Stand-alone MPEG-4 (DivX, XviD...) Player Buyers Guide

[Y.T.]

Quite recently I went through the tedious process of researching the whole stand-alone player topic. Overall, there seems to be huge confusion over the actual technical features of these players and you have to scavenge dozens of Internet Forums for bits and pieces of unreliable information to aid your buying decision. Furthermore, Europeans suffer from a huge selection of players while people in the US have to choose between only a few available models.

Either way it is difficult to make an informed decision since there is no central review website for MPEG-4 players and reviews often forget to cover important technical details. Thus I decided to put together the things I learned while doing my investigations. I would very much welcome all input you can give me to this thread and in time it might become a fairly comprehensive overview.

I myself ended up choosing the Sigmatek XM-400 Pro (http://xm-400.sigmatek-players.com/index.php?page=tech&lang=en) with the Pioneer DV-575 (http://www.divx-compare.com/lecteur-PIODV575AS-PIONEER-DV-575A-S.htm) and Pioneer DV-470 (http://www.divx-compare.com/lecteur-PIODV470-PIONEER-DV-470-S.htm) on a close second place on my ranking list. For the US market, the Oppo Digital (http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h.html) looks like an excellent choice. From all the information I have gathered so far, all three of the above can be highly recommended.

In the following I will try to summarize some of the most important factors you should take into account when making your choice. This article will be mainly concerned with technical issues - after all, this is the Doom9 Forum. Issues like "is this player stylish enough for my living room and is it available in a colour that matches my Monet on the wall" you will have to solve yourself. :D Additionally, a strong focus will be on subtitles since almost all reviews of stand-alone players forget to accurately cover subtitle issues. Unless you live in one of the few countries where all movies are dubbed or you fancy only the bland, watered-down fare that Hollywood puts out for mentally challenged audiences these days, you will agree with me that subtitle support is important.

How to choose a stand-alone MPEG-4/DVD Player
(or at least the way I approached the problem :sly: )

1. Consider the alternatives:
PC connected to TV via TVout - no compatibility problems whatsoever. On the other hand you have to consider the noise your PC makes and whether or not you can keep it hooked up permanently or have to fiddle around with the cables each time you want to watch a movie.
Xbox with Mod Chip and DVD remote running XBMC - just like a PC, no compatibility problems at all. On some older models the DVD drive might have to be replaced; plus it still looks like a cheap game console and not like a DVD player. More details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_Media_Center
HTPC - several Home Theatre PC solutions offer much more than just DVD & MPEG-4 playback and the added benefit of no compatibility problems. You can have a complete integrated system for playing and recording TV, Movies and Music with Internet access to IMDB and TV schedules. Expect to pay as much as for a new PC though.
Various devices to stream videos from your PC and display them on your TV; harddisks with integrated MPEG4-playing firmware that you can hook up to the TV. Great if you have a "normal" DVD player already and only need a MPEG-4 solution.
Except for the first option in the list all of the above are more expensive than a high-quality stand-alone MPEG-4 player. The highly-debated compatibility issue with stand-alones has, for all practical purposes, been pretty much solved by now so stand-alones are very much worth considering!

2. Filter the broad selection of players on the market by defining your must-have features:
Go to http://divx-compare.com/section-1-lecteur-dvd-divx.htm and reduce the choice of players by searching for some rare features that you absolutely need and cannot do without. This could be stuff like .idx/.sub support, .ogm support or Nero Digital support. (Yes, the divx-compare website is in French only but it is really easy to use even if you don't understand a word of French. The 100+ players reviewed there are taken from and centered on the European market so US readers will have to stick to the global players whose products are available worldwide.)

3. Compare details, look for professional reviews & user opinions, find a firmware support community, check for availability.
Make sure you like the detailed test results for the player. Reviews help to find out if the player is very noisy or if the DVD drive breaks easily. Make sure to buy a model that has strong firmware support with people actively modding the firmware. Lastly, make sure you can actually get that model in your own country.

4. Try taking a close look at the player in a store (Optional)
If you are extremely lucky, you might be able to find the model you are looking for on display in a store. That way you can check it out real close and there won't be any nasty surprises after buying it. Before you go to the store, be sure to bring some DivX/XviD Test material along:
The DivX Test CD v.1.1:
http://www.mpeg-playcenter.com/modules.php...iewtopic&t=4071 (http://www.mpeg-playcenter.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=4071)
A collection of movie clips for stress-testing your player:
http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~fhoesli/video/
Dolby Digital, DTS, THX, SDDS Trailers as VOB files ready to be burned on DVD to test your surround sound (some WMV9, Quicktime and MPEG test files can be found there as well):
http://www.cinenow.com/us/vobtrailer.php3
http://www.dvdloc8.com/list_dvd_clip.php
http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/downloads/trailers.php

5. Order your player and have fun! :D

This is the basic process that I followed and I quickly ended up with a very small and manageable selection of players to choose from. Of course you could also start your search by determining the price range you are prepared to pay but I opted for a feature-centric approach instead.

Now on to all the juicy details on what you should pay attention to when buying a player... the following is knowledge gathered from a multitude of forums and I hope it can give you a good initial overview of the situation.

What you need to know before buying a MPEG-4 Player

1. General Hardware Criteria

Inside all of the players you will find the following:
Chipset - Dealt with under Section 2. Just make sure you know which one is in the box and that it's a Mediatek 1389.
DVD-Drive - Should be able to read all combinations of CD-R/RW, DVD+/-R/RW with good error correction for scratched disks. Should not make loud noises while reading disks.
Video D/A converter, Audio D/A converter, De-interlacer - Especially if you are a Cine-/Audiophile, find out what chips are used in your player and what the expert opinion is on the quality of their output.
DD (Dolby Digital) & DTS decoders - If you want to hook up your DVD-player to a surround stereo system and your amp does not have such decoders you will need these inside your player for full surround sound.
Fan - make sure the overall noise level of your DVD-Player is barely audible and does not disturb your viewing experience.
Outside check for the following:
Casing - Should be sturdy with firm rubber feet.
Display - Should be easily readable in broad daylight; a dimming option is a plus (so it doesn't disturb you while watching with all the lights off).
Remote - Make sure it works at your required distance and also from wide angles.
2. Chipset

There are several different Chipsets available on the market right now but arguably the most capable one is the Mediatek 1389 Series. Therefore I will only discuss the Mediatek.

There are several different versions of the Mediatek chip. Each one has a slightly different set of features but the feature matrix is confidential and has never been released by Mediatek. Here are some common ones:
1389 GE - This is not DivX certified so don't buy players with this chipset.
1389 FE
1389 DE
1389 EE - Most players with the EE chipset support SACD. Seems to be the most functional version out there right now.
Depending on the firmware used, functionality in your player can vary. More on this in Section 3. However, there are some limitations which are inherent to the Mediatek Chipset and are highly unlikely or impossible to be fixed by a firmware update: No support for XviDs with GMC enabled.
It is important to distinguish between DivX and XviD here. DivX with GMC uses 1 warp point and is supported on all Mediatek-based players. XviD on the other hand uses 3 warp-point GMC and is not supported on any stand-alone player right now. XviD + GMC however is very very rare. No need to worry.

No MKV (Matroska Video container) support.
Unless Mediatek releases some more specs on the function calls in their firmware I doubt this will be implemented anytime soon. If you haven't heard about Matroska before, no need to worry about it.

No MOV (Quicktime Movie container) support. No RM (RealMedia) support.
Same as above... In fact, this also goes for any super-rare, ultra-proprietary, non-MPEG-4 codecs and containers you can pull out of your hat and that I haven't even heard about!

Maximum resolution limited to 720x576.
The upper bitrate limit also probably lies at ~5,000Mbps although that can vary from player to player. In plain terms this means: No playback of encodings of HD (High Definition) material. This is pretty much a non-issue at the moment since there is hardly any HD content available on the market for you to consume. In order to be prepared for the future, you might want to look at the first HD-capable chip on the market, the Sigma, covered extensively in this thread: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84003. Personally, I'd rather wait until BluRay and/or HD-DVD have established themselves on the DVD side of things and H.264 playback becomes possible on the compressed-video side of things. I wouldn't be surprised if this takes quite a while so I consider HD support to be a moot point right now.

No H.264 support.
Right now, nada. :( In the future: Both H.264 and WMV9 will be playable with the new Sigma EM8622L and EM8624L chipset, as this press release claims: http://www.sigmadesigns.com/news/press_releases/050418.htm
Come christmas time, we might already have the first H.264 compatible DVD-player! :)

No support for any picture format other than JPEG (e.g. GIF, PNG) and any music format other than MP3 (e.g. FLAC).
For music, note that OGG Vorbis and WMA are supported by a lot of players as detailed below. In general however, you will be better off if you simply regard your MPEG-4 player as a movie player, and not as an all-in-one solution for any media.

3. DivX/XviD Compatibility and more

All Mediateks (except the 1389GE) support both DivX and XviD in all combinations and variations. This includes CBR & VBR MP3 and AC3 sound, even as multiple audio tracks (so-called BivX). This also includes GMC & QPel for DivX and QPel for XviD. It also usually includes .srt and .sub textfile support for subtitles.

