Is there any point to DVD's anymore?

[Afterlife]

Ive been authoring for a while now but lately instead of authoring my videos for DVD I either dump it on a DVD in divx and play it in my DIVX dvd player, or I hook my PC up to my TV and play, or lately I have been using my 360 to on the fly encode videos into WMV for streaming playback all over my house.

So why bother anymore going to the trouble of burning DVD's when I can simply access everything from a simple location?

I like to burn Anime onto DVD but some anime series can span 50+ episodes, to put them on DVD single layer best bet is 4 episodes to maintain the source encoding, so thats 13 DVD's, if I cram it all on I get crapper quality but then I can shrink it down to probably 6. Or I can keep it on my PC and stream it to my Xbox, sure there is no Nice Menu or box sitting in my collection but its there exactly as the original was.

I also recently grabbed a DVD player with DIVX support for $40 and its a Toshiba! I dont know if its possible to even add a menu or multiple subs etc for DIVX but 26 eps of my Anime is 4GB which could fit on a single layer DVD disc, id prefer this as well.

So does anyone have any thoughts to the DVD generation anymore?

[redwudz]

Well, we are in a transitional period at present. A standard DVD is still the most common media to use. DVD dual layer works fairly well, but there are only a few brands that give consistent results. Blu-Ray is here, but fairly expensive and not mainstream yet. Other formats are also available, but none of them seem to be as dependable and cheap as a regular DVD-5 at present.

I would use what is available, fairly dependable and inexpensive for a little while longer, and that's a DVD-5 disc.

Divx is great, but it's not up to the quality of a commercial DVD at present. At least not at very much smaller file sizes. Just my opinion, but the future is more likely with formats like X264 codecs or similar for maximum file compression.

A year or so and Blu-Ray or whatever format comes out on top will be probably better.

But this is all just speculation. I'll stick with my DVD-5s for a little longer.

[GMaq]

Hi,
I was discussing the same thing in another thread earlier today, I now rip directly to MPEG-4 and dump it on my iPod or stream it from my PC to my D-Link Media Lounge. I don't even have TMPGEnc installed on my PC anymore!!?. With Apple iTV, Legal Downloads and the advent of YouTube etc. MPEG-2 (except HD) is not going to be terribly relevant for a whole lot longer. IMHO of course. Outside of the computer world is a different story of course!

[guns1inger]

Divx capable players and most so-called media devices are designed to play back the type of files commonly, if not always legally, downloaded from the internet. Regardless of arse-covering blurb about taking your own movies on the road, this patently isn't what they were designed for, or mostly used for. And as Redwudz pointed out, the quality of most of these files is far below commercial DVD quality. If you want comparable quality then you need to keep the resolution and bitrate high, and most of the advantages are lost. They are certainly convenient for many things, but they are not a replacement for quality home theatre playback.

DVD is far from dead, and while the successor isn't yet clear, it won't be low resolution, low bitrate solutions, but large capacity HD solutions of some form. Enjoy putting your anime episodes at 26 to disc (too compressed for my liking), but when you look at back them in a couple of years, it will be like looking back at your VCDs now. You'll wonder how you though it was anything but complete shite.

[Afterlife]

Redqudz I understand what your saying from a financial perspective. And as far as the quality of a DVD to DIVX, if my DVD's are made from the DIVX's i obtain how will they be any better?

Streaming to my TV is a really nice option, shame the 360 doesnt allow native DIVX support as the stream solution is shoddy, no fast forward or chapters at all.

Is there a way to make "DVD"s with menus and chapters etc using DIVX's for a DIVX player? I wouldnt mind this as a temporary solution until streaming becomes more viable.

[temosis]

not an offense but think about the other people who are not even able to or haven't seen a single digital media on this earth, there are people who haven't seen the ocean and died in there lifetime, so for you it means your standard in this world is what of most will think as comfortably rich, its ok for you guys to get another technology to be so but we have to think about the whole world before we just ignore something, wouldn't you agree guys!

