Divx 7 released

[Peakr]

Now with support for mkv (H.264/AAC) support. Thoughts...

[J. Baker]

I have no interest in mkv. It would have been nice if it could exported to flv. I mean how many video formats do we really need? Divx for the internet and some dvd players, FLV for the internet and mpeg2 for the obvious.

Also, the highdef mkv seem to play pretty sluggish on my pc, anyway. I do still enjoy divx 6 though.

[guns1inger]

H.264 is the future, at least the foreseeable one. Even FLV based sites are using it inside the flv wrapper. I agree that MKV is a bit of a wank, but repackaging it is pretty simple.

[yoda313]

So is this h264 available in a normal avi as well and not just mkv?

My thinking is for hddvd and bluray rips to high def divx for xbox 360 and ps3 playback.

Would they be able to support this now or would I have to wait for a major console update to handle divx 7?

[satviewer2000]

In the early SD (ie. 480i/p) days, I used to be a fan of DivX, but they just have not kept up with the times. I've since then moved on to using various free tools and codecs and now almost exclusively encode using the MKV container (eg. x264/AC3/DTS/etc).

I think DivX has really lost ground over the last couple of years to other formats, (especially in the hacker community where they began) primarily due to its lack of HDTV level support. Even in this current update, there are still rather severe limitations, such as lack of encode support for AC3 and DTS. AAC and MP3 sound for video are already "passe", as no purist would choose these formats over DTS or AC3. When you have a file that's already many GB in size, who cares if you save a couple hundred MB by compressing the sound?

I haven't yet tried to encode a 720p/1080p file using DivX 7, but I just could not see that the output would be any better than the current compression standard "x264" for hi-def video.

The only positive for this new DivX format is that it will provide some degree of standardization for the masses, and lead to production of "certified" hi-def capable devices which will play 720/1080p compressed files, since the only current alternative for the "masses" is the BluRay format.

Whether you like it or not, MKV is being used for 99% of hi-def "encodes" on usenet groups. As well, all the latest "Network Media Tanks" (eg. Popcorn Hour) are designed from the ground up to play MKV hi-def files.

[raffie]

Huge step IMO.
Primarily because this will mean future DivX branded standalone hardware will play x.264 MKV files!

[jagabo]

Just wait until one of the big manufacturers comes out with a player that supports MKV. I predict a whole slew of patent trolls will turn up.

[FulciLives]

http://www.divx.com/en/downloads/divx-7-showcase

That is an official DivX website that has some samples you can download of DivX 7 encoded files.

I downloaded the following:

1.) WATCHMEN Trailer (1080p H.264 video with 2.0 AAC-LC audio in a MKV)
2.) STAR TREK Trailer (720p H.264 video with 2.0 AACL-LC audio in a MKV)
3.) TERMINATOR SALVATION Trailer (720p H.264 video with 5.1 AAC-LC audio in a MKV)

I loaded each file into AviDemux but first set VIDEO to COPY and AUDIO to COPY and FORMAT to MP4. Even on my old now slow computer the process of remuxing from MKV to MP4 in this manner went rather quickly and smoothly.

The resulting remuxed MP4 files played flawlessly on my Sony PS3 and they played on my computer (both my Linux install and WinXP Pro install) without having to install the DivX 7 codec or software etc. oh and yes the original downloaded MKV files also played back fine on my computer (PS3 does not support MKV hence the remux to MP4).

I do have one question though regarding AviDemux ... when I load the files it asks if I want to use a certain special "mode". If I say yes then I go straight to save and that's that but if I say no then it asked me to re-index (which I did) then I went straight to save. I did WATCHMEN the first way and the other two the second way. Seemed to work either way *shrugs* as all three played fine on my PS3.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[nitro1973]

i dont know really what divx now is. some time ago it was low quality video codec. and now they support h.264. they label it with divx. and they sell ceriticates etc

this is strange

[jagabo]

i dont know really what divx now is. some time ago it was low quality video codec.

Compared to what? Did you every try to encode a 2 hour movie in 700 MB with MPEG 2? It would be far worse quality. The lack of quality is a matter of the low bitrates used to fit movies on 700 MB CDs. Divx at high bitrates (but still less than MPEG 2 DVD bitrates) can look fine.

and now they support h.264.

Yes, they bought MainConcept and it's h.264 encoder, and this has become part of the new Divx 7 release.

they label it with divx.

The h.264 encoding are MKV.

and they sell ceriticates etc :)

I don't know if they sell Divx hardware certifications or give them away to promote the format. In any case, I'm happy to get Divx certified DVD players.

this is strange

Why is it strange that they evolve with time?

[ejai]

I was using DivX 7 to encode dvd video using the mkv setting and all the videos come out with excessive motion blur. I used Ripbot264 and there was no motion blur at all. The videos needed to be deinterlaced and that might have something to do with why this encoder created files with such a blurry look.

[DarrellS]

The default encoder settings suck and you can't change them. Everyone only seems interested in converting files to view on a cellphone or wristwatch and not on a HDTV.