Where the differences between players start to show are:

- .sub / .idx vobsub support: Only a handful of players on the market support bitmap subtitles at all. For me, this immediately limited the choice of players very drastically since I could not live without vobsubs (text subs like .srt very frequently suffer from poor spelling due to the OCR process performed to extract the text out of the original bitmap subtitles).
The only players that have been confirmed to support vobsubs and that I have found out about are: Pioneer DV-380, DV-470, DV-575, DV-585, DV-676A; Philips 720SA; United 4969 Divx Certified; Sigmatek XM-400 Pro; Techwood DVX-5050S, DVX-550S; Keyplug KP-5610; H&B DX-3255; LG DK-8321N, DF-8900P; Targa DP-5100x; Silvercrest KH6507; Yamaha 550; Zensonic Z330; BlueSens 3005; Medion MD 7457; RJ Tech RJ-800DVXII.

- .ogm & .ogg support: A few players support playing .ogg music files but only a very small selection actually support the .ogm container. The ones I know about are: Pioneer DV-470, DV-575, DV-585; Sigmatek XM-400 Pro; H&B DX-3255.
The latest hacked Pioneer firmware fully supports .ogm with multiple audio streams and subtitle streams. Same for the Sigmatek, except it does not support subs included in the .ogm, only external subs. I haven't checked up on the H&B firmware.

- XviD with Packed Bitstream (N-VOP) and more than one consecutive B-VOP (DivX with PB is no problem at all): Most Mediatek-based players do not properly supports this. Note that apparently players based on the old ESS Vibratto chips had no problems with packed bitstream XviD but since the Mediatek chip is superior in pretty much all other aspects I would not recommend ESS-based players. The problem occurs only if the XviD in question has more than one B-VOP at a time (one B-VOP seems to work fine) and usually leads to video stuttering (dropped frames) and loss of audio sync. This problem is actively being solved in many firmware releases right now. My Sigmatek XM-400 Pro, with the current official firmware, can handle any packed bitstream XviD thrown at it. Packed bitstream support also seems to have been implemented on the Targa DP-5100x, RJ-800DVX and LG 8900P as this article points out: http://www.divxtest.com/article.php3?id_article=93. This might mean that in the future firmware hackers will be able to implement N-VOP support in other Mediatek-based players as well. In the meantime, if your player does not support N-VOPs, the solution is quite simple yet bothersome: Get MPEG4 Modifier from http://www.moitah.net/. This simple tool can check if your XviD uses packed bitstream and disable it without having to re-encode the whole movie. MPEG4 Modifier runs with .NET on Windows or with Mono on Linux and MacOS as the command-line version (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=87516) (I have used it successfully on all three OSes).

- Region Free support: Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years you should know about this one. Most players have some kind of trick or hack to set them region free. Before buying, be sure to look up your model in the VideoHelp Database: http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.
Certain models can require expensive hardware & knowledge to be made region-free in which case you might want to look for a different player or for a dealer who sells your model as region-free.

(continued in next post due to character per post limit on this forum...)

[Y.T.]

- DivX 6 support: All Mediatek1389-based stand-alones should be able to play DivX6 encoded movies with the .avi extension. Many even support several audio tracks and subtitle tracks included in the .avi and some already accept .divx as the extension as well. A good overview of some common players tested for DivX6 compatibility can be found here: http://www.divxtest.com/article.php3?id_article=67
Note that none of the current players support DivX6 Menus and Chapters yet. However, now that the DivX6 standard has been finalized, there is a chance that some of them will support it in a future firmware release... Which brings us to a very crucial point:

- Firmware update support: This is one of the most-important aspects when choosing a player. Make sure the manufacturer and/or the user community actively support your model and release new firmware versions adding features and fixing bugs. If you are from a country that uses an alphabet that cannot be displayed with the standard set of latin letters, pay extraordinary attention - all Mediateks have problems with foreign .srt charsets and codepages, so you will need a modified firmware to have .srt subs in your native language.
A good starting point for firmware mods is the Mtz Website and Forums: http://mtz.softpedia.com. Additionally, you should perform an extensive google search on your model, sometimes you can come up with active firmware developer communities where you never would have expected them - I have seen some in France, Poland and Brazil. Unless there are hackers out there modding the firmware for your model, you won't have much chance to remain up-to-date in the future.

- Nero Digital Support: I do not cover Nero Digital at all in this guide since it has already been completely and perfectly covered in this thread: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=94538. Basically Nero Digital certified players allow you to play back any files using the .mp4 container and AAC audio. (Many thx to bond for the info)

- WMA & WMV Support: A lot of players already support WMA and WMV3. If so, it is usually always mentioned in the player specs and not difficult to find out about.
As for WMV9, right now only players based on the Sigma EM8620L chip can play those. You can find some info on it here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=84003
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=87751
One such player is the Zensonic Z500:http://www.z500series.com/specs.php
(Interestingly, they also claim that they will have support for Matroska but have not implemented it yet...)

- 3ivX Support: Not many test results are available but since 3ivx is MPEG-4 compliant, an MPEG-4 player should in theory be able to play it back. Custom 3ivX extensions like Chapters will most likely not work. For 3ivx files with an mp4 container and aac audio, you will need a Nero Digital certified player in order to play them (thx to bond for the info). If anyone has some 3ivx test results to share, please post below.

- Dual Layer DVD Support: Support for dual-layer media is not always guaranteed so make sure to check/ask for it.

- Misc stuff: If you really need it, you will know to look for it. Examples include progressive scan support and the various advanced A/V connections you may or may not need like VGA or Optical.


4. Problems you should be prepared to run into
XviDs are stuttering...

-> Probably the XviD has packed bitstream and your player doesn't support it. See Section 3.3.
Another possible reason could be bad interleaving in the file. Cyberace describes this easy way to fix that:
To fix this problem use VirtualDub on your Windows computer to "Direct-Stream" both the video and audio which saves a new fixed file, (this does not affect the quality of the file as all it does is demux the audio from the video and mux them back correctly by interleaving the video with the audio data). Since VirtualDub creates a new header (internal index), it usually automaticly fixes any problems with bad/corrupt headers, too.

Picture smears and turns into psychedelic colours or just doesn't play...

-> You've hit one of those really rare XviDs with GMC enabled. You will need to re-encode the movie.


Movies are displayed with the wrong aspect ratio...

-> Some of the Mediatek chips with some of the firmware versions seem to have this problem... You will have to investigate possible solutions for your model on your own, sorry.


A part of the picture left and right is cut off on a 4:3 TV (even though the DVD player is set to Letterbox)...

-> This is due to overscan which can be a serious problem... Read more about it here: http://www.mastersofcinema.org/reviews/03lookingbeyond.htm . The only real way to solve this would be to have a progressive zoom function for movies so that you can zoom out just enough until the full picture frame is visible and underscanned. Divxtest.com always tests for this functionality in their player reviews but so far no player supports it - you can only zoom out to 50% and watch the movie in a tiny window. Note that overscan does not occur if you use the TV-out on your PC to play movies so that can always serve as an alternative in extreme cases. Reportedly the Asian models Yamakawa 365 and 375 based on the Sigma chipset support progressive zoom so you could check those out if this is important for you.


Filenames in the browser are too short; the subtitles don't look nice, the font sucks and you can't change the size; special characters and alphabets in subtitles are not displayed correctly etc. etc...

-> These are default problems on all Mediateks that are easily fixed with a small firmware hack. This should not be a problem on players with good firmware update support.


JPEG viewing and MP3-CD listening sucks and is missing loads of functions (shuffle, anyone?)

-> This is basically the same for almost all the MPEG-4 stand-alones. Get a DVD/MPEG-4 player for the one function it is really intended to do: play movies. Consider getting something else for your slideshows and MP3s. A few of these things can be fixed in the firmware but don't expect too much.


5. Links you should check out (apart from this excellent forum :D )

DivX Compare (http://divx-compare.com/section-1-lecteur-dvd-divx.htm)
In French only but quite easy to browse (otherwise try translating it with babelfish (http://babelfish.av.com)). Great source for detailed technical reviews of the MPEG-4 playback capabilites of over 100 different players.

DivX-Test (http://www.divxtest.com/sommaire.php3?lang=en)
These guys have developed an excellent Test-CD with short movie clips to systematically test for a huge and very complete set of differently encoded movies you might want to play on your stand-alone. They have also tested a good deal of players with their CD, the results can be found here: http://www.divxtest.com/results.php3. Be aware that the tests were made quite a while ago with older firmware so the situation has changed since then for some of the models listed there.

Video-Help DVD Player Database (http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers)
Simply the largest index of DVD players out there. Very useful to read some user reviews of the model you are planning to buy and to check if there is an easy hack to make your player region-free. Unlike the two websites above, it lacks detailed information on DivX/XviD compatibility. E.g. it does have a field called "DivXSubs support" yet is not very meaningful since it does not tell you which subtitle formats are supported in which languages.

MediaTek chip-set (MT1389xx) Information - Std Def (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67028)
CruNcher's excellent thread on all things Mediatek1389 on this forum. Beware though, it is 20 pages long :eek:

Official DivX Forum (http://forums.divx.com/eve/ubb.x/a/frm/f/531101651)
The DivX DVD Players subforum on the official Divx.com forum.

MPEG Playcenter (http://www.mpeg-playcenter.com/)
Good forum for information on stand-alones.

Mtz Modified Firmware Collection (http://mtz.softpedia.com/)
A starting point to look for both original and modified versions of firmware for your player. For models not listed there, try asking on their forum.

MT1389 Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mt13x9/)
Mailing list discussing the Mediatek 1389 chipsets and firmware modifications.

