Xvid codec problem

[oofers72]

I have several avi clips that I would like the burn to DVD.

AVICodec tells me that they are Xvid clips [side question: since both Divx and Xvid files use the extension ".avi", the only way to tell if you your avi is Xvid or Divx is to use a file analysis program like AVICodec or Gspot?]

Whenever I play the Xvid avis on my computer using the official Divx player, the clips play fine (Xvid is just open-source Divx, right?). However, whenever I play them with WinDVD or Windows Media Player, the clips tend to play okay if there is little motion in the scene. However, if there is great motion for about one complete second or more, or even worse, the camera pans in any direction so that the whole frame is in motion, a smearing and distortion of color occurs, usually around the edges. Then it will suddenly right itself, and everything is normal, unless more drastic motion occurs. The clip is watchable in a sense, but it is highly annoying.

I know enough to know that this is a codec problem. What I guess I don't understand is how a codec is integrated by application that needs it. This is what I thought--- a new audio or visual file type come along. A PC doesn't know how to interpret and parse this file until the corresponding codec for this new file type is installed. Then, every program that may be able to use this file type (such as a media player), refers to the "instructions" of this codec to do whatever it needs to do with the particular file type.

I mention this because it is not only playing the Xvid files through WinDVD or Windows Media Player that I see the streaking and color smearing-- if I transcode the file to MPEG (for DVD burning) with TMPGEnc, the resultant files have the same problem. Again, I reiterate that in the official Divx player plays the files fine. So somehow all the programs beside the Divx player are interpreting at the file the same way, and getting the same problem.

I know that installing multiple codecs for the same file type (for example, codecs by different authors) can cause issues. When I use DXMan to determine what codecs I have installed, there is only one entry for Xvid-- "XviD MPEG-4 Video Decoder" with a filename of "xvid.ax" Thus, it would seem that I have only one codec for XviD installed, correct?

So here is my lame working theory-- the codec rules for Xvid are built into the official Divx player. The other applications (WinDVD, Windows Media Player, and TMPGEnc) are looking elsewhere for the codec, and somehow are not using it correctly. I also have to wonder if its because Xvid and Divx share the same file extension. Perhaps the programs beside the Divx player see the "avi" file extension and use the Divx codec instead of the correct one?

I should also mention that the single codec I do have for Xvid (listed above), I got from the Xvid site just this week (after tying to uninstall all possible culprit codecs, and then reintsalling only the ones I needed). So that makes me think the Xvid codec itself can't be the problem.

There *must* be a conflict I am missing?!?

Please anyone more knowledgable than me tell me where I should look next?

Thanks so much in advance......


oofers

[kschang]

1) Yes, that's the only way to tell the codec used in AVI

2) Could be just the way the clip is. When you don't encode with enough bit-rate that's what happens. Not all codecs are high-motion friendly, some worse than others.

[jagabo]

The Divx Player has it's decoder "built in", it doesn't rely on Directshow or VFW filters. Most other players will use the external Directshow or VFW filters to decode Divx and Xvid.

Try updating uninstalling Xvid and installing a recent version (if you have an old one). Oops, I see you just downloaded and installed Xvid, so it probably is a recent version.

You can always install the free version of the Divx codec.

One last thing you can try: use AVI fourcc code changer to change the fourcc code (the identifier that indicates what coodec is used) from Xvid to Divx, or Divx to Xvid. That often works. Make a backup before you change the fourcc.

[oofers72]

Thanks for your response, jagabo.

I have no idea why, but installing the latest Divx codec fixed my playback and transcoding issues with my XviD avis.

Also, I had never seen that FourCC changer program. That can certainly be a potential solution for other problematic avis in the future.

Issued solved.

Thanks again.

[jagabo]

Glad to help out.

[handyguy]

Xvid is Divx backwards