Codec questions

[youdontseeme]

Hello, I have some codec questions. My PC and software stats are in my profile thingy. Thanks guys

1. What is the best codec to use to compress DVD rips? I've been using Divx beta 4.0

2. What is the best codec to use to compress avis captured from my camcorder? I film street races

3. All divx codec is MPEG4 correct?

[El Torro]

1) Get a newer DivX(DivX 5.0 eg)
2) compress avis... DIVX?
3)correct

[youdontseeme]

Hey, thanks for the response. One question. I downloaded divx package from download.com

But how do I choose DiVx 5.0 as the thing I want to compress with?
When I use the drop down menu on my compression utilities, it isnt one of the available choices.

The choices I have are

-cinepak
-mpeg4 fast motion
-mpeg4 low motion
-divx 4.0 beta

and some other ones I can't remember. But divx5 isnt one of them. How do I add it?
Thanks

[kjmacke]

Just go to divx.com and download it. However you will lose your divx 4 codec after you install divx 5.

[kayfam]

kjmacke,
If you really want good results with DivX 5.02 your going to need the pro version of the codec. 2 versions are available, a free one, but it contains Gain bundled with it (spyware crap) and you can't disable it without losing the use of the codec and the $29.95 version. If you are planning on doing a lot of conversions I'd pay for it. I tried the Gain version and it did have a negative impact on my system perfomance since Gain runs in the background on startup.

Anyone who thinks they might help out by posting alternative methods on how to obtain this software please keep it to yourself.
The last thing I want to start here is another flame war!

[kjmacke]

kayfam Thanks for the info!!!!!

[youdontseeme]

THanks for the tip. Just curious, what makes the pro version better than the regular bundle?

Also, is Divx 5.02 good for compressing avis with street races in them (high action)

[kayfam]

youdontseeme,
The 2 main options in the pro codec that aren't available in the free version are GMC (General Motion Compensation) and bi-directional encoding. It's these 2 that make the most difference in terms of file size and quality. There are other options available that are not included in the free version, but these 2 make all the difference in the world. As to the outcome of your encodes I leave it up to you to do the damage. My only advice to you is to do some experimentation and see what works best for you. Also you might want to browse the forum over at http://www.divx.com for more specific encoding tips.