Australian DivX & Stuff Forum (http://phorums.com.au/forumdisplay.php?f=42)
Good Australian Forum on MPEG-4 stand-alones.

DivX Players Forum (http://divx-players-forum.divx-xvid-players.co.uk/)
Very small new UK forum discussing MPEG-4 players.

GoodDVDStuff Forum (http://www.gooddvdstuff.com/kissdvd/)
Mostly Kiss player discussion but there are subforums for other MPEG-4 players, too.

MPEG 4 Terminology (http://www.seemoredigital.net/03_Video_Info.html)
Excellent short explanations of terms like GMC, QPel etc. used in this article, courtesy of SeeMoreDigital.

Hope that information was able to help some of you! :cool:
Please feel free to post any additional information about the special features of the player you bought, new product developments or things I forgot to cover and I will try to update this Guide accordingly.

Yours Truly,
Y.T.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Many thanks for submitting your excellent post Y.T. :)

There can never be too much information about MPEG-4 capable players/devices... I have not read all the information yet, but may I suggest you amend the title of your post to read "Stand-alone MPEG-4 Player Buyers Guide" or even "Stand-alone MPEG-4 (DivX) Player Buyers Guide"?

DivX is after-all a brand name for just one of the many possible MPEG-4 ISO alternatives!

Many thanks... and welcome to the forum.

[Y.T.]

I have not read all the information yet, but may I suggest you amend the title of your post to read "Stand-alone MPEG-4 Player Buyers Guide" or even "Stand-alone MPEG-4 (DivX) Player Buyers Guide"?

DivX is after-all a brand name for just one of the many possible MPEG-4 ISO alternatives!
Sorry, my mistake. I changed the title and also tried to replace all instances where I incorrectly talk about "divx players" to "MPEG-4 players". I somehow must have slipped into the habit of saying "DivX" since it is the one term that non-technically minded people will recognize when you talk to them (just watch their facial expression if you start throwing terms like MPEG-4 at them :D )... The same way I always talk about Linux when I mean GNU/Linux. :stupid: No excuse to make those mistakes in written conversation though... :)

Edit: Fixed, added and rearranged a few of the points in the guide. The structure should be a bit more coherent now and the occasional spelling mistake has been mended. I think I'm finished for today... ;)

[bond]

ND is completely proprietary (read: Windows-only) technology, is rarely used in the real world and will likely be superseded by DivX 6 anyway.sorry to say it that harshly but this is total nonsense:
nerodigital is 100% mpeg-4 compatible. its uses mpeg-4 asp video (like xvid, divx, 3ivx aso), mpeg-4 aac audio (like itunes) and the .mp4 container (like apple, x264, 3ivx and lots of other free and payware tools)

nerodigital is in fact more open technology than divx is, especially when talking about their "new" container, which is basically .avi extended with 100% proprieatary, closed and not publically specified technology
in fact you wrote about packed bitstream and what problems it causes and what not. packed bitstream is another example of a proprieatary extension to a standard done by divx (one that is reverse engineered already tough)

the .mp4 files created by nerodigital are, as mentioned, following the mpeg-4 standard and can therefore be played in various non-nero tools already, like mplayer, videolan, quicktime, realplayer and windows media player (or any other dshow player) when installing freely available filters (like ffdshow, haali, 3ivx, coreaac and what not)

you can also place xvid and divx streams inside the .mp4 container with free and opensource tools, like mp4box and mp4create and they are the same way compliant to mpeg-4 as nerodigital and can therefore also be played on every nerodigital-enabled hardware player of course

- 3ivX Support: This is a difficult one. Almost no information is available on this issue, even on the official 3ivX forums. Supposedly it is pretty much MPEG-4 compliant so it should theoretically play on most players. Many players might not like the .3ivx extension though so you might have to rename your files or look for a firmware fix. Advanced 3ivX stuff like Chapters will certainly not be supported at all. If anyone has more information on this topic, please enlighten us.well, let me enlighten you again
its widely known that 3ivx is also 100% mpeg-4 compliant, like nerodigital
it also offers tool which output asp video with aac audio in the .mp4 container, just like nerodigital

they also offer a vfw encoder (just like divx and xvid), which lets you encode for example in virtualdub to .avi
if you want 3ivx streams to play in a hardware player simply change the 3ivx fourcc to something the player understands (propably DIVX or XVID)

3ivx doesnt offer any tool which outputs to .3ivx

[kosmonaut]

Hi Y.T.,

Great job! From the DivX perspective, I would only add that DivX certification does mean a lot. We extensively test the players and you can depend on them to do what we promise, which is play back files encoded according to our Home Theater profile (http://www.divx.com/certified/technical.php) . Of course we can't make promises about XVID playback, but from my experience most files on the internet are encoded so they can be played in DivX certified devices, regardless if the codec chosen is DivX or XVID.

The Mediatek based players are very good, but they are not the only ones. A lot of people are quite happy with Sigma based players, some even like their ESS players. :D Even better, we are testing a number of new chips right now.

- DivX 6 support: All Mediatek1389-based stand-alones should be able to play DivX6 encoded movies with the .avi extension. Many even support several audio tracks and subtitle tracks included in the .avi and some already accept .divx as the extension as well. A good overview of some common players tested for DivX6 compatibility can be found here: http://www.divxtest.com/article.php3?id_article=67
Note that none of the current players support DivX6 Menus and Chapters yet. However, now that the DivX6 standard has been finalized, there is a chance that some of them will support it in a future firmware release...

Speaking of which, look for a number of announcements in this direction very soon...

-Kosmonaut

[Y.T.]

the .mp4 files created by nerodigital are, as mentioned, following the mpeg-4 standard and can therefore be played in various non-nero tools already
Thanks for the lesson and sorry for me rambling about something I know nothing about... :o I had only come into contact with one Nero Digital file which completely refused to be played back in mplayer (the one movie player that has been able to play absolutely anything for me, even broken files) and so I had hastily dismissed this format as something completely incompatible to open source systems without actually reading up on it (like that new "magic" RatDVD format people are so excited about which can only be played back on Windows). Sorry for being an uninformed troll. :(

you can also place xvid and divx streams inside the .mp4 container with free and opensource tools, like mp4box and mp4create and they are the same way compliant to mpeg-4 as nerodigital and can therefore also be played on every nerodigital-enabled hardware player of course
Very interesting. So effectively a Nero Digital certification simply means added .mp4 container and aac audio compatibility. I've corrected my statements above and added your input. I still don't see any advantage of the Nero Digital format though (except for encoding speed) if all I can do with opensource tools is use it to store my XviD and AAC streams in there - a nice 1.4GB XviD encode with AC3 sound inside an .avi would do just as fine I think. Am I right to assume that all the custom stuff like chapters Nero puts into the .mp4 user-space atom is completely proprietary and not available anywhere else?

well, let me enlighten you again
Thanks again for all the useful information :thanks:

[SeeMoreDigital]

Very interesting. So effectively a Nero Digital certification simply means added .mp4 container and aac audio compatibility. I've corrected my statements above and added your input. I still don't see any advantage of the Nero Digital format though (except for encoding speed) if all I can do with opensource tools is use it to store my XviD and AAC streams in there. I guess the specifications for stuff like menus and chapters are not available openly?Hardware playback of MPEG-4 video with AAC audio in .MP4 has been available for quite a while.... I've been able to do it for over two years with my Sigma Xcard. And earlier this year I-O DATA and Buffalo launched (high-def compatible) stand-alone players with .MP4 container support - neither of which are NeroDigital certified though!

In the case of stand-alone player/device manufacturing, NeroDigital certification has helped to set guidelines for manufacturers to follow with respect to how encodes with multiple audio tracks and chapters can be switched within .MP4.... Plus, a new standard for placing multiple VobSub subtitle streams within .MP4 too!

Muxing tools such YAMB (with MP4Box.exe) offer simple ways of muxing all types of compatible streams into .MP4... You can even add names to your chapters, which can be viewed on your TV ;)


Cheers

[Cyberace]

sorry to say it that harshly but this is total nonsense:
nerodigital is 100% mpeg-4 compatible. its uses mpeg-4 asp video (like xvid, divx, 3ivx aso), mpeg-4 aac audio (like itunes) and the .mp4 container (like apple, x264, 3ivx and lots of other free and payware tools)Correction; yes Nero Digital is 100% MPEG-4 compatible, but it's based on the MPEG-4 AVC profile (Advanced Video Coding, which uses H.264 encoding) ...not the MPEG-4 ASP profile (like XviD, DivX which uses the H.263), and unlike MPEG-4 ASP (H.263) it can not be played back in most stand-alone DivX-players (DVD-players which can decode/play DivX), and compared to MPEG-4 ASP (XviD/DivX/H.263) you need a much more powerfull computer to decode (and encode) MPEG-4 AVC (NeroDigital/x264) as it's much more CPU intensive :rolleyes:

[SeeMoreDigital]

Correction; yes Nero Digital is 100% MPEG-4 compatible, but it's based on the MPEG-4 AVC profile (Advanced Video Coding, which uses H.264 encoding) ...I have just got to ask, where the hell have you read this load of tosh Cyberace?

