"Forty Two" DiVX quality settings

[ssevenup]

I have now ripped all 3 quality levels of DiVX using Forty Two. The last high quality rip failed the preview process completely, but the dialog appeared allowing me to continue the rip. What I am wondering is why we have 3 quality settings when they are so close to the same size. My three files are 1027MB, 1064MB and 1339MB in size. I was not expecting them to be so close to the same size. The apparent quality is also pretty similar. It's also very interesting that the medium size movie is miles ahead of the other two in useability. In Quicktime player I can navigate around within the movie at will with hardly any delay. Both the low and high quality movies trigger the spinning pizza wheel every time I jump to another part of the movie, and some times it never recovers. All three were "fixed" with DivX Validator. Last but not least.. are there any plans to add crop features to Forty Two? I know some tools profess the ability to auto crop, and it seems like waste of space (though I don't know how much) not to crop.

--MM

[KaiCherry]

forty-two auto crops divx files; you have to do nothing...it just works.

The size issue has been addressed in an upcoming release.

Auto indexing will be taken care of as well.

As far as "useability" and QuickTime:

A) Blame QuickTime

B) Get rid of 3ivx

Besides being a PITA, it *completely* hiijaaks all "divx" variants, so even if you have the DivX 5 codec installed, it won't get used.

Also, 3ivx is *QuickTime* oriented, something DivX is not

The upcoming version will only use codecs that DivX 5 is happy with.

nDVD WILL NOT PLAY in QuickTime, as QuickTime stupidly does not have an ac3 codec that can be used on the Mac at this time.

Personally, when I watch avi's on my computer (rarely anymore these days, but thats another story) I've always used vlc because for the most part, they work without any untoward effort on my part.

I apologize to everyone in advance about not having the new version of forty-two out yet, but it needs to be *finished* and tested, and I do have other things to do sometimes, believe it or not

-K

[ssevenup]

As far as "useability" and QuickTime:

A) Blame QuickTime

B) Get rid of 3ivx

Besides being a PITA, it *completely* hiijaaks all "divx" variants, so even if you have the DivX 5 codec installed, it won't get used.

Also, 3ivx is *QuickTime* oriented, something DivX is not

The upcoming version will only use codecs that DivX 5 is happy with.

nDVD WILL NOT PLAY in QuickTime, as QuickTime stupidly does not have an ac3 codec that can be used on the Mac at this time.

Personally, when I watch avi's on my computer (rarely anymore these days, but thats another story) I've always used vlc because for the most part, they work without any untoward effort on my part.

Ah, so because I had both codecs, different ones were used depending on what quality I chose? Does this explain why the sizes are so similar? I pitched 3ivx and my high quality movie still sucks no matter what player I use (it says it's DivX 5). Of course QT won't even play the medium one anymore because it says it has no codec (it says it's "div3"). I'm a little confused why the medium quality movie is the best behaved and it seems that 3ivx was the codec used to encode it. Isn't that the pain in the ass codec? Are you planning to offer ac3 as on option in 42 assuming the user won't be using QT for playback, and what players, if any, will play ac3?

[quasor]

forty-two auto crops divx files; you have to do nothing...it just works.

I end up with a green stripe across the bottom of The Bourne Identity divx, i don't think that's expected right?


thanks for you hard work Kai.

ps a quick feature request (Higher quality divx option) I've got space to spare.

[KaiCherry]

Ah, so because I had both codecs, different ones were used depending on what quality I chose? Does this explain why the sizes are so similar?

Not exactly. This has been addressed in the version we are working on.

I pitched 3ivx and my high quality movie still sucks no matter what player I use (it says it's DivX 5).

THAT's the first I've heard that! What sucked about it exactly? Even "I hate DivX" Mr. Blestyle was impressed with the quality of the nDVD's

I'm a little confused why the medium quality movie is the best behaved and it seems that 3ivx was the codec used to encode it.

MSMPEG4, and MP3 VBR were used. Were. Its been removed.

Isn't that the pain in the ass codec? Are you planning to offer ac3 as on option in 42 assuming the user won't be using QT for playback, and what players, if any, will play ac3?

*rant mode on*

You are kidding, right? nDVD does use ac3. It states this in the Docs, as well as onscreen.

This is not directed at you specifically, but in general:

Look People. You *need* to let go of the 80's. Its a new world now, and since a lot of stuff is, and going to continue to be Unix-based, you MUST learn to read the included docs.

I have answered *countless* emails, PMs, IMs and postt about things that are in the docs provided, as bad as they are

But thats ok...the next release of forty-two will not operate until you DO read the docs. It will "know" if you did or not.

That will save you and us a LOT of headache and cut down on the signal to noise ratio

* rant mode off *

Sorry about that little aside. nDVD mode uses the AC3 audio straight from the dvd. AC3 audio is supported in Mplayer and vlc.

-K

[KaiCherry]

I end up with a green stripe across the bottom of The Bourne Identity divx, i don't think that's expected right?

Not sure if its a player or encoder related issue. could be due to the deinterlacing routine. I'll try to nail it down, if I can.

thanks for you hard work Kai.

ps a quick feature request (Higher quality divx option) I've got space to spare.

Already taken care of

We are also adding a "qDVD' option: nDVD Video, with MP3 audio.

-K

[quasor]

qDVD will be below nDVD?

[KaiCherry]

qDVD will be below nDVD?

The video will be the same, but it won't have ac3 audio. It will be 2 channel mp3 VBR

Since I watch all my stuff on a WideScreen (the last remnant of my for glorious life and earnings...sign, the Glorious 90's and their Cash Bounty...but I digress) with the audio going thru digal surround, I like the extra audio quality nDVD provides.

-K