Should I be using DVD-R for my DIVX player?

[MJ]

I downloaded two episodes of a TV show and both have scenes where the playback slows down to a crawl. Maybe it is a coincidence but these scenes have a lot of fast moving images going on in them. These are XVID AVI files that I burned to a CD-R using Nero/Data File. The only specs of one of the episodes I have is 720X480 and a frame rate of 29.97.

This does not happen when I play the CD-R on my PC. Are the drives in DIVX players slower and should I be using DVD-R?

If anyone has the means, maybe I can upload one of these files for you to check in your player. Mine is the LG LDA-531.

Thanks!

Jeff

[guns1inger]

what is the bitrate - maybe it is too high for the player to keep up with ?

[MJ]

How can I find that out?

Thanks!

[ricardouk]

tools section and download GSPOT

[MJ]

Well I went out and bought a Philips DVP642, from Walmart, just to see how the episodes played on it. Actually it is really only one episode that I'm having an issue with since the other one doesn't have a problem since I used UDF/ISO Date burn with Nero. I don't know why that is. Anyway, the other epsiode is worse on the Philips. It is very jerky all the way through, with more of those slow downs; the LG is just occasional. The only area where the Philips is better is it doesn't have an occasional streaking effect that my LG has and even my PC. I guess it's just a bad encode but no one was complaining, from where I downloaded it. And why it plays on my PC just fine, except the occasional streaking, is beyond me. Is using NERO / DATA FILE burning the best way to burn an AVI file?

One thing that is interesting to note since I have two players to compare; I have a DIVX encoded TV show from an HD source and with my LG, I get 16x9 enhancement if the player and my TV are on 16x9 mode. With the Philips, I do not.


Thanks again,

Jeff

[manono]

The first generation DVD/MPEG-4 chipsets only support up to 720x480/576 resolution, and some, like your DVP-642 evidently, don't fully support it. In addition, most max out at a bitrate of 4000 or so, and can handle that high of a bitrate for only very short periods. So, during complex scenes when you get bitrate spikes, the LG slows down, and for the entire episode the Philips plays jerky. About all you can do is to reencode it to a lower resolution, and perhaps cap the max bitrate. You may or may not get better playback burning the original to DVDR. In most cases you will.

[MJ]

That's interesting to know, thanks! So the question would be...Why would people be encoding these files this way when the most popular players can't play them properly?

Jeff

[gll99]

I concur with the high bitrate issue for divx/xvid with the dvp-642. I don't use bitrates above 2600 for divx/xvid and more often stay in the 1800 to 2200 range. The dvp-642 has no problems with the framesize of 720x480 since I use it often when capturing tv shows to divx.

Some of the problems you may be having could also be QPel or GMC related. The dvp-642 only plays divx simple profile mpeg4. Although the latest firmwares say it can now play gmc encoded files, I haven't updated mine to test it since I don't use the feature (if it ain't broke don't fix it) .

[junkmalle]

That's interesting to know, thanks! So the question would be...Why would people be encoding these files this way when the most popular players can't play them properly?

Maybe they're watching them on a computer? In my experience many DVD players don't read CD media as fast as DVD.

[silentio]

Burning onto a dvd will likely fix the problem if you know it's not a qpel/GMC/packed bitstream problem.

I have seen xvid videos that slow down considerably on cdr, yet plays flawlessly on dvd. This is on 2 name brand players.

[MJ]

I don't know why I've waited so long to pick up a DVD burner, so I'll do that this weekend. I know this question is meant for another forum now but, quickly, what burners are you guys using or recommend. I'm looking at the NEC ND-3520A & LG GSA-4163.

Jeff

[junkmalle]

I'm happy with my NEC 3520A.

[manono]

Another vote for NEC.

[silentio]

The 3520 IS AN OLD MODEL.

The 3540 is out, and is maybe 10 dollrs more. Well worth it. You an alternatively try the benq 1640 which is a plextor in disguise, or the Pioneer 109

LG has problems with burn quality burning at 16x.