I'm shocked at the misconceptions regarding MPEG-4 SP/ASP in .MP4 that are still floating around this forum.... it's very annoying, disappointing and pretty scary..... And it's just not true at all :scared:


Cheers

[bond]

Thanks for the lesson and sorry for me rambling about something I know nothing about... :o I had only come into contact with one Nero Digital file which completely refused to be played back in mplayer (the one movie player that has been able to play absolutely anything for me, even broken files) mplayer here has no problems at all playing any nerodigital .mp4 file

Very interesting. So effectively a Nero Digital certification simply means added .mp4 container and aac audio compatibility.yes, of course it also defines similar things like the divx certification, like no qpel, gmc allowed aso...

I still don't see any advantage of the Nero Digital format though (except for encoding speed) if all I can do with opensource tools is use it to store my XviD and AAC streams in there - a nice 1.4GB XviD encode with AC3 sound inside an .avi would do just as fine I think. Am I right to assume that all the custom stuff like chapters Nero puts into the .mp4 user-space atom is completely proprietary and not available anywhere else?all nero players as you read already also support chapters and subtitles, which in fact makes it superiour to divx-only player, as the divx certification doesnt need the player to support subs and chapters and therefore you can never be really sure if your stuff works on the player (eg subtitles)

chapters are in the userdata of mp4 and are nero's own creation, but in fact it has been reverse engineered and lots of non-nero tools support it already, eg 3ivx and haali. creation of those chapters is also possible without needing any nero tool via mp4box

the subtitle streams nero uses in .mp4 are dvd subtitles (aka vobsubs) and nero does that for two reasons:
1) it makes things easier when doing dvd to mp4 conversions as you simply store the sub stream from the dvd in mp4 without modification
2) every dvd player is already able to handle them
there is currently no non-nero tool which allows you to place vobsubs in .mp4, but playback already works with haali and videolan

still the official subtitle format for .mp4 is ttxt which nero doesnt uses

Correction; yes Nero Digital is 100% MPEG-4 compatible, but it's based on the MPEG-4 AVC profile (Advanced Video Coding, which uses H.264 encoding) ...not the MPEG-4 ASP profile (like XviD, DivX which uses the H.263), and unlike MPEG-4 ASP (H.263) it can not be played back in most stand-alone DivX-players (DVD-players which can decode/play DivX), and compared to MPEG-4 ASP (XviD/DivX/H.263) you need a much more powerfull computer to decode (and encode) MPEG-4 AVC (NeroDigital/x264) as it's much more CPU intensive :rolleyes:nerodigital in fact includes two video codecs: asp and avc
of course the one supported on hardware players is only the asp one

[Cyberace]

I have just got to ask, where the hell have you read this load of tosh Cyberace?

I'm shocked at the misconceptions regarding MPEG-4 SP/ASP in .MP4 that are still floating around this forum.... it's very annoying, disappointing and pretty scary..... And it's just not true at all :scared:http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=73022
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=96059

[CruNcher]

Very good wrap-up so far Y.T. about the known facts but the MT1389GE got more stable with newer firmware i would say it's equal now to the DE chip :) ahh and something else


MediaTek chip-set (MT1389xx) Information - Std Def
SeeMoreDigital's excellent thread on all things Mediatek1389 on this forum. Beware though, it is 20 pages long


Sniff Sniff :(

[SeeMoreDigital]

ahh and something else

Sniff Sniff :(Yep.... this is "me old mate" CruNcher's thread... not mine ;)

Cheers

[SeeMoreDigital]

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=73022
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=96059But "where" exactly have you got the notion that NeroDigital is "based on the MPEG-4 AVC profile (Advanced Video Coding, which uses H.264 encoding) ...not the MPEG-4 ASP profile (like XviD, DivX which uses the H.263), and unlike MPEG-4 ASP (H.263)"?


Cheers

[Y.T.]

Sniff Sniff :(
Oops, my apologies CruNcher, this has been fixed.

[Cyberace]

But "where" exactly have you got the notion that NeroDigital is "based on the MPEG-4 AVC profile (Advanced Video Coding, which uses H.264 encoding) ...not the MPEG-4 ASP profile (like XviD, DivX which uses the H.263), and unlike MPEG-4 ASP (H.263)"?I admit I was wrong about that, didn't know Nero Digital had two video codec formats (I thought it only had the one, and that was MPEG-4 AVC H.264). ...I thought you meant that I was wrong about MPEG-4 ASP = H.263 (XviD/DivX) and MPEG-4 AVC = H.264 (x264)

[Nogs]

What a great post... some many forums have people asking the same questions over and over again and this covers most the points very well.

I think all LG players that do divx can do packed bitstream or can have the firmware updated to support itA nice new hacked verion on MTZ website today which lists the models it will work on.

Targa DP-5100x is a LP 8900P as sold by LG Australia. Both support .sub / .idx

You don't mention DVD-R (or +) Dual Layer support which I suspect is because its mainly unknown. The Targa and Pioneer 575/470 can read DL discs but for minus read the first 4.7gb only properly. For + the Pioneer can read both layers, the Targa can't.
The new Pioneer 585 (UK model) has been confirmed by Pioneer to fully support dual layer.

avforums.com, forum.surdvd.com and phorums.com.au/forumdisplay.php?f=42 are good forums. You tend to find the same people on the same forums with the same advice...pretty much as per this.

[Y.T.]

some many forums have people asking the same questions over and over again and this covers most the points very well.
That is why I felt some kind of summary was badly needed. I've seen literarily dozens of "recommend me a DivX player" threads... I wonder how forum moderators can cope with so much redundancy.

You don't mention DVD-R (or +) Dual Layer support which I suspect is because its mainly unknown.Thanks, I had totally forgotten about that. DL media is still on the highly expensive side here but it's still a very important issue. Thanks for all the information on different models.

avforums.com, forum.surdvd.com and phorums.com.au/forumdisplay.php?f=42 are good forums.And thanks for all the links, too! :) I added the aussie forum to the linklist above... surdvd is for Francophones only and avforums seems too generic to me so MPEG-4-specific information is hard to find.

[Cyberace]

3. DivX/XviD Compatibility and more

All Mediateks (except the 1389GE) support both DivX and XviD in all combinations and variations. This includes CBR & VBR MP3 and AC3 sound, even as multiple audio tracks (so-called BivX). This also includes GMC & QPel for DivX and QPel for DivX. It also usually includes .srt and .sub textfile support for subtitles.I think you ment to write QPel for XviD here (see bold text above) as you already mentioned QPel for DivX.
I think you should also mention 'B-frames' there for both DivX and XviD as some old chipsets support that.
And as for subtitles you should maybe mention VobSubs (.idx + .sub)too, most chipsets don't support that


EDIT: Slightly off-topic tip; if a XviD/DivX AVI file is stuttering in your player then chances are it hasn't been properly interleaved by the person/tool who encoded it, to fix this problem use VirtualDub on your Windows computer to "Direct-Stream" both the video and audio which saves a new file (which will be fixed), (this does not affect the quality of the file as all it does it demux the audio from the video and then muxes them back correctly by interleaving the video with the audio data). Since VirtualDub also creates a new header (internal index) it usaually also automaticly fixes any problems with bad/corrupt headers too.

PS! A mod should make this topic thread a sticky (pin it!) as it is a very :goodpost:

[Y.T.]

I think you ment to write QPel for XviD here (see bold text above) as you already mentioned QPel for DivX.Yeah, thanks a lot for catching that, that was a typo.

I think you should also mention 'B-frames' there for both DivX and XviD as some old chipsets support that. What specifically about B-frames? AFAIK all Mediateks support any number of B-Frames, whether the default 1 B-Frame in DivX 5 or the default 2 B-Frames in XviD. I'm not sure if all other Chipsets out there can handle more than one B-Frame but that is part of the reason why I specifically focused on the Mediatek in this guide: Right now it is the most feature-complete chipset. (Which might change with the new Sigmas coming out... but in time I will change and edit the guide.)

And as for subtitles you should maybe mention VobSubs (.idx + .sub)too, most chipsets don't support thatI don't understand... VobSubs are mentioned just a few lines below.

Slightly off-topic tip; if a XviD/DivX AVI file is stuttering in your player then chances are it hasn't been properly interleaved by the person/tool who encoded it [...] Very good tip, I've added it to the guide.

[kC_]

in need of a new player to replace my old dk-339.. the sigmatek 400 looks great, checked their suport page, and is no firmwares or it... is everything fine with the firmware it ships with?

thanks for a great guide..

[Y.T.]

in need of a new player to replace my old dk-339.. the sigmatek 400 looks great, checked their suport page, and is no firmwares or it... is everything fine with the firmware it ships with?
The default firmware is fine, but I dislike the subtitle font it uses for text subtitles (I think it's Times New Roman).

I can definitely recommend upgrading to the latest XM400-2A-1207 - cHiEsA v.1.0 firmware which includes many very neat improvements and can be found here:
http://www.sigmatek-players.com/xm-400/index.php?page=download
Upgrading is very easy, all you need to do is burn a CD. Just follow these simple instructions:
http://www.sigmatek-players.com/xm-400/index.php?page=guide-xm-400-upgrade-firmware

In case you do not like the new firmware, you can always safely downgrade to your original firmware again (which can be found on the download page linked above).

[SeeMoreDigital]

PS! A mod should make this topic thread a sticky (pin it!) as it is a very :goodpost:As this section of the forum does not have a dedicated moderator, I think it will most probably be up to Doom9 to decide this.