[redwudz]

The newer Divx 6 has some capabilities for menus, but you still won't be able to translate a commercial DVD to Divx format and have all the 'extras' like fancy menus. extras videos and the like. You can 'Shrink' a regular DVD down to DVD-5 size in MPEG-2 format and have reasonable quality, but there doesn't seem to be a Divx or similar equivalent that can do the same at a much smaller size with the same convenience. But someone may come up with a method.

I don't mind lower quality than DVD commercial quality. I use DVDShrink, and that certainly is not full DVD quality anymore after the conversion.

When they come up with a program like DVDShrink that converts to a format like Divx or X264 and preserves the whole commercial DVD, all menus and extras in a package that is much smaller than a DVD-5 and still decent quality, I'll be at the front of the line to use it.

It's all possible.

[DereX888]

Usually worse quality wins over good quality, just see what happened in music with flood of crap like MP3, tons of people PAY for it same money as for CDs... so I have to say some crappy mpeg-4
(and not 264, that is too processing-power-hungry for standalone manufacturers now and in next few years, its rather that some idiotic hacked microsoft mpeg-4 crappy codec aka divx will prevail).

Afterlife, if you crank out DVDs out of divxes, there really is no point to it. Stick'em to divx-capable-player and don't waste your time
But DO encode and author DVDs when youre transferring your DV home vids etc stuff, or you'll regret it when you get older (and supposedly wiser

[jmkeuning]

But DO encode and author DVDs when youre transferring your DV home vids etc stuff, or you'll regret it when you get older (and supposedly wiser

Or just keep them native. Right? I mean, HDD space is getting cheap enough.

[Afterlife]

DereX basically confirmed my original thoughts. Converting my DIVX files into MPEG2 and authoring is now a redundant task might as well burn to DIVX and play in the DIVX player.

Can you put dozens of DIVX files on a dvd tho and select which one? or will they play in linear order? Sorry but is there a guide on DIVX dvds as I cant seem to find one.

[DereX888]

But DO encode and author DVDs when youre transferring your DV home vids etc stuff, or you'll regret it when you get older (and supposedly wiser

Or just keep them native. Right? I mean, HDD space is getting cheap enough.

that would be the BEST solution

[DereX888]

DereX basically confirmed my original thoughts. Converting my DIVX files into MPEG2 and authoring is now a redundant task might as well burn to DIVX and play in the DIVX player.

Can you put dozens of DIVX files on a dvd tho and select which one? or will they play in linear order? Sorry but is there a guide on DIVX dvds as I cant seem to find one.

I dont get what are you asking about.

I.e. in Nero burn divx files as files in a "dvd-rom" mode, thats all.
Each divx-capable (or should we say mpeg4-capable) dvd player has different options, some even create temporary nice menu with "fake" chapters with pics for all of your movie files on a dvd (for the time your disc is inserted there), while some others can't even display full names of the files on the disc and truncate them to some first 8 characters or so... it all differes from player to player (chipset and its firmware).

[ejai]

I have been putting commerical DVDs on Divx for a few months now and I love it. I must admit that I increase the bitrate a bit and I am able to put 3 movies on one dvd with excellent quality.

I sometimes convert the divx files back to dvd for those friends who don't own a divx player. I use a video enhancer to increase the sharpness of the video and some of the videos are hard to distinguish from the original dvds.

So far divx seems to be an alternative for increased compression that has the ability to keep most of the original quality.

[DereX888]

sure divx is great... and those 320x240 ipod videos are great too... its all about on what are you watching them

I remember people swearing that their VCD backups very exactly same quality as original DVDs (I bet those discussions are still somewhere on the web) - until they all bought larger than 21'' tv

[guns1inger]

Can you put dozens of DIVX files on a dvd tho and select which one? or will they play in linear order? Sorry but is there a guide on DIVX dvds as I cant seem to find one.

Yep - it's just data and should be burned as such.

If you have a Divx Ultra certified player you can use DivxMediaBuilder to create menus etc., but these are playable only in the Divx player on your PC, and Divx Ultra Certified players.