There was a command line encoder from DivX floating around on the internet that allowed you to set your own bitrates but it was a time limited BETA release and expired. Hopefully, they'll put the same encoder in a future build.

[jagabo]

I was using DivX 7 to encode dvd video using the mkv setting and all the videos come out with excessive motion blur. I used Ripbot264 and there was no motion blur at all. The videos needed to be deinterlaced and that might have something to do with why this encoder created files with such a blurry look.

That sounds like a deinterlacing issue, not an encoding issue.

[FulciLives]

Of the three clips I mentioned above:

1.) WATCHMEN Trailer (1080p H.264 video with 2.0 AAC-LC audio in a MKV)
2.) STAR TREK Trailer (720p H.264 video with 2.0 AACL-LC audio in a MKV)
3.) TERMINATOR SALVATION Trailer (720p H.264 video with 5.1 AAC-LC audio in a MKV)

WATCHMEN and TERMINATOR SALVATION looked fine to me but the STAR TREK trailer looked nasty at times especially during some high motion stuff but it didn't look that good overall so the settings on that one were off.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[jagabo]

I did see some errors in the Terminator trailer. Right around the Warner Brothers logo. It showed up with three different h.264 decoders so it appears to be some encoder or upload errors.



Divx Converter appears to blend deinterlace interlaced sources. Likely the cause of ejai's blurring.

[poisondeathray]

Yes the ENcoder sucks big time with very limited control or options (it's basically a run down version of Mainconcept's h.264 encoder)

But, their free h.264 DEcoder is stellar. It even dethrones coreavc pro for multithreaded decoding. Here were a couple of tests done on Doom9. The 1st set was done with the beta decoder, but the 2nd graph used the release version. Note that it even plays back some broken streams that libavcodec or coreavc has problems with

E:\HD\freedom EP1 sample.mkv, 1920x1080, High@L4.1

[ffdshow, rev2509, 4 threads]
User: 3s, kernel: 0s, total: 4s, real: 22s, fps: 142.8, dfps: 27.2
User: 3s, kernel: 0s, total: 4s, real: 22s, fps: 142.8, dfps: 27.2 <-- 100%
User: 3s, kernel: 0s, total: 4s, real: 25s, fps: 140.8, dfps: 24.2

[ffdshow, rev2527, Pre-Beta 6, 4 threads]
User: 3s, kernel: 0s, total: 4s, real: 22s, fps: 149.3, dfps: 27.5
User: 3s, kernel: 0s, total: 3s, real: 22s, fps: 155.2, dfps: 27.4 <-- 101%
User: 3s, kernel: 0s, total: 4s, real: 24s, fps: 147.1, dfps: 24.9

[ffdshow-MT, rev2515, 4 threads]
User: 2s, kernel: 0s, total: 2s, real: 8s, fps: 219.0, dfps: 68.7
User: 2s, kernel: 0s, total: 2s, real: 8s, fps: 252.7, dfps: 68.7  <-- 254%
User: 2s, kernel: 0s, total: 2s, real: 9s, fps: 220.2, dfps: 67.2

[CoreAVC, Version 1.8.5]
User: 0s, kernel: 0s, total: 0s, real: 7s, fps: 679.7, dfps: 82.3
User: 0s, kernel: 0s, total: 1s, real: 7s, fps: 616.0, dfps: 82.1  <-- 304%
User: 0s, kernel: 0s, total: 0s, real: 7s, fps: 691.6, dfps: 82.0

[DivX H.264 Decoder, Beta-3]
User: 1s, kernel: 0s, total: 1s, real: 6s, fps: 458.4, dfps: 88.4
User: 1s, kernel: 0s, total: 1s, real: 6s, fps: 512.0, dfps: 88.4  <-- 327%
User: 1s, kernel: 0s, total: 1s, real: 7s, fps: 499.0, dfps: 87.6

[DarrellS]

If I try and play raw .264 files created with MeGUI in MPC-HC, they crash my PC with a blue screen but play with no problem in the DivX 7 player.

The bitrate from a MeGUI encode is 3 times higher than a DivX 7 encode.

[poisondeathray]

If I try and play raw .264 files created with MeGUI in MPC-HC, they crash my PC with a blue screen but play with no problem in the DivX 7 player.

The bitrate from a MeGUI encode is 3 times higher than a DivX 7 encode.

You can set MPC-HC or MPC to use DivX h.264 decoder by default (i.e. you don't have to use DivX Player), just disable the internal filters and set the merit higher in graphstudio for DivX h.264 decoder

Not sure what your are trying to say with your last statement? You can set MeGUI to encode a different bitrate if you want, and there is some limited control over size in the lastest DivX 7.

[DarrellS]

Not sure what your are trying to say with your last statement? You can set MeGUI to encode a different bitrate if you want, and there is some limited control over size in the lastest DivX 7.

Default settings for MeGui > filesize > not calculated ends up three times higher than DivX default settings.