In the meantime, I've created a link to this thread in my sticky :)


Cheers

[kC_]

thanks,,, just ordered the player on pixmania.. should be here in a couple of days.. btw is this the correct firmware ? - Sigmatek-XM-400-1207-cHiEsA-v.10-UNOFFICIAL.zip


also if its "UNOFFICIAL" then why is it on sigmateks "official" ftp? :rolleyes:

[Y.T.]

btw is this the correct firmware ? - Sigmatek-XM-400-1207-cHiEsA-v.10-UNOFFICIAL.zip
Yes.


also if its "UNOFFICIAL" then why is it on sigmateks "official" ftp? :rolleyes:
The firmware has been modified by a user named cHiEsA, not by Sigmatek. Sigmatek bears no responsibility if something does not work/goes wrong with this firmware.

[kC_]

yeh well aware of user modded firmwares from use with my dk-339.. just seemed stramge that the company actually host the modded versions too.. ah well.. looking forward to getting it.

thanks again for a great topic

[zilog jones]

1. Consider the alternatives:
PC connected to TV via TVout - no compatibility problems whatsoever. On the other hand you have to consider the noise your PC makes and whether or not you can keep it hooked up permanently or have to fiddle around with the cables each time you want to watch a movie.

There's also serious picture quality issues, which is especially the case in Europe. Most graphics cards' TV-outs only offer composite or s-video out, though some also have component (YPbPr). However, a lot of people don't have component inputs on their TVs, and s-video inputs on European TVs isn't that common.

On the other hand, nearly all standalone DVD players sold in Europe (with the exception of most portables) have RGB outputs through SCART cables, and the majority of European TVs made in the last 20 years or so have RGB inputs (it's been mandatory for new TVs in some contries since the late 90's), which gives far superior picture quality compared to composite video, and is better than s-video too. No dot-crawl, no colour shimmering, no having to watch NTSC video in black & white - it's great! (Though please note with some players you'll have to set RGB on the setup menu or with a switch on the back)

I've never seen a PC graphics card with RGB TV-out.

[Shevvy]

Hi!

I have questions about standalone players.... im wondering what the differences are between Sigmatek XM-400 Pro and Oppo DV971H/BBK DV971H is? and which has the better compatibility with different formats, because i havent heard so much about the sigmatek but it looks to have good specs and the Oppo/BBK on the other hand i have read about and its been in tests and had very good results on them.
The oppo/bbk uses a new sigma-chip and faroudja i think and the sigmateks got a mediatek chip so im wondering if someone whos better on these chips and compatibility and the overall good and bad things on these two players can help me choose the right player?

the most important things i want on my upcoming dvd is that it has to support Qpel,divx,xvid,mpg,subtitle support and Good picture (just bought a philips 26pf5520 lcd HDTV) and then of course good playability on dvds, plus Region-free of course! And of course it doesnt have to be just these two players.. but to this moment ive just found these two who looks appropriate to my needs...?

Here i have some specs about my tv and its connectivity:
http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/catalog/catalog.jsp?fhquery=fh_secondid%3D26pf5520d_10_gb_consumer%26fh_location%3D%2F%2Fconsumer%2Fen_GB%2Fcategories%3Ccatalog_gb_consumer%2Fcategories%3Ctv_gr_gb_consumer%2Fcategories%3Cflat_tv_ca_gb_consumer%2Fcategories%3Clcd_medium_21_29_su_gb_consumer%26&productId=26PF5520D_10_GB_CONSUMER&activeCategory=TV_GR_GB_CONSUMER&fredhopperpage=detail.jsp&language=en&country=GB&catalogType=CONSUMER&proxybuster=AAABC0RCKVRQXJ0RMRCSHQNHKFSESI5P

Thanks!
/Shevvy

[SeeMoreDigital]

Strange.... According to Oppo's own web site, the Oppo DV971H was fitted with an MediaTek MT1389xx chip-set!

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9296/oppo7pu.png


Cheers

[Shevvy]

Oh yes... im sorry .. i was confused about that chip info.. i was looking at another player with sigma chip.. hehe sorry.

but do u have any advise on which one of them are "better",the good and bad overall on sigmatek xm-400 pro and Oppo DV971h?

Thx! (:

Shevvy

[SeeMoreDigital]

Personally speaking, between the two, I would go for the Oppo.... because it offers an DVI output connection (regardless of the Faroudja DCDi). And I have a display with DVI...

But that's just me ;)

[Shevvy]

Alright, thank you very much! =D i thought so ... my ordered lcd tv got a DVI-I.
yes, i probably will order it... the european version BBK DV971H! :)

can i ask which dvd player youve got?

/Shevvy

[SeeMoreDigital]

can i ask which dvd player youve got? I use a Pioneer DV-575A.... Primarily because I also use it for playing SACD and DVD-Audio!

But I've also got an Xcard, with composite, s-video and component video output connections - Which when used with other PC equipment can be used to output a digital signal via DVI.

And an ADS Media-Link, with composite, s-video and component video output connections and an DVI output connector.


Cheers

[freelock7]

Where to order the OPPO DVD player in Europ?

[Shevvy]

Where to order the OPPO DVD player in Europ?

freelock7 lookie here:

http://www.oppodigital.com/wheretobuy.html

im gonna order from a swedish site.. the "BBK" (the same as OPPO but with the european name, in asia its called Winbase i think).

good luck! :helpful:

[Shevvy]

I use a Pioneer DV-575A.... Primarily because I also use it for playing SACD and DVD-Audio!

But I've also got an Xcard, with composite, s-video and component video output connections - Which when used with other PC equipment can be used to output a digital signal via DVI.

And an ADS Media-Link, with composite, s-video and component video output connections and an DVI output connector.


Cheers

Thx! youve been very helpful! :)

sincerely Shevvyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy :D

[CobraX]

What specifically about B-frames? AFAIK all Mediateks support any number of B-Frames, whether the default 1 B-Frame in DivX 5 or the default 2 B-Frames in XviD. I'm not sure if all other Chipsets out there can handle more than one B-Frame but that is part of the reason why I specifically focused on the Mediatek in this guide: Right now it is the most feature-complete chipset. (Which might change with the new Sigmas coming out... but in time I will change and edit the guide.)


Why do you say that? It seems the Zoran Vaddis 776 is more feature-complete.

Supports: -
Video Decs: Mpeg4 with B-VOP (with/without packed bit-stream) /
Qpel / 1 and 3 warp-point GMC
Audio Decs: MP3 / MPA (Layers 1, 2 and 3), AC3 (Dolby® Digital), WAV / AAC-LC / WMA
Containers: .AVI & .MP4 for video (.MP3, .WAV, .AC3, .WMA & .AAC for audio) (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=89889)

Btw I was thinking of getting myself a hardware DivX player to replace my modded Xbox (which makes WAY TOO MUCH noise, but on the other hand plays any DivX/XviD movie you throw at it). But it seems every chipset has its problems. And not so many players already support Nero Digital which I would like to have.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi CobraX, Welcome to the forum.

The Zoran Vaddis 776 chip-set is certainly very strong and flexible. But whether its flexible enough to cope with 3 warp-point GMC properly is still debatable. And much will depend on how proactive the player manufacturer is at developing/refining this implementation!

And then there's the "type" of 3 warp-point GMC the chip-set responds too.

A few months ago some of us did some tests with Nero's and XviD's 3 warp-point GMC implementations with the Siemssen player and found that Nero's implementation worked much better than XviD's... but sadly, still not perfectly!

When I find the threads/posts where this was discussed I'll place links to them here.

In the meantime I've placed a correction in the Zoran Vaddis 776 chip-set information.


Cheers

[Cyberace]

I was thinking of getting myself a hardware DivX player to replace my modded Xbox (which makes WAY TOO MUCH noise, but on the other hand plays any DivX/XviD movie you throw at it).Why not just replace the fan with a low rpm (silent) 8mm fan (http://www.xbox-scene.com/tutorials.php?p=191|298|#298) (it not as hard as you might think)? and/or set down the fan-speed to 10% in XboxMediaCenter settings (http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.php?wakka=SettingsGeneralSystem&v=d1e) (which anyone can do)? ;)

PS! My 2 cents; Xbox Media Center is better than all other standalone solutions that cannot record live TV!

[CobraX]

Why not just replace the fan with a low rpm (silent) 8mm fan (http://www.xbox-scene.com/tutorials.php?p=191|298|#298) (it not as hard as you might think)? and/or set down the fan-speed to 10% in XboxMediaCenter settings (http://manual.xboxmediacenter.de/wakka.php?wakka=SettingsGeneralSystem&v=d1e) (which anyone can do)? ;)

PS! My 2 cents; Xbox Media Center is better than all other standalone solutions that cannot record live TV!

Well I'm not really a "tweaker" so I think I'll stay off my Xbox' "intestines" ;) plus I don't have the right type of (American?) screwdriver to open my Xbox. That 10% fan speed reduction might be useful but isn't it harmful?

Edit: hmmm didn't read it well. Setting the fan-speed to 10% of the current speed seems rather dangerous...

[CobraX]

Also what about post processing? You can enable this in FFDShow but I assume that hardware DivX player don't have this setting?

But then I read this (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89889). The Zoran Vaddis 776 has this filter:

Proprietary video post processing filters for improving quality of low bitrate MPEG streams.

-> Do they mean MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 streams or only MPEG-2 streams? Can you compare this to the post processing filter in FFDShow?