[DereX888]

Can you put dozens of DIVX files on a dvd tho and select which one? or will they play in linear order? Sorry but is there a guide on DIVX dvds as I cant seem to find one.

Yep - it's just data and should be burned as such.

If you have a Divx Ultra certified player you can use DivxMediaBuilder to create menus etc., but these are playable only in the Divx player on your PC, and Divx Ultra Certified players.

Has anyone here created succesfully divx6 disc with menus and chapters?
I am not a novice, but I admit trying it twice and failing

[guns1inger]

As I don't have an Ultra certified player, I haven't bothered. Perhaps I should amend my previous post to say "theoretically" ?

[DereX888]

As I don't have an Ultra certified player, I haven't bothered. Perhaps I should amend my previous post to say "theoretically" ?

IMHO its just all balooney as usual with products from DivX Networks
At my 2nd try I created a disc which was somewhat usable on a PC with their own Divx Player (only main menu worked though), but it did not work on DivX Ultra certified player.
I did try divx networks VOD few years ago too. It was same sh*t - more beating around the bush than it was worth... (i still have those discs that dont work anymore somewhere as a coasters and as a reminder to not to get ripped ever again by jerks from companies like DivX Networks and such). I used to be such a sucker for all new things I guess

[lordsmurf]

DIVX and other MPEG-4 video has no real standards, so playing these on hardware can be a real craps shoot. If you like the computer, good for you, but realize most of the world does not watch on the computer.

The advantage of MPEG-4 over MPEG-2 is mostly just theory, it doesn't actually happen, especially from home users that "share" stuff online.

[Afterlife]

So im taking it people are not in favor of DIVX?

Im out of the loop but I know most of the media transported over the net is in DIVX or XVID format, simply because its maintains quality with a small size. Transferring MPEG-2 files would not be efficient.

And you dont have to watch them on your computer Lordsmurf, a video-out cable to your tv from a lap-top works, or from a desktop or media center in your living room. What I do is have my xbox360 hooked up in the main room, PC is in a different room. My PC wirelessly transcodes my DIVX to WMV on the fly to my tv when I want it to. Its not the best solution but having all my movies in a easy to access UI is much nicer than having to have physical media lying around that I have to sort through.

[Capmaster]

DVDs will be around for a long, long time. Look how long it took 3.5" floppies to fade away .....or parallel port printers for that matter

[JohnnyMalaria]

.....or parallel port printers for that matter

Still using mine - it has parallel, USB and ethernet. The parallel connection is the most reliable and fastest (after all, it's parallel, not serial!)

As for DVDs....

...not everyone wants to burn their own (legally or otherwise), not everyone has a computer and lots of people on this planet simply want the convenience of a commercial, pressed DVD.

[vico1]

DIVX and other MPEG-4 video has no real standards, so playing these on hardware can be a real craps shoot. If you like the computer, good for you, but realize most of the world does not watch on the computer.

Yup...So true.

I VideoCam family and friends events, and convert to DVD discs to give to anyone
that wants one.
I know a lot of people do that here too.

I'm not sure how I'd get Divx/Xvids to my old "Aunt Jenny"...along with MOST of the others.
They wouldn't have the first clue.

[Afterlife]

Im not speaking about home vids u pass along to family members, im talking personal collection stuff. And im also not talking about commercially stamped media either.

Strictly burned media is all.

[Cornucopia]

I see a place in the future for all 3 kinds of formats:

DivX/Xvid/MP4 for downloads, filesharing, portables, some backups
DVD's for SD quality material (esp. TV serials, etc) that you want to HAVE A PHYSICAL COPY OF
HD/BD's for HD quality material (assuming they end up giving FAIR USE a FAIR CHANCE)

Granny probably isn't going to have an iPod video, probably doesn't understand a PC or MC, is just barely comfortable with a DVD player (and wouldn't understand ISO filesystem selection on a DivX player). What you going to get her for Christmas?--A coupon for XX downloads from Zune? An eDonkey account? A faceless gift certificate? You want to see her face light up when she opens the box under the tree and sees her boxed set of her favorite "stories" (SOAP operas for those who've never heard that phrase). She can pop them into the player and go...