Where do you see an option to change settings with the divx h.264 encoder? Unlike the 6.8 codec, it's built into the Divx converter.

[jagabo]

After adding files to the main Divx Converter window click on View List. Highlight a file then click on Modifiy. When the Limit File Size option is enabled the encoder appears to uses higher bitrates.

[DarrellS]

Thanks Jagabo. That sure makes converting to H.264 a lot easier. All I could see before was an option to keep original ac3 or mp3. Choosing the 4GB limit used almost as much bitrate as MeGUI in uncalculated mode so I feel a lot more comfortable using the DivX converter.

I'd rather see an uncalculated mode with the divx encoder. It seems they want to limit everything to 4GB.

[jagabo]

I'd rather see an uncalculated mode with the divx encoder. It seems they want to limit everything to 4GB.

Do you know what happens with big files? Does it make the entire movie fit into the specified size? Or does it break it up into segments? I've only done small files with it. I prefer to have more control so I don't really use the program.

[ejai]

I was using DivX 7 to encode dvd video using the mkv setting and all the videos come out with excessive motion blur. I used Ripbot264 and there was no motion blur at all. The videos needed to be deinterlaced and that might have something to do with why this encoder created files with such a blurry look.

That sounds like a deinterlacing issue, not an encoding issue.

You are correct, but when I encode the same clip using other encoders such as Handbrake and Ripbot264 there is no blurriness. If you have a video that has a deinterlacing problem then this is not the encoder for you.

I do believe that some DVDs as well as camcorder video will have some sort of interlacing issue.

[DarrellS]

I'd rather see an uncalculated mode with the divx encoder. It seems they want to limit everything to 4GB.

Do you know what happens with big files? Does it make the entire movie fit into the specified size? Or does it break it up into segments? I've only done small files with it. I prefer to have more control so I don't really use the program.

I did an encode with the filesize limit unticked to make sure about the low bitrate and was correct and then changed to the 4GB limit but the VOB wasn't big enough to create a 4GB file. It was a 5.96GB VOB and came out at 3.42GB. The video looks good but the audio plays about 4 seconds too early so it's probably not the best program to use for converting DVDs.

Maybe it has something to do with converting from 29.970 to 23.976? Nah cause I had to use Virtualdub before to fix the audio when I created a DivX AVI from the same movie.

[luigi2000]

I have always had good experiences with Divx. Preliminary tests show Divx7 is more of a good thing. Divx7 H264 decode outperforms ffdshow. I corrected the aspect ratio of a Divx5-encoded music video by changing the resolution from 720x400 to 640x480 with perfect results.

courtesy.png

I re-encoded a different 720x576 Divx5-encoded music video reducing the bitrate to 1600kbps with both Divx and Xvid. The Divx encode time was almost three times faster than 2pass HQ Xvid in megui. Divx encode was transparent. Xvid encode left some artifacts in moving high chroma areas. I upgraded.

together.png

[guns1inger]

I have always had good experiences with Divx. Preliminary tests show Divx7 is more of a good thing. Divx7 H264 decode outperforms ffdshow. I corrected the aspect ratio of a Divx5-encoded music video by changing the resolution from 720x400 to 640x480 with perfect results.

You could have fixed it with mpeg4modifier without re-encoding . . . . . . . . . . .

The H264 implementation is simply too limited to match X264, even through one of the many front-ends. While the encoder is capable (it has great heritage), it has been knobbled down to a price and to suit a target audience who simply want to drag, drop and forget, and to whom "quality" is simply the first word on their favourite chocolate box.

Yes, when encoding with AutoGK I do tend to favour Divx over Xvid because the slight quality difference does not justify the speed difference. But for H264 ? No thanks.

[jagabo]

I agree that Divx Converter's lack of control with h.264 encoding makes it nearly useless.

[dessieclive]

divx is dead H.264 is the future

[jman98]

Divx Converter was designed for idiots to use. I'm NOT saying that only idiots use it, not at all, but it wasn't designed to be user configurable. It was designed so that know nothing people could use it without having to deal with "difficult" configuration options that might confuse them.

Divx has a place for older CPUs that don't have the horse power for H.264. And based on what I'm seeing on the internet in places that dessieclive may not look at, it's NOT going away any time soon. You might as well predict the death of MP3.

[rhegedus]

I was using DivX 7 to encode dvd video using the mkv setting and all the videos come out with excessive motion blur. I used Ripbot264 and there was no motion blur at all. The videos needed to be deinterlaced and that might have something to do with why this encoder created files with such a blurry look.

That sounds like a deinterlacing issue, not an encoding issue.

You are correct, but when I encode the same clip using other encoders such as Handbrake and Ripbot264 there is no blurriness. If you have a video that has a deinterlacing problem then this is not the encoder for you.

I do believe that some DVDs as well as camcorder video will have some sort of interlacing issue.

I'm thinking it may be a field order issue: a lot of my DVD to avi encodes had motion blur/jagged edges until I applied the Reverse Field Order (Donald Graft) filter in Virtual Dub. No more issues after that.