[Cyberace]

That 10% fan speed reduction might be useful but isn't it harmful?
Setting the fan-speed to 10% of the current speed seems rather dangerous...Others use it without problems see here (link) (http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=ST;f=2;t=14873), anyway the worse thing that will happen is that your Xbox will (automaticly) switch itself off when the CPU gets over-heated (it has built-in over-heat protection that does that) if it does then all you have to do is wait a while until the Xbox cools off before you can safely turn it back on and try a higher setting, ...however if you want to play it safe then you can use the temperature control fan setting in XBMC, 55-60 degrees C should cause no problems, try it.

[zilog jones]

...The Zoran Vaddis 776 has this filter:

Proprietary video post processing filters for improving quality of low bitrate MPEG streams.

-> Do they mean MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 streams or only MPEG-2 streams? Can you compare this to the post processing filter in FFDShow?
I'm not sure what it means - maybe it means all MPEG video. Anyway, I can post results (via an s-video capture) from my 776-based player if you want. And I wouldn't be surprised if other chipsets used similar filtering - maybe other people can show results too if we decide on some sample videos?

Why do you say that? It seems the Zoran Vaddis 776 is more feature-complete.

Supports: -
Video Decs: Mpeg4 with B-VOP (with/without packed bit-stream) /
Qpel / 1 and 3 warp-point GMC
Audio Decs: MP3 / MPA (Layers 1, 2 and 3), AC3 (Dolby® Digital), WAV / AAC-LC / WMA
Containers: .AVI & .MP4 for video (.MP3, .WAV, .AC3, .WMA & .AAC for audio)
AFAIK, mine (the Yamada DVD-6500X) doesn't support MP4, AAC or DVD-A -_-
This review (http://ausdivx.ms11.net/rdvd104/) of a Rowa RDVD104 shows similar results to mine, too.

Actually, do we have any physical proof that the Siemssen SCO 5000 ND contains a this chipset? I'm starting to have my doubts, especially considering that Zoran aren't exactly saying much about their series of chips, or the differences between them. Then again, it still just could be some manufacturers (like Yamada and Rowa) being lazy...

I found this (http://www.planetenumerique.com/imprimer_article.php3?id_article=82) (in French) showing a picture of a Vaddis 776, but there's not really much suggesting it's actually from that player. The menus look the same as on my player, only with *A LOT* more information on them (especially like here (http://www.planetenumerique.com/IMG/Info-Nero_Digital_chapitres-sous_titres_.jpg), where the info is very sparse on my player in comparison).

[SeeMoreDigital]

AFAIK, mine (the Yamada DVD-6500X) doesn't support MP4, AAC or DVD-A -_-
This review (http://ausdivx.ms11.net/rdvd104/) of a Rowa RDVD104 shows similar results to mine, too.

Actually, do we have any physical proof that the Siemssen SCO 5000 ND contains a this chipset? I'm starting to have my doubts, especially considering that Zoran aren't exactly saying much about their series of chips, or the differences between them. Then again, it still just could be some manufacturers (like Yamada and Rowa) being lazy...Like I've told you in another other thread... ...just because other players fitted with the Zoran chip-set can spin MPEG-4 within the .MP4 container, does not mean your player will be able to do the same!

You only have to look at posts submitted by some Philips DVP6xx owners to realise how the technical abilities of their players are lagging behind other players fitted with the same ESS Vibratto II chip-setAnd which is why the following is written at the start of every "Chip-set" Information" thread: - Please note:
The information listed below identifies the known "maximum" capabilities of the chip-set and has been compiled from various sources. It therefore does not necessarily mean that your player will be able to support all of them.
As I've also mentioned before (in other threads).... If your stand-alone can't play content that other players fitted with the same chip-set can.... Please, contact your device manufacturer and tell them about it! Ask them why? Ask them what their future support plans are?


Cheers

[zilog jones]

Yeah, I know, I'm just a bit pissed off -_-

Actually, I am planning on annoying Yamada on the subject, though as it looks identical to some players under different brands it's possible it's not even them who make the thing...

[CobraX]

Others use it without problems see here (link) (http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=ST;f=2;t=14873), anyway the worse thing that will happen is that your Xbox will (automaticly) switch itself off when the CPU gets over-heated (it has built-in over-heat protection that does that) if it does then all you have to do is wait a while until the Xbox cools off before you can safely turn it back on and try a higher setting, ...however if you want to play it safe then you can use the temperature control fan setting in XBMC, 55-60 degrees C should cause no problems, try it.

Hehe I installed a new XBMC build (was still using XBMC 1.0 that's why I didn't see the auto temperature control option ;)). When I set the Auto Temperature Control to 60° C the noise was much less but still clearly hearable. But it's bearable now I guess. Thanks for the information :). I think I'll keep my Xbox for now as my movie player until the AVC ND hardware players are out.

(Damn nice new features in this XBMC build: watch music videos, watch trailers and a damn nice skin [mayhem III I believe])

[Y.T.]

Also what about post processing? You can enable this in FFDShow but I assume that hardware DivX player don't have this setting?
Interesting point. Subjectively I would say that the picture my Sigmatek puts out is way better than playing an MPEG4 movie back without any post-processing on a PC. So I'm pretty sure they do some post-processing at some point. Of course smoothing it out too much might lead to heavy loss of details... On my player the only option offered software-wise that might affect this is a "picture sharpness" setting. Personally I have found that keeping that setting low offers a more natural-looking picture.

[Cyberace]

Some good test samples worth mentioning :rolleyes: your player should be able to play all these:
http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~fhoesli/video/
http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/downloads/trailers.php
http://www.dvdloc8.com/list_dvd_clip.php
http://www.cinenow.com/us/vobtrailer.php3
Burn all on a CD-R/DVD-R and bring to the store for test before you cough up the cash :sly:

PS! @Y.T. you might want to link to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_Media_Center) or xboxmediacenter.com (http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/info_project.htm) in regards to XBMC

[masken]

Thank you Y.T.! :) Generally, this is a very useful compilation of information for a buyer!

[TiaoMacaleh]

Hehe I installed a new XBMC build (was still using XBMC 1.0 that's why I didn't see the auto temperature control option ;)). When I set the Auto Temperature Control to 60° C the noise was much less but still clearly hearable. But it's bearable now I guess. Thanks for the information :). I think I'll keep my Xbox for now as my movie player until the AVC ND hardware players are out.

(Damn nice new features in this XBMC build: watch music videos, watch trailers and a damn nice skin [mayhem III I believe])


Beware on recent models they REMOVED the thing that measure cpu temp on xbox models.... so it isnt acurate

[Y.T.]

Some good test samples worth mentioning [...]

Thanks for all the links Cyberace, I've added them to the guide.

[Menzonius]

Beware on recent models they REMOVED the thing that measure cpu temp on xbox models.... so it isnt acurate

I'm curious, what precisely do you mean by "it isn't accurate"? Do you mean that the measured temperature deviates significantly from the real temperature (i.e. it is inaccurate), or do you mean that using the thermostatic control on such an xbox will cause it to quickly overheat and shutdown? Thanks in advance.

[Cyberace]

Some good test samples worth mentioning [...]Thanks for all the links Cyberace, I've added them to the guide.
Here are some DivX 6.0 and DMF (DivX Media Format contrainer) test-samples to add as well:
(menu, chapters, multi-sub XSUB, XTAG video tags, 5.1 MP3 Surround in .divx file extension)
http://www.divxtest.com/article.php3?id_article=125
http://www.divxtest.com/form/divxtest2_add.php?lang=eng
http://www.divxtest.com/form/divxtest2_list.php
http://www.divx.com/movies/detail.php?movieID=23&cID=4

PS! To be able to fully enjoy DMF (DivX Media Format, a.k.a. DivX Ultra) (http://www.divx.com/divx/dmf.php) files you played needs to be DivX Ultra Certified (http://www.divx.com/corporate/solutions/divx-ultra_press.pdf). (Current DivX® Certified devices will playback DivX 6 files, but will not offer full support for the advanced media features of the DivX Media Format. Devices that offer full support for the DivX Media Format are expected to reach retail shelves in late 2005 at the earliest).

[Qbfinest83]

Hey I wanted to buy the Sigmatek XM-400 Pro but i live in the US. Does anyone know site that will sale one and ship it to the US.

[Sharro]

Simple question, is there any on the market ?

I'm bored of burning RW just to watch a movie.

All the best,

Sharro

[ubermensch]

Simple question, is there any on the market ?

I'm bored of burning RW just to watch a movie.

All the best,

Sharro

What you want is a modded xbox (original) with XBMC.

Search the forums, it offers just what you asked for.

[SeeMoreDigital]

MT1389xx with Ethernet/Wi-Fi and Hard Disk

Simple question, is there any on the market ?There are already a few "Sigma" chip-set based products that offer connection to your home network via ethernet (and/or wireless). And there are a couple proposed players which will include a "removable" HDD caddy ;)

Plus... the newer Sigma devices are "high-def" capable!

[Sharro]

There are already a few "Sigma" chip-set based products that offer connection to your home network via ethernet (and/or wireless). And there are a couple proposed players which will include a "removable" HDD caddy ;)

Plus... the newer Sigma devices are "high-def" capable!

SeeMoreDigital do you know if the newer Sigma chips support Xvid's Qpel ?
I've used it on all my encodes :( and I'm stuck with MT1389.

@ubermensch: I'm looking for something out of the box...and quiet.

