Divx 5.0 Released

[arn]

Divx Networks released Divx 5.0 today....

DivX 5.0 raises the bar for video technologies everywhere with a universal architecture, increased optimizations and encoding performance, significantly improved visual quality, MPEG-4 compatibility including a new MPEG-4 based DivX file format, a complete command line interface for advanced users, and a host of other improvements that will appear to novice and power users alike.

Notable features include backward compatability, MPEG-4 Compatability, MPEG-4 based file format, and a Mac OS Alpha build... "making it the first publicly distributed MPEG-4 compatible technology available on Mac OS that is capable of playing back MPEG-4 Simple Profile and MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile video"

The Mac OS based encoder is "right around the corner".

 

[lewdvig]

Great

Does this mean I can watch my divx spederman cartoons?
I wonder if the mp3 audio popular amoung PCs is supported...

 

[AmbitiousLemon]

" This is an alpha version of the DivX 5.0 decoder for Mac OS. It is able to decode all DivX video streams, up to and including the newest features of DivX Pro 5.0. It also can playback AVI files that include MP3 audio using the DivX Validator program. We're working to improve this fix, so expect a more seamless solution in the future."

 

[AmbitiousLemon]

but ive got a question of my own. Has anyone gotten this thing to work?

i know the file is divx because ive played it in os9 with the divx player from mac.divx.st. but quicktime wont touch the file with these codecs from quicktime 5 installed.

i put the codecs in the/library/quicktime folder and restarted as was outlined in the installation instructions. they said if this doesnt work then to itnstall it in the quicktime folder in your library folder in