Scott

>>>>>
edit: the OP's comment came in while I was composing...
Generational loss is generational loss. 1:1 DVD copies (DL) have no loss. I might even be bold enough to speculate that Shinking to SL DVD MPEG2 (via transcoding/requantizing) keeps as much quality as going to DivX (full re-encode). That'd be a good experiment...
So for now, when I want to use a "Backup" instead of the original pressed disc, I rip/shink to DVD-R as a regular MPEG2 DVD. Many discs have interesting extras, so I don't want to lose them or have to mess with creating my own menus for that, etc. Not going to change that for a while. Takes much less time doing a MPEG2 transcode than reencoding to Divx also.

[RLT69]

Granny probably isn't going to have an iPod video, probably doesn't understand a PC or MC, is just barely comfortable with a DVD player (and wouldn't understand ISO filesystem selection on a DivX player). What you going to get her for Christmas?--A coupon for XX downloads from Zune? An eDonkey account? A faceless gift certificate? You want to see her face light up when she opens the box under the tree and sees her boxed set of her favorite "stories" (SOAP operas for those who've never heard that phrase). She can pop them into the player and go

Don't be lumping all grandmothers in with yours. Just be your granny ain't computer literate do mean the rest of the bunch don't have iPods and Zunes and do-dads :P

Even Marge Simpson has an iPod!

[Bjs]

DVDs will be around for a long, long time. Look how long it took 3.5" floppies to fade away .....or parallel port printers for that matter

They havent faded ... just nolonger installed because of change's in the evolution .

Take a look in you pc's bios ... floppy is a legacy device ... until it's removed from here ... they'll be around a long time too come .

My new epson printer has both parallel and usb ... I wouldnt buy anything else , as it allow's me greater flexability in updating ... I can sell the printer to someone with a lesser system later ... just look and you'll find them around ... printer manufacturer's are not about too kill off a valued part of the bussiness ... that's suicide .

Though ms dosent give a rat's ...

Even new pc's still have the parallel interface on the back ...

---------------------

Dvd's will be replaced as soon as they come up with a method of providing a menu system as we expect from most dvd title's for navigation .

Divx suck's on the grounds of the rubbish that happened in earlier development , and the group split over the spatt ... kicking many involved in the earlier development stage in the teeth ... too which they will never forget ... long rott divx .

I backup mine using xvid for archival purpose's ... It's why I'll wait for blueray to get up to spec's before making the move .

-----------------------------

The only issue remaining is most will need to import one of those pygmies ... because the rotten button's keep getting smaller each year ... and a microscope , because you cant read what's printed on them now ... so it'll be almost impossible in the future ... yet alone the manual's .

Good old fair trading and apple ipod size 12 font ... I'll eat the cat if that's a size 12 font on the side of the box ... most ordinary people cant even read it ... and the colour's used ... holly crapola ... you want to blind people ... come on apple ... clean it up .

[Cornucopia]

You're right, there are a wide variety of people (young, middle, and old aged) and their capabilities. But I think that still supports my original guess of a variety of formats coexiting...

(BTW, my grandmothers AFA capabilities, are in with probably the vast majority of grandmothers-of-45-year-olds...DEAD). They won't be needing an iPod anytime soon.

Scott

[ozymango]

Even new pc's still have the parallel interface on the back ...

Not on most of the laptops (Dell and Gateway) we work on anymore.

[vico1]

Im not speaking about home vids u pass along to family members, im talking personal collection stuff. And im also not talking about commercially stamped media either.

Strictly burned media is all.

Oh...Didn't gather that from your original topic & post...sorry.

In answer to some others, Yes...my Grandmother is also long gone, but I can only guess
that some here, may be very surprised at the number of people out there, that don't
have the players or what-not, to view anything but the TV & DVDs.
(or the inclination to do so, for whatever reason)

As far as getting a gift to "Aunt Jenny"...(MMM good idea, But)
All generosity pales...if I had to give those players along with the vids
to everyone that doesn't have them.