All the best,

Sharro

[SeeMoreDigital]

SeeMoreDigital do you know if the newer Sigma chips support Xvid's Qpel ?
I've used it on all my encodes :( and I'm stuck with MT1389.Yes.... Sigma's high-def capable EM8620L chip-set certainly handles Qpel.

I specifically conducted separate, DivX, XviD and NeroDigital Qpel tests just to make sure.

Not that it should make any difference. Qpel is Qpel. Unlike GMC with its warp-point variations ;)


Cheers

[bluefear]

I tried that AVI test disc on my Yakumo player which is an MT1389 and it played all the qpel and GMC tests fine - only the hi-definition and .mp4 stuff didn't play.

[therealjoeblow]

Anyone know if there are any available hardware players that support matroska yet?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Anyone know if there are any available hardware players that support matroska yet?For dedicated stand-alone players, sadly not yet!

[Mtz]

Another thing to keep in mind when buying a DivX player is if it support:
- text subtitles. Some of them cannot play MicroDVD Subtitles.
- check your language code page in text subtitles. In east european countries, many of the players on the market are with western code page support.
- in the last time in Mediatek players I saw DTS analog output is removed. From my experience players with DSP: 08.xx.xx.xx. Them are using a new smaller MTT1389... E chipset.
I think this is the most bad thing made by Mediatek. I have a 1389GE player at home which support DTS, and I hope soon with a modified firmware, DVD-Audio.

Discussing about ESS vs. MTK, one great thing for ESS was the capability to load any subtitles. Now in some new unofficial firmwares for MTK you can play any subtitle regardless filename.

enjoy,
Mtz

[BigDid]

Hello mods, Bond?

Just quicly re-read the thread, it seems to me the guide is up-to-date and accurate.

Beside that it is user friendly and, as reported, may save a lot of time or problems to potential buyers. Exemple of discussion about SAP: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=809299#post809299

If so can it be made sticky?
Y.T. any objections?
In advance, thanks.

Did

[SeeMoreDigital]

Beside that it is user friendly and, as reported, may save a lot of time or problems to potential buyers. Exemple of discussion about SAP: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=809299#post809299

If so can it be made sticky?I guess it would not hurt ;)

Until that time arrives, there is a link to it in my sticky - I've just increased the text size too!


Cheers

[BigDid]

... there is a link to it in my sticky - I've just increased the text size too!..
Great job, thanks for your support.

Did

[BigDid]

This thread has been made sticky by Doom9.

On behalf of actual, potential and future standalone players(SAP) owners, I send him my full thanks and I extend them to the mods that have supported this demand.

Did

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hey that's great... thanks Doom9 ;)

[Y.T.]

Yeah thanks a lot Doom9! :thanks:

[siddharthagandhi]

why in the first page when you talk about Nero Digital you limit the conversation to the ASP codec?
What about the AVC codec (which in my opinion is the better benefit of Nero Digital)?

[SeeMoreDigital]

why in the first page when you talk about Nero Digital you limit the conversation to the ASP codec?
What about the AVC codec (which in my opinion is the better benefit of Nero Digital)?Probably because MPEG-4 AVC can't be played in stand-alones yet!

Also, lets not forget this thread was started in Aug 2005 ;)

[siddharthagandhi]

whoa it cant??? i thought all along those Nero Digital players that i saw were for the AVC and ASP but its only for ASP

thanks for the enlightenment :P

[Zach]

For the US market, the Oppo Digital (http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h.html) looks like an excellent choice. From all the information I have gathered so far, all three of the above can be highly recommended.
So it's now almost a year later, I'm looking to buy, so I was just wondering if this unit is still recommended, or has something better come along (which is available in the U.S.)?

[rectangular]

So it's now almost a year later, I'm looking to buy, so I was just wondering if this unit is still recommended, or has something better come along (which is available in the U.S.)?

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=96&categoryid=18

Buffalo’s High-Definition Wireless Media Player is one of the best looking new solutions for those of us laking the funds for a full blown Media Center PC. I do not own one, but I am seriously considering making a purchase. Who knows if there will be something coming out with more options than this in the near future, but that would be nice!

[masken]

doesn't even say what chipset there is in that player...

[SeeMoreDigital]

doesn't even say what chipset there is in that player...It's an Sigma EM8620L chip-set... And as far as I'm aware, it's the weakest player in its class!


Cheers

[CColtManM]

I'm in the same boat, and would like to know what the best player is currently on the market. Something new has to have been developed and knocked that OPPO off the top spot.

[thorz]

Thanks for this very useful thread. I have had a KISS DP-500 for 3 years and now it is busted. I am on the search for its replacement.

I have found the Sigmatek XM-400 Pro and a Pioneer DV-393-S (easiest to get) very cheap, almost for the same price. What I need is XVID with packed bitstream and idx/sub subs support as this is the common rule on the internet scene releases. Component out is a good thing for me too, but RGB is just fine. Both of these players support these features after what I have read but what I would really like is to go wireless and access shared files from my PC.

I was exited about the last KISS (DP600) but have read bad reports about it :( I don't need PVR as I am only looking for a playing solution.

Moded Xbox sounds cool but it is not the nicest thing to have on your living room and I have heard reports about the noise. I could consider it if there was possible to buy one already moded and ready to roll here in Europe, but all the info that I have found is outdated (most from 2004). There is also the question on how to make it go wireless.

I have heard that the Sony PS3 is supposed to be a Media Center too but have not read anything concrete.

Are these 2 players (the Sigmatek and the Pioneer) still top notch? I have found a Sigmatek XS-700 on the net too but have not found info about it.

Do you think it is better for me to get one of these stand alones and get a separate solution to stream content via wireless to my TV from my PC? I need support for AC3 sound, idx/sub subs and XVID packet bitstream too on this separate product if I am going to go this route.

I really appreciate your help here. Thank you very much.

[SeeMoreDigital]

I was exited about the last KISS (DP600) but have read bad reports about it :( I don't need PVR as I am only looking for a playing solution. Personally speaking I've been very happy with my high-definition network capable Zensonic Z500...

In-fact Zensonic are due to release a couple of new devices (the CS505 and the CS510) under the brand name Ziova....

Here's what the Ziova Clearstream CS505 (with DVD/CD drive) looks like: -

http://www.ziova.com/images/products/cs505_above.jpg


And here's what the Ziova Clearstream CS510 (without DVD/CD drive) looks like: -

http://www.ziova.com/images/products/cs510_front.jpg


Here's a link to Ziova's web site (http://www.ziova.com/index.php). And here's a link to where you can pre-order (http://www.mpcclub.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=10417) a player... should you feel the urge!


Cheers

[thorz]

Personally speaking I've been very happy with my high-definition network capable Zensonic Z500...

In-fact Zensonic are due to release a couple of new devices (the CS505 and the CS510) under the brand name Ziova....

Here's what the Ziova Clearstream CS505 (with DVD/CD drive) looks like: -

http://www.ziova.com/images/products/cs505_above.jpg


It looks impresive. How does it handles XVIDs with packed bitstream? I have got a Pioneer DV-393s that I can have to test for 30 days but it is dissapointing that the video stuters when NVOPs are present:

VIDEO STUTTERS:
Original (encoded using XVID with packed bitstream (NVOP)):
The "evil" tag "DivX503b1393p" is present under metadata when checking the file with GSpot..

VIDEO OK:
Modified (unpacked, (no NVOP)) with MPEG4 Modifier 1.4.2 http://www.moitah.net:

If the Zensonic players can handle perfectly XVID PB and VobSub idx/sub I am sold.

Can the CS505 be easily made region free?

Thanks a lot!

[thorz]

My Sigmatek XM-400 Pro, with the current official firmware, can handle any packed bitstream XviD thrown at it.

So the Sigmatek XM-400 Pro doesn't stutter with XVID-PB? This is my option if the Ziova doesn't deliver. Can it be easily made region free? Thanks for yur answers Y.T.

[SeeMoreDigital]

I'm currently testing and running "Beta" firmware versions on my Zensonic/Ziova player. So it's difficult to comment!

Given that the XviD encoder offers many different "profile" options, including AQ, VHQ selectivity options, and beta builds compiled by different people using different methods... Determining whether one persons B-VOP PBS encode will play on another persons player will require careful testing!

That said, the beta firmware I'm testing now does not display any stuttering when playing these "video only" samples: -

http://www.mytempdir.com/1057036 and http://www.mytempdir.com/1057076

How well do they play for you guys?

[thorz]

I will test these on the Pioneer DV-363s and will post the results. But it would be easier to spot the problem with video stutter or flicker with an scene with lots of horizontal camera panning. On my Pioneer it is difficult to spot it with static camera like the one that your samples use.

Is it true that these players don't support VobSub idx/sub subs with XVIDs?

Thanks.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Is it true that these players don't support VobSub idx/sub subs with XVIDs?No they don't if your sources are MPEG-4 AVI's, with external IDX/SUB streams.

However, if you re-mux the MPEG-4 stream together with the IDX/SUB stream into the MP4 container with AAC audio (using YAMB/MP4Box), the VOBsubs should work okay on all players/devices offering NeroDigital certification.


Cheers

[kurt]

I'm currently testing and running "Beta" firmware versions on my Zensonic/Ziova player. So it's difficult to comment!

Given that the XviD encoder offers many different "profile" options, including AQ, VHQ selectivity options, and beta builds compiled by different people using different methods... Determining whether one persons B-VOP PBS encode will play on another persons player will require careful testing!

