. Same,when choosing Divx 5.2 as encoder, half a minute to wait.
So finaly doing an encode, just using standard settings, it was sloooow as hell.
Tried several times with short clips, disabled all phone home settings I came across in the GUI.
Ok, tried to view the encoded clip in MediaPlayerClassic.
First thing I encountered was, that the Divx Decoder took over my settings. Used to decode with ffdshow.
No chance, had to update ffdshow first.
Visual appearance so lala, I mean, couldn't get any Wow! or Great! out of my first impressions.
So I decided to uninstall Divx 5.2 because I forgot to uninstall 5.11 primary to 5.2. Cleaned up the registry. Doing another fresh install
of the new codec. Same things happening as described in the first lines of this post. Only difference: A warning, telling me that I got only 15 days left for a try out.
So after same procedure like mentioned above, I finaly did some other encodes, slow as hell, no visual benefits compared with 5.11.

Did the same on an old Win98 machine, nagnagnag. All symptoms like mentioned above.
I'm really pi...off. Maybe I missed something. But even the MS stuff doesn't give you so much hazzle to setup your encode and decode.

Switched back to Divx 5.11 or better to XVID (which I almost always use).

This are my 2 Cents.
Forgive me, if this post is much to long, but who pays me the hours I spent to keep this thingy working right (as I understand it)?

Cheers

Taurus

[nicco]

Switched back to Divx 5.11 or better to XVID

or RV10!
(http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79932)

I fully agree

[AmigaFuture]

Originally posted by Spotpuff
Problem fixed; just needed to update FFDSHOW to 20040718 version.

Apparently DX 5.2 has very high 'Merit" and takes over, so FFDSHOW updated to fix that.
Thanks for the info, that helped me as well. :) I love FFDShow!

[stephanV]

I find it always very surprising that almost every topic about DivX results in trolling towards DivXNetworks and the unavoidable "BTW - I'm a XviD worshipper"-comments.

All of this seems to be based on a notion that opensource is "good" and making money is "evil" and on malperformed, private tests; some post only a 1 image comparison, some use quality metrics which are not ready for such tests yet. In the end most people are just confirming their personal preference but try to extra-polate that to a rocksolid fact.

It even more surprises me that people start complaining that the DivX-decoder is starting to decode DivX content. No, that's really shocking! Whatelse would you expect if you install the thing???

Maybe it would be nice if people start giving constructive critisism instead of trying to diss DivX on every chance they get. Judge DivX first of all on its own merit instead of making all kinds of lame comparisons, which is in reality a way of saying you prefer another codec.

My 2 cents and thank you DivX for this new release!

[SeeMoreDigital]

Well at the end of the day it all comes down to the quality of the finished encode and the speed it can generate it!

And as I've already reported another threads, I'm not very happy with either.....

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=526151#post526151)
... Although the explanation (in the new DivX guide) of how 'adaptive 1B-VOP and mB-VOP should help with the encoding process, I really don't see any visual improvement at all :confused:

When you weigh up encoding speed together with the finished encode I'm with some of you guys when you say DivX5.0.5 is a better product - and maybe even DivX5.0.2!

Personally speaking, I'm sad to say I think there's very little point conducting further tests using DivX5.2.0... My personal opinion (if it counts for anything) is, it's not very good and is certainly not worth the hype!


Cheers

[Lord_KiRon]

"Solved" the slow codec opening (Alt-P) problem by fully uninstalling the DrDivX and installing again .
Now works as fast as 5.1.1 or any other codec .

[Taurus]

@ stephanV and to who it may concern

There was no critisism in the words I used about moneymaking on Divx.
Just some observations on a new? codec.

I started Divx encoding almost 10 years ago. Win 95, do you remember?
Times have changed, but the hazzles remain.
Nowadays you dont have to be a computer expert, but an security manager, with all this stuff thats surrounding what should be a normal
en/decoder.
About the ffdshow issue:
Sure there has to be a equivalent decoder in the Divx package.
But if the DivxNetwork refuses that another decoder to decode files made by there encoder, there's something wrong.
Sure it's a simple registry hack, but what for?
The guys over at fddshow reacted fast. So there is no problem anymore.
But what about all the guys and girls which are not updating twice a week? They run into the trouble that I mentioned in my former post.
It is solved as you can see from posts of other fellows in this thread.
But wouldn't it be nicer if the Devs over at Divx would take this into account?

