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  1. Hi.

    I'm looking at purchasing a dvd player that can play divx/xvid videos and i have a couple of questions.

    1. Is brand name the way to go or should i buy i cheaper model?

    2. Will it still be capable of playing divx/xvid videos when a new version of the codec is released (say v12)?

    3. Is it possible to update the firmware of a player and where do you get the firmware from?

    Thanks.
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  2. Always Watching guns1inger's Avatar
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    1. Maybe. It depends on a number of factors. For instance, my Pioneer has a number of filters (mosquito noise, deblocking) that make play back much better than my cheaper player.

    2. The players have a basic level of compliance that newer versions of the codecs will observe. You may not get all the features of the newer versions, but you will be able to play back video encoded with then as long as it complies. My cheaper player was certified when Divx 5 was around, but happily plays material encoded with Divx 6.x

    3. Some players do, some don't. Generally the players that do have a lowest build quality.

    DVD players are now a commodity item. They are not expected to be upgradeable, or to have a long shelf life. Many are now cheap enough that to upgrade even once a year to keep pace with the changes is not unreasonable.
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  3. yes I recently obtained a 5960 and it is very good, I suspect the build quality would not stand up to a young family environment though.
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  4. Thanks for the replies.

    Are there any programs that i can use to check the compatability of the videos before i burn them to disc?
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  5. Always Watching guns1inger's Avatar
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    Mpeg4Modifier or G-Spot will point out the most obvious issues. The base spec for a playable Divx/Xvid file is

    No Qpel (Quarter Pixel)
    No GMC
    Bitrate below 2000kbps
    Resolution below 720 x nnn

    Some players also have problems with

    Packed Bitstreams
    VBR Mp3 Audio

    That said, I have two players. One will play bitrates as high as 4000 kbps, but won't play back anything with qpel or GMC. It does have great filters though. My other player will play files up to around 3000 kbps and will play files with GMC to 2 warp points. Both handle Packed Bitstreams and VBR MP3 audio without any problems. Both players are Divx Certified.

    There is a Divx test CD available for download that has a variety of different encodings on it. It is worth downloading a copy and testing your player out to see what works for it. You can find it here : http://divxtest.surdvd.com/What-is-DivxTest-Where-can-I-find.html
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