dvd players with DivX playback?

[iThinkYouBrokeIt]

Can they play Xvid encoded videos as well? I have much more Xvid than DivX, as it is my preference.

Also, how versatile are they when it comes to different framerates, resolutions, etc... do they need to be converted a certain way?
I guess a simpler way to put it is: How likely is it that all my Divx/Xvid encoded avi movies will play properly?
(They are burned on dvd+r and some on cd-r)

[redwudz]

They should play fine, as long as they follow the same format as the Divx files that work.

I gather that QPEL, GMC and/or B-VOPs may cause problems, along with overly large file sizes or framesizes, possibly overly high bitrates, but still the same issues as Divx playback, AFAIK.

[guns1inger]

And it varies from player to player as to how tolerant they are of these settings. I have two different brands running at the moment - a cheapo player from LG, and a mid-range DVDR from Pioneer. The Pioneer has by far the better quality playback and handles higher bitrates better than the LG, but the LG handles QPel and GMC where the Pioneer won't.

MostDivx/Xvid files are encoded with standalone players in mind nowadays, so you will find few that won't play. Any that don't can be fixed with AutoGK or AVIRecomp without too much fuss.

[iThinkYouBrokeIt]

I've been encoding using AutoGK without the Standalone support option checked.

Wouldn't re-encoding the divx/xvid avi's noticeably reduce quality?
I have a bunch of xvid avi's that play perfectly fine on my creative zen but the problem is the zen does not have progressive output, so it doesnt look that great on my tv. And i've been using my PS2 as a dvd player, and it's not exactly the best dvd player around, so i figure if i could get a dvd player that plays mpeg and avis, then i'll "kill two birds with one stone" so to speak.

[guns1inger]

Throw a couple of your files onto a DVD and use this to audition a few players in-store. Then you will know that they work.

[jman98]

The following options on either Divx or Xvid may (or may not - depends on the playback chip in the DVD player) be problems for playback. Note that these seem to be used more in Xvid encodes.
1) GMC (Global Motion Compensation)
2) QPel (Quater Pixel)
3) Packed bitstream
4) Resolutions greater than 720x576
5) Video bit rates higher than 2000 Kbps. If your audio is AC3 or DTS, your video bit rate may need to be as low as 1400 Kbps on some DVD players for smooth playback.

Installing the free program Gspot and opening your Xvid/Divx files with it can help you to determine if your files have any of these things. Only packed bitstream can be fixed without re-encoding, through the MPEG4Modifier program. All other problems can only be fixed through re-encoding if your DVD player doesn't like these options.

[ntscuser]

My Pioneer DV-575A plays all DivX quite happily. XviD playback is a bit hit and miss. PAL XviD's are generally no problem, all being 25 fps. NTSC XviD's can be a nightmare particularly if they're encoded at 30fps instead of 24fps. It creates a jerky "slow-motion" effect which is impossible to get rid of. (And before anyone mentions it, "unpacking" the bitstream has no effect).

[jman98]

My Pioneer DV-575A plays all DivX quite happily. XviD playback is a bit hit and miss. PAL XviD's are generally no problem, all being 25 fps. NTSC XviD's can be a nightmare particularly if they're encoded at 30fps instead of 24fps. It creates a jerky "slow-motion" effect which is impossible to get rid of. (And before anyone mentions it, "unpacking" the bitstream has no effect).

Very interesting. Is your TV multistandard? Are you sending an NTSC signal or a PAL signal to your TV from the DVD palyer or is it in "Multi" mode where it sends whatever the original video is? Perhaps this problem is being caused by NTSC to PAL conversion by the DVD player, that's why I'm asking the questions.

[ntscuser]

My Pioneer DV-575A plays all DivX quite happily. XviD playback is a bit hit and miss. PAL XviD's are generally no problem, all being 25 fps. NTSC XviD's can be a nightmare particularly if they're encoded at 30fps instead of 24fps. It creates a jerky "slow-motion" effect which is impossible to get rid of. (And before anyone mentions it, "unpacking" the bitstream has no effect).

Very interesting. Is your TV multistandard?

Yes, I'm sending a pure 60 Hz NTSC signal to a multistandard TV. It only affects some XviD's, others play back quite naturally. I assume the latter have been encoded with a proper 24 fps framerate.

[guns1inger]

My Pioneer has no problem playing back PAL or NTSC footage encoded at any framerate. It is also happy with AC3 and DTS audio, VBR MP3, packed bitstreams, bitrates up to around 3k and resolution up to PAL D1. It doesn't like Qpel or GMC at all though. The LG, on the other hand, doesn't like bitrates over 2k, but will handle GMC to 2 warp points. Unfortunately it has a poor habit of covering portions of the screen with washed out and swimming pixels from time to time (and not always in the same place), which the Pioneer never does.