I love Divx and what they have done to spread the word.
But a little less ignorance and arrogance will be welcomed.
(Now they even promote their baby with the message: No more annoying
Adware.)!
They are right, no more Adware from different companies, but what is the Nag Screen on encoder tab for? To me its just another bulls...
Discussing on technical data later on.

Taurus

[niamh]

I was chuffed when it came out, ran 3 or 4 tests myself, never mind the screenshots of others, nope, sorry. :) The quality isn't anywhere near good enough for the hassle.
I don't think anybody has been able to point out an improvement on 5.1.1.
What I meant is I wish good luck to 5.2, but don't count on me to use it as it is now, nor recommend it.

The very fact that most people here (me included) can't even get over the scrolling banners and the general bully attitude of the codec, and are so overwhelmingly negative does prove a point:Something is very wrong, and for a commercial product, it doesn't look good on the long run.

If, at least, it was a beta! We might be more understanding.But this is a final, and eventually we'd be asked to pay for it.It just doesn't cut it, that doesn't change the fact that we're all grateful to Divx for what it is and what it has done and still doing, but it will not change the fact either that I refuse to reinstall it, in its present state :) (and I'm not the only one)

[stephanV]

Originally posted by Taurus
@ stephanV and to who it may concern

I started Divx encoding almost 10 years ago. Win 95, do you remember?
Times have changed, but the hazzles remain.

Oh, I remember Win95... but DivX was i believe founded somewhere around 2000 so 10 years huh? In 1994 MPEG2 specs were just completed or something, but thats just nagging of course. Whatever you were encoding with, it wasn't DivX.

Discussing on technical data later on.
OK...

[Sharktooth]

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

Taurus, you're a time traveller or you're telling us a lot of lies...
Choose one.


P.S.: Look at my signature... Intel Indeo codec...

[jggimi]

Remember Rule 4, people. Flame wars will not be tolerated. Not under any circumstances.

I will close the thread if I have to.

[Taurus]

I'm so sorry

Mixed up my experiences with old MS MPEG-4 and Divx.
And it seemed to me as if it was out for 10 years.
Now its only 6 years (Thanks Sharktooth for the wikipedia link)
(Is this realy true that MPEG-4 was released 1998? I must have been in a time tunnel).
I didn't wanted to upset anybody.
My only concern was about the new install routine of Divx 5.2.

So please excuse me if I got it wrong, or someone got me wrong.
Still into MPEG-4 encoding......
No need jggimi to close this thread.
I will shut my mouth and will look what the Pro's :D are observing.

Cheers

Taurus

[Sharktooth]

Im sorry for being harsh, i didnt meant to be so.

[trekminal]

Originally posted by Taurus
I started Divx encoding almost 10 years ago. Win 95, do you remember?

:eek:
Divx codec born on late 1998, and Win95 on 1995. Check your windows time. ;)

[DigitAl56K]

Hey guys,

I've built a fairly comprehensive list of issues, and we're looking at them all :)

[Sharktooth]

Where's that list?

[DigitAl56K]

Sitting on my desk right now :)

[obieobieobie]

I sure hope that Zoomplayer issue is on the list. :)

[Sharktooth]

Originally posted by DigitAl56K
Sitting on my desk right now :)
Can you post that list please?
so we can review it and tell you if there are other issues to add...

[AmigaFuture]

Yeah, I'd like to know what problems have been found to fix also. Especially since it was made public that there is a list of problems & corrections to be made.

[DigitAl56K]

There is always a list :)

[AmigaFuture]

Heheh..you're funny! :) :devil:

[V-tec]

to the list add a check to DivX 5.2 decoder.
I have found that there are some problems to decode DivX 5.02 video's.
A strange black blocks appears during panning motions of dark objects or in dark areas.
With 5.11 decoder all works right.

cheers

v-t

[DigitAl56K]

Thanks V-tec, I have this one already :)

[bond]

i did a quick test with divx5 and here are my findings:

- where can i change the language used?
- does divx5 use 2 warppoint gmc now? at least its indicated in the vol that way!
- the followed mpeg-4 profile/level is still not marked in the vol
- in my test divx5 used max. 2 consecutive b-frames. is this the hardcoded upper limit?
- mpeg2 quant mode is definitely the default mpeg matrix and not some funky custom one (did anyone expect something different?)
- is the slowest mode supposed to work? here, on a pentium3 866mhz, it didnt: i only got 0fps in vdm and some strange unreadable .avi file got created (2pass mode)
- psychovisual enhancement is in contrary to nerodigital and xvid NOT adaptive quantisation (or at least it kicks in that rarely that i didnt see it being used). instead i think its simply some sort of smoothing preprocessing filter

