Divx Ultra Player: S-Video Output

[Tom Saurus]

I know that Phillips used to make a Divx Ultra Player with S-Video output. All the newer models seem to have no S-Video Output. I want to get a Divx Ultra Player with S-Video Output, because I am really like putting 3 or 4 movies to a blank DVD-R. This will save me alot of space over time. But I know that at sometime in the future I might want to extract a scene or an entire movie. I was thinking that I would play the disc on my Ultra Divx Player and hook up the S-Video into the input on my capture card and I would also hook up the left right output to the sound inputs on my capture card.

Does anyone know of any new Divx Ultra DVD Players that offer S-Video output? It doesn't look like Phillips is willing to put S-Video in their newer models. It doesn't take up much room and shouldn't add that much to the cost, to include S-Video. Thank you in advance for whatever information you can give me on this matter.

[RabidDog]

Why not work with the original file either the Mpeg or the divx. this FAR better than playing and "recording " back into your computer? this would lead to ultimate degradation (of the video).

[jman98]

S-video is a low quality video output. It looks OK on standard definition TVs, but if you ever hook one up to a high def TV, you will see how bad it truly is. It certainly was better than the alternative at the time which was crummy old composite output, but there's no real need for S-video now. If you ever get a high def TV, S-video will be useless for you. I'm sure this is why Philips is no longer including it. S-video is badly inferior to current TV connection methods of component video, DVI and HDMI. Even component connections to a standard definition TV that supports component video input is a lot better than S-video.
I hooked up a new DVD player for my brother to his standard defintion TV over componet input and it looks a lot better than it did under S-video.

Yes, you could capture video off a Divx disc the way you suggest, but it would be a very bad to do things. Copying the file to a PC and then using an editor to get the section you want would be a lot better.

[Tom Saurus]

RabidDog: It is nice to have the option of S-Video output. For example before I got my new dual core computer I had several discs that I burned using ImagBurn and even though they verifyed and the log said the disc had been closed, it turned out do to some error with my burner, that the discs had not been completed. Now the disc plays in my convential non divx player, it wasn't a divx ultra disc. But anyway if I take the same disc and put it into my computer drive, it registers as empty and I can't access anything on it. So being one that always likes to somehow be able to grab something at a later date if I wish to, I have to play that disc in my standalone DVD player and record via S-video into my capture card. Unless I want to wait quite awhile for that show to air again.
I have nearly run out of room to store discs, and so now if movies come on that are a similar theme, like some westerns, I like to put 3 or 4 to a disc, and yet enjoy the menus and such that Divx Ultra offers. But yet I know there are going to be times come up that I might want to grab a scene or a whole movie for whatever reason. When I capture I use an S-Video cable and it gives me more lines of resolution. I would imagine I could use the composite video out, to record in, but I would end up with less resolution. Thank you for your input on this issue.



jman98: You posted as I was writing my response to RabidDog, and upon reading what you had to say on this topic, it has given me a better understanding of things. I am still using a standard definition tv, since I can't afford a HDTV set. Though when movies are shown in letterbox or widescreen, I am terribly envious of people that have widescreen tvs. I think most widescreen tvs are high defintion. Now if someone invents a piece of software that I can use to extract stuff from an Divx Ultra Disc, if the case ever arose, I would feel alot better about going exclusively this way. Ideally I would have a ten thousand terrabyte drive and never have to send stuff out onto dvd rs to free up space, and always be able to manipulate it whenever it suited me.

At the moment I am taking some of regular dvd-r's that I have put movies on over the last two years and using DVD Decrypter's IFO mode extract one big .vob and then place this along with movies of a similar theme or in the same series, like a prequel or a sequel, to put them together in Divx Ultra format.


I guess I want my cake and eat to. Have the space savings of Divx Ultra, and yet the convienence of extacting stuff easily as with the convential dvd format. Thank you for your input on this issue.

Our tv does has inputs on the back for Component cables, so I should see what this does for the picture quality. When we first got our television, it was at the local radio shack and the cables were 30 dollars or more and we had nearly run out of money, so I just used the S-Video cable and composite cables we had at home.

If someone knows how to extract stuff from a Divx Ultra Disc, using the computer, that is something that you should put into a Guide; I know I would find it useful.

[TBoneit]

Tom, You do know that using TDA 3 if you rip the whole DVD you can import it complete with chapters and then turn it into a Ultra Divx using the original chapters? You lose the chapters when you rip into one big VOB.

Importing a DVD is one of the input options when you go to the add files,

[jman98]

Tom - I'll let you in a little trick. You don't need to buy special component cables for the connection. If you have old cables with RCA jacks on them, they'll work fine. I'm using some fairly cheap old cables that I had lying around unused and they work fine for component connnections. If you can find 3 old composite cables, you can use them as component cables. There's no real difference in the cables, you just need 3 for component and 1 for composite.

[Tom Saurus]

TBoneit: Do you mean using DVD Decrypter, to create the video and audio ts folders to the hard drive and then selecting this file in TDA 3? I think I tried this once, it give you a bunch of vts files, that are broken up at the .99 gb mark and if you patch these together into one .vob you end up with a distortion where the .vts files join each other. Thank you for your input. Please explain to me what you mean, if I have got it wrong.

[Tom Saurus]

jman98: Thank you for that trick, I have lots of old compisite cables laying around. I will give this a try. Now I guess I will be experiencing "progressive scan" for the first time in our home. I probably seen it at at the local radio shack on their tvs; but it all blends together with the other features they have. Sorry TBoneit, for not putting your name in bold letters, no slight intended.

[TBoneit]

Actually I don't mean selecting the individual files select the VIDEO_TS folder. Don't use the open files, I'm at work not home so I can not look at my TDA3 however where you go to add video one option is to add a DVD and then you add the title you want. The movie will be the long one. Then you can choose keep chapter or not.Copy to HD or not and so on.

[Tom Saurus]

TBoneit: Thank you for the additional information. I tried to import a whole Video TS folder, but it doesn't seem possible in TDA 3.

[TBoneit]

It works for me, If you look at item 3 on this webpage for example DVD is included as a import option.
http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tda3_feature.html

I'm at work however I'll try and describe the process. Choose New project. Choose Divx, then the button below add files is what you need. I don't recall the exact name. Something like source Wizard. It will never add DVD structure from add files, since add files is for individual files.

I know it works since I used it to convert two PAL DVDs to divx with imported chapters.....

Try the help function abd search for import DVD.

[Tom Saurus]

TBoneit: Thank you for this information you have provided. I just tested out a DVD and used the Source Wizard and I was able to import a DVD I made, and it brought it in with the chapters. The program gives you the option of with chapters or without. The process was quite straightforward and efficient. Once again thank you for taking the time to share this information