That said, the beta firmware I'm testing now does not display any stuttering when playing these "video only" samples: -

http://www.mytempdir.com/1057036 and http://www.mytempdir.com/1057076

How well do they play for you guys?
Everything works fine here, no stuttering at all. My SAP: DK Digital DVD-339 (MediaTek MT1389xx Chip (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=646038#post646038))

[_ck_]

By the way, any chance these high-end divx players can handle 1920x1080 mpeg2? Or are the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players the only game in town for that?

[SeeMoreDigital]

By the way, any chance these high-end divx players can handle 1920x1080 mpeg2? Or are the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players the only game in town for that?There are plenty of players based around Sigma's EM8620L chip-set that can play 1920x1080 MPEG-2...

I have an Zensonic Z500... And it plays 1920x1080 MPEG-2 (and MPEG-4) just fine ;)

[Scott_]

I would like to thank the contributors of this post and the other guide-based post (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=91616). I was finally able to find a good MPEG-4 DVD player for my system after carefully perusing each post's contents. Yay! So what did I get? Well first I bought a Samsung HD-860. Big mistake! I think I got a buggy one. Anyway, took the HD-860 back and decided to go with a player using the MediaTek chip-set. This time it was a Pioneer DV-490V (http://www.pioneer.com.au/products/home_entertainment/DVD_Players/DV490V/index.html). Quite simply this is an absolute brilliant solution for my modest system! I've thrown absolutely every kind of media and format I have here at it and it's handled them with ease. Even DVD-R DL discs play perfectly, which is a feat I've never been able to reproduce on my old Toshiba SD-2810 nor buggy HD-860 (the one I took back). Very happy days! I can highly recommend this player for a good cheap solution (Australia). Thanks again to Doom9!

And I waited five days to post this. Ha!

[thorz]

Everything works fine here, no stuttering at all. My SAP: DK Digital DVD-339 (MediaTek MT1389xx Chip (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=646038#post646038))

Interesting, thanks a lot.

@Scott: I think I have read that this is the same DV-363 but with HDMI?
It is a very good player, if it was not for the XVID+PB issue it would have earned a 9 of 10 in my book. It earns an 8 as it is now.

[Scott_]

Thorz, I think they are the same. But what issue is it that you're talking about?

[thorz]

It stutters with XVID+PB videos. Is subtle, but you can easily see the issue in scenes with camera pan.

[Appu]

Thanks Y.T for this excellent post. I stumbled upn this post during my search to buy a standalone player which supports mosts of the formats. Most of my queries were answered now.

Some more questions though..

1) Does these players supports more than 2 B Frames in XVID?
2) What is the status of H.264 and VC1 support now?
3) What about the support for arbitary resolution?. Say I have an XVID Stream of resolution 416X400 and 1280x720. Is there any player which supports SD output ( 720x576 or 720x480 ) for these resolutions?

Appu.

[Ninjabrownie]

Hi,
great thread, I've picked up a lot from here and the doom9 alltogether. I'm looking for a standalone player that supports H.264 (x.264). It would be nice to be properly equiped for the future, besides it seems like a waste of money to buy anything else. Then again, I just started educating myself on the matter bout a week ago, so perhaps standalone players that support x.264 are either extremely expensive or simply non-existent?
The list of NeroDigital's collaborations with various manufacturers provided here (http://www.nero.com/nerodigital/eng/DVD_Player_Recorder.html) offers some interesting products. At least GOWELL Enterprises has a distinctive category for H.264 players right here (http://www.gowellent.net/ProductsWeb/DVB.htm).
It is not clear to me whether NeroDigital actually can playback files encoded with eg x.264. Does it??

I have been told that basically all new DVD players are capable of playing *.mp4 files encoded with x264 although I find that very hard to believe. Recently I ordered the Xoro HSD 8410, believing it could playback such files. Tech support clarified the mistake, no Xoro players are able to do so. Seems like I'll have to return it after 10 days of testing:D .

Next to DVD players (and home cinema systems, PC's) there are of course the nextgen gaming consoles. I assume the PS3 and Xbox 360 are able to handle the new codec. As for the Wii, I found this: Sonic+Nintendo=HD playback (http://www.sonic.com/about/press/news/2006/11/nintendo.aspx). Very interesting. I was supposed to get one within 2 weeks, now I think I'll wait another 6-10 months...

Anyhow, I would very much appreciate if someone who has more insight joins in to bring this thread back to life.
:thanks: in advance

[DewAsmara]

Hi,
great thread, I've picked up a lot from here and the doom9 alltogether. I'm looking for a standalone player that supports H.264 (x.264).

All Sigma HD chipset player support H264/X264/VC1 already, there is Zensonic, Snazzio and many other brand. I have been test at DivX HD 720p, WMVHD 720p and many other format. But I really do waiting for Pioneer or Panasonic even JVC to launch Micro HiFi DVD Home Theater that can play such format. No need HDMI for material HD, component is fine, but pretty bad none of those big brand give what we need. Not because I don't like Snazzio or others, but that kinda player too much complete for me, as I really want only to play that material on DVD Disc not streaming it through Wifi or LAN.

[SeeMoreDigital]

All Sigma HD chipset player support H264/X264/VC1 already, there is Zensonic, Snazzio and many other brand.... No, no, no, no, no!

None of these players support MPEG-4 Part-10 (ie: AVC/H.264/x264) or VC-1 (high profile). Sigma's EM8620L chip-set does not support these formats. Only Sigma's EM8622/3L, EM8624/5L and EM8628/9L chip-sets do.... And they are not available yet!

[pd]

three good candidates: the Kiss DP-1600 the elta 8882 and the OPPO DV-981HD 1080p High Definition Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI <-- my personal favorite:)

[hgoku]

Hi

Can anyone recommend me a really good dvd player which plays xvid files and possibly ogm files. I live in the UK and the sigmatek xm-400 and the pioneers are not available anywhere in the UK, so i'm looking for some other ones, however I have got no idea which ones are good and which ones are not. The only decent ones I have come across on divx-compare are 2 PEEKTON ones. The PEEKTON PK6006N and PK6005-MK2 Black LE but these are not available in UK either as they are old. Are there any good recent ones out there which will not die on me.

[kitsaros2000]

Where can i find nowdays an decent idx/sub capable player ? The article is rather old. Peekton players are hard to find.
Sigmatek
XS-700 Pro
XS-520 Pro support vobsubs ?

[azzoti]

Got this a week ago and it has played everything (20+) Divx Mpeg4 I have thrown at it. (I now use AcidRip with -ffourcc DIVX option which tricks hardware players into thinking that its DIVX.) A couple of my older (gordian?) backup rips will not fast forward or rewind but will play and pause.
Live TV pause and all recording superb.
Plays DivX/Mpeg4 straight from USB powered FAT32 hard disk.
Five stars.
Replaced my sigmatek 400 dvd player which broke after 18 months.

[numaios]

This is totally amazing...

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8782/k20qh8.jpg

This is a harddisk player, able to encode TV shows directly to its hard drive or USB device in Xvid.

Does anybody know about this?

http://www.blusens.com/eng/productos.php?categoria=21&producto=254
http://www.blusens.com/eng/productos/fichas/Fact%20Sheet%20K20.pdf

Thank you.

[telemachus]

No they don't if your sources are MPEG-4 AVI's, with external IDX/SUB streams.
Cheers

Hi there Seemore and others, long time no see! Hope all is well...

I was curious about this Ziova box, great spec, but was concerned about what you said above here. Does "external sub streams" include srt and sub text files?

the other thing is the spec does not mention h.264... it would be important for me since my HD camera plays this codec and id want to be able to play clips to our tv once burned to disk...

tx
Mark

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi Marc,

Just to let you know, I'm currently product testing Ziova's CS615 player (which is fitted with Sigma's SMP8634 chip-set).

The CS615 is a media streamer (ie: it's not fitted with a DVD drive), however it does offer on-board HDD storage capacity, 2No USB2 connections and ethernet.

Even though we are currently testing the "alpha" firmware, the CS615 has no problems playing MPEG-4 AVC (up-to High@L4.1) placed within .MP4, .TS and .M2TS (.AVI).

Please let me know if you require further info?

[Stealth3si]

About standalone DivX/XviD players. I heard that some or most players will stop playing (or having problems playing) a video file that is over 2GB after the "2G mark (the video stream that begins thereafter.")

Is this true and should I be worried about this?

[Mtz]

Depending of luck. My player (E-Boda) is playing files bigger than 2GB, up to 4GB.
Take a disc with a 4GB movie and go to the shop and test it before you buy.

enjoy,
Mtz

[Stealth3si]

Which chipset for DivX player supports the latest DivX Plus HD certified device? It plays MKV/AAC/H.264/x264/Mpeg-4 AVC video files.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Which chipset for DivX player supports the latest DivX Plus HD certified device? It plays MKV/AAC/H.264/x264/Mpeg-4 AVC video files.For starters, Sigma's SMP8634 chip-set and higher...

[Stealth3si]

For starters, Sigma's SMP8634 chip-set and higher...But can it play directly from a burned DVD-R??

I ask because I'm not interested in network streaming.

[Mtz]

Of course you can play the HD movie from DVD-R, but almost Media Centers don't have any DVD-ROM and you need to buy one external and connect it with USB. Pay attention to the specs because not many can decode DTS.
One have also support for Blu-Ray and I think madshi got one: http://hdi.co.il/fullhd_players/

enjoy,
Mtz