[niamh]

is the slowest mode supposed to work?
It works here on a P4 1.9 mhz (I always use it for last pass, but I have to say I only ran one or 2 short encodes with 5.2. But no problems)

[Jawor]

Originally posted by bond

- is the slowest mode supposed to work? here, on a pentium3 866mhz, it didnt: i only got 0fps in vdm and some strange unreadable .avi file got created (2pass mode)
It works fine on my Celeron Tualatin 1.2 GHz. I think it has the same or similar instruction set as a PIII 866 Mhz.Originally posted by bond
- psychovisual enhancement is in contrary to nerodigital and xvid NOT adaptive quantisation (or at least it kicks in that rarely that i didnt see it being used). instead i think its simply some sort of smoothing preprocessing filter
I read the explanation from "The Official DivX Guide" and it sounds to me more like shape-adaptive DCT as described in the MPEG-4 standard. Perhaps someone in the know should confirm or deny this.

[AmigaFuture]

Greetings again,

I wasn't terribly happy with the lack of answers to my questions & I'm not usually the kind of person to just say "Aw, heck with it." & do it anyway without info making sure the product IS worth the money. However, this is one of those RARE times. I'm very happy with the Philips DVP-642 I bought, even though my Apex DVD player wasn't even that old...I won't be buying another DVD player for a long time to come as along as Philips DOES stick to doing GOOD quality as well as DivX doing the same. ;)
I've been watching DivX for a while & Philips has been a good solid name so I don't see the machine having problems. Anyway, with that said I'll point out what I was looking for & what I've found thus far:

DivX video with AC3 audio wrapped in AVI format (MPEG-4) with the ability to pick from _multiple_ AC3 tracks since I also archive commentaries. They do not play well from a standard 700MB CD-R, The Matrix being tested..you'll get audio drop-outs, & some video jerking at different times in the movie (I only have the Soundtrack & Commentary because I don't like the Score commentary much..I'm not a huge fan of the music..) HOWEVER, as I started to notice through different questions OTHER people asked & *problems* (I don't have *issuses*) they had that DVD+R/Ws work very well!! THIS was pleasing to actually SEE. Copy 3 AVI files from 700MB CDs to the Harddrive, then burn them to a DVD+RW & playback in Philips DVP-642...SWEET! All plays fine, except for a *moment* or so of _lag_ when pressing the AUDIO button for the AC3 to catch up with the Video, but it works pretty darn nice! I do happen to have some older archives of my put-away DVDs where I used MP3 (320kbit) & they worked just fine from a CD-R.. Humm..kind of annoying since I only use AC3.

Overall, DivX/XviD seems to be working well. AC3/MP3 are working well, too, with a minor annoying step being needed when AC3 is used. I just don't like MP3 for movies...I can hear the loss. So far, all in all, it's working VERY well. Auto/GodianKnot & DvdReMake (Pro), DVD Rebuilder, DivX, XviD are GREAT tools. Love the new hardware, I'll have to keep tabs on the firmware updates. Thanks, guys! This sure makes it easier to keep my originals is GREAT shape!!!

Rock on! The MP3 player needs some info displayed.. No ID3 Tags or anything? I'll check the docs again..humm.. Maybe it's sacraficed for Video playback? Haha.

[AmigaFuture]

@DigitAl56K or anyone else...

I'm trying to import chapters into VDubMod which contains DivX video & multiple AC3 audio. (I hope I'm posting in the right area..) When I save a part of the file as .AVI it doesn't retain the chapters or subtitles. When I save it as .OGM it does play via Classic Media Player but the Philips DVP-642 just kicks the DVD+RW out. I haven't yet tried with a CD-RW but I'd guess the same results.
Is VDubMod 1.5.10.1 the wrong container maker? Is something something I'm not doing correctly? The owners manual says it DOES handle subtitles within the file (AVI) but nothing about chapters. I'm not hard encoding Subtitles as I don't care for that method. I'm using SRT (SubRip) which DOES work fine as an external file in Philips DVP-642.

Thanks in advance for replies.

