Historically when talking about divx files, they were .avi files and the actual compression was mpeg4 of their own blend. I believe the audio was mp3, dont know if they have changed that now, may be a problem for some hardware thats expecting AAC.
Anyway in recent years they have promoted their own file format, .divzx, which is basically still a .avi but with some extra stuff like support for menus and additonal tracks and subtitles and stuff. Because of the file wrapper format, divx had no presence in the browser. They sorted that out in recent years by doing a nice browser player application for pc and mac. Anyway it may well be possible to wrap divx-encoded video into a different format like .mov, I havent tried it, Im not sure what method Paul has used to do it, how compatible the results are, or whether he used divx tools to do that or quicktime or something else. But when it comes to the format divx themselves promote, and I assume what works with certified hardware, browser plugin etc, is divx-encoded video wrapped in a .divx and probably .avi file format. I just tried out a few things on a fresh install of Windows XP. Being able to see all the flash-vieo based sites required me to press a button in internet explorer to say yes to install flash player. A few seconds later I was looing at video on blip. Going to the DivX site and looking at a video, I am prompted to download a 3MB executable, that I then run, agree to a license, press next a few times, untick the option to install the google toolbar, wait whilst it installs. Then when I click a video on their site, Internet explorer warns be about an activeX control (the divx web browser player) and then finally I get to look at the video. The DivX video looks noticably nicer to me, the installation wasnt as bad as it sounds in writing, but its still easy to see why Flash has come to dominate in the browser space right now. Now I click to download the .divx movie to my computer. When it has downloaded, and I double click it, it tells me I need to install divx whatever to watch it on my POC, This is what I expected, as far as I know divx support is not built into any version of windows media player out of the box. it will work for many people in windows media player because they have a compatible decoder installed by some other software at some point, renaming it to .avi might help, divzxs own free stuff will obviously play it, as will the compatible hardware. Its not really an issue at all once someones installed something on that PC once, its just that first hurdle that wmv and flash (and mov & mp4 on the mac) dont suffer from so much. I have yet to research how compatible with other software, codecs & devices, it is possible to make divx-generated video. I will look into this because I didnt think ipod compatibility etc was at all likely until the recent discussion here, now Im not sure. I dont even know that Jim meant h.263 in his post, that sounds like something else entirely. I thought DivX was mpeg4, and whilst it may have borrowed some of the feature set of h264/AVC, it isnt a h264 codec, its still essentially the older sort of mpeg4. Yet more from me on these issues shortly and then hopefully I will go back into my pit and not start going on about encoding issues all the time like I used to 18 months ago lol. Cheers Steve Elbows --- In [email protected], Rupert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Jon, > > Thanks for that. > > I tell you one thing you could do which would help your cause a lot. > Provide a simple explanation on your site of why people posting > online video should use DivX. Specifically with regard to my > concerns below: > > I must be stupid, but I spent hours today - HOURS - trying to find > out what the hell DivX was, why I should use it, why I hadn't heard > of it being used by any videobloggers, who exactly *does* use it to > make it "the world's most popular video compression technology". > Could I believe any of this? Did it matter? > > And what form do DivX files come in? Some things talk about AVI, > Paul makes his in MOV. Everywhere says that DivX audio is in MP3 > form. How is this packaged with the video: in one file? And isn't > this a pain? > > And most of all, IF I USED IT, WOULD PEOPLE BE ABLE TO WATCH MY > VIDEOS WITHOUT PERFORMING COMPLICATED TECHNICAL PROCEDURES TO UPGRADE > THEIR PLAYERS? > > Honestly, this information could not be more difficult to find. The > Wikipedia entry is impenetrable geekspeak, the DivX.com site is full > of hype and no answers to any of the questions above. I googled for > a long time, and tried to find Groups and Forums. I'm exhausted and > annoyed. I still don't really know the answers to any of them. > > It comes down to this: I am happy with encoding my films in Quicktime > with the H264 codec, and theoretically in Windows Media if I can find > the time, and letting Blip make a flash player for my blog. Why > should I use DivX? Are there people out there who are big DivX fans > who are looking for DivX content and would subscribe to my feed so > that they can watch DivX films on their portable devices? > > What? Why? Who? Where? When? HELP! > > Rupert > > > > On 23 Feb 2007, at 16:55, JV wrote: > > I don''t want to get into a commercial here, but just trow out some > details. > > DivX is based on the h.263 standard. The ipod can decode h.263, but > requires it to comply to the Apple standards. On the other hand, DivX > is integrated into a lot of devices as a feature on products > (phillips, Sony, Toshiba...) to the tune of over 70 million devices > shipped. I'm not sure how many video enabled ipods have shipped. > > There are always elements we are working on to make the technology > better tailored for video blogging. It is a marathon, not a sprint. > That is why you see Ben and myself bopping around in forums and at > events. We want to do it right, and we that means ingesting as much > input as possible. Part of that is orchestrating web elements with a > coherent and powerful consumer electronics offering. We think part of > that CE offering should be that it is global and open. > > On the computer side, that means we comply with standards that are > published and open as well as support as much on the OS side as we > can. We just released the open source encoding app for Mac. Our > browser plugin is tested on every browser on PC and Mac. To take it a > step further, our videos are decodable by numerous third party > applications like VLC (This means the video works in the Democracy > Player). On the flip side, we work with xvid so they can include DivX > profiles in their encoder. This allows xvid to be decoded in our > decoders. > > So there are a lot of improvements to work on, but when I look back > over the past few years, I think we are laying some good tracks. > > JV > > --- In [email protected], "Robyn Tippins" <robyn@> wrote: > > > > Slightly on the subject, I use Adobe Premier 1.5 and I don't see > H.264 as an > > option. I see H.262 and H.263, but no H.264. I have considered > upgrading > > to 2.0, will that give me H.264 as an option? > > > > > > > > Robyn Tippins > > > > ---- > > > > Sleepyblogger.com | Gamingandtech.com | Intel.com/software > > > > _____ > > > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On Behalf Of Paul Knight > > Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 10:06 AM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [videoblogging] DivX?? > > > > > > > > Unfortunately I have not got an ipod anymore so I really can't answer > > the ipod quandery, maybe some people could let you know on that one. > > But having said that divx uses H264 technology so you never know. > > > > Paul > > > > On 23 Feb 2007, at 13:19, Rupert wrote: > > > > > Aha! So this is what I was after. Your MOV or MP4 files are > > > actually compressed using the DivX codec? So all the mov or wmv > > > files I watch could be DivX without me knowing, and that's why I > > > never see mention of DivX? (I love risking looking stupid in > > > public.) So I could create a DivX file that's playable in > Quicktime, > > > and another DivX file that's playable in Windows Media Player? Is > > > that right, Paul? Could I make an iPod or PSP compatible DivX file? > > > I love the use of the word 'Jacket' > > > I've just got back from holiday - hence the flurry of posts - and I > > > just caught up with your Comic Relief vlog, Paul. Nice one. Today's > > > the best yet. I particularly like the big eared red nosed > quickie at > > > the end. > > > http://www.dailymot > > <http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18zwg_comic-relief-2322007> > > ion.com/video/x18zwg_comic-relief-2322007 > > > R > > > > > > On 23 Feb 2007, at 12:48, Paul Knight wrote: > > > > > > I've bought it and love it, clarity and very small file sizes, as > > > well as the encoding is quick and you can play them on certain DVD > > > Players. > > > > > > I use a quicktime jacket when uploading to blip.tv and I have > had no > > > complaints so far. > > > > > > Try it, why not. There is also a great community over at stage6.com > > > and you'll find a great deal of vlogging members there already. > > > > > > It works for me in so many ways, probably the best online thing I > > > bought since quicktime. > > > > > > Paul > > > > > > On 23 Feb 2007, at 10:20, Rupert wrote: > > > > > > > I feel a bit of a fool. I was talking to somebody about vlogging > > > > and they were raving to me about the quality and compression of > > > DivX. > > > > > > > > I don't know anything about DivX. I don't feel that much wiser > after > > > > reading up about it on Wikipedia, DivX.com etc > > > > > > > > I don't know any vloggers who use it, and can't remember seeing a > > > > DivX labelled feed, the way many people list QT, WMV and iPod > feeds. > > > > Why do so few people use it, when it would appear to be very > popular > > > > among P2P video sharers? > > > > > > > > Every conversation about which formats to use, always > discusses QT, > > > > MP4, Windows Media and Flash? When people talk about using > Windows > > > > Media files, are they also assuming that DivX is under this > banner, > > > > because Windows Media Player comes preinstalled with the DivX > codec? > > > > > > > > And if so, why do people provide wmv files and feeds instead of > > > divx, > > > > if DivX is so much better? Or is it not? > > > > > > > > Yours confused > > > > > > > > Rupert > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