[jggimi]

@AmigaFuture

Your question is about container and player capabilities, and has nothing to do with DivX, per se.

The AVI container is incapable of housing a subtitle stream, nor can it manage chapter marks. With AVI, subs must either be "burned in" as part of the video images, or they must be retained in a separate file.

What external subtitle formats are supported during playback, if any, will depend upon your AVI player. The issues are the same for standalone players as well as PC-based players. For example, my standalone player doesn't support any external subtitle files, nor does the Windows Media Player.

But, in Windows, one can use DirectVobsub to overlay subtitles with any DirectShow based AVI player, such as Windows Media Player, as long as the subtitle format is understood by DirectVobSub, and file location and naming convention rules are adhered to. Obviously, one can also use some software AVI players that understand subtitles, such as BSPlayer or ZoomPlayer. These may support a broader selection of subtitle file formats. In the same fashion, a standalone player that supports external subtitles should have a list of supported formats, as well as any other restrictions that may apply to their use.

If I recall correctly, OGM and MKV containers both support chapter marks and subtitle streams. Unfortunately, I don't know the capabilities of your hardware player, but based on your description, it appears it doesn't understand the OGM container.

[AmigaFuture]

Hi. That's why I said I wasn't sure if this was the right area or not. I'm a little confused about where the problem is.

I understand how to play AVIs via windows or another OS, & that WMP (Yuck!) won't play Subtitles without something like FFDShow which is what I use with Media Player Classic. I'll move my question to the hardware players area then.

Note that so far I've read the manual from top to bottom but have seen nothing talking about the container that's used (ogg/mvk..) & nothing about extentions (Geez, I wish Windows didn't have to use those.. Amiga did it right, I miss that!)

Again, thanks for the reply.

[stephanV]

Originally posted by jggimi
@AmigaFuture

The AVI container is incapable of housing a subtitle stream, nor can it manage chapter marks. With AVI, subs must either be "burned in" as part of the video images, or they must be retained in a separate file.



this is wrong, avistreaminfo has a ffctype "text" for textstreams. in other words: textbased subs are very well possible in AVI. you can mux srt and ssa subs in AVI with AVImux gui. there probably isnt any hardware support for it though. some players do support srt subs burned as a separate file on the cd. youd have to check the manual.

chapters are (probably) not possible in AVI

hardware for support for OGM or MKV doesnt excist AFAIK... unfortunately (for mkv anyway...)

[jggimi]

Thanks for the clarification on the AVI container capabilities, Stephan.

[AmigaFuture]

@stephanV

Thanks for the reply. I thought it should be able to be used as a container but even with AVI-Mux GUI 1.16.7 I'm not having any luck saving subtitles with AVI. After going back to the User manual again I see, "If an external subtitle has been selected, the DivX embedded subtitle will be deactivated."

Does Embedded mean "burned in" or wrapped in a container? I'll admit I'm a little confused by the wording. Checking different sites it sounds like "encoded into the video" but then there's "deactivated". So what should I use to make subtitles "embedded" & not "encoded into the video"?

Thanks.

[lark]

i'm pretty sure they are not _encoded_ into the video with avimuxgui,
because that would mean encoding the whole video again...

regards
t :)

[AmigaFuture]

I understand AVI-Mux GUI is just a de/MUXer & not an encoder like VDubMod.

[stephanV]

Originally posted by AmigaFuture
@stephanV

After going back to the User manual again I see, "If an external subtitle has been selected, the DivX embedded subtitle will be deactivated."

Does Embedded mean "burned in" or wrapped in a container?



I have no idea what it means actually... i dont know what a "divx" subtitle is...

which manual was that? of your DVD player? like i said a DivX player is not lileky to support subs wrapped in the AVI-container. you have to burn them as separate file.

[AmigaFuture]

Yes, my Philips DVP-642 manual. That's the closest it comes to telling what kind of container the machine reads or if the subs are burned in. I'll try writing DivX support.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by AmigaFuture
Yes, my Philips DVP-642 manual. That's the closest it comes to telling what kind of container the machine reads or if the subs are burned in. I'll try writing DivX support. As you probably already know, the Philips DVP 642 can spin Mpeg4/Mp3 in both the .AVI and .MP4 containers :D

However, as far as I'm aware the player does not support subtitles placed in the MP4 container... well not Nero subtitles. But I suppose we could do more tests!

As a matter of interest, have there been many firmware updates for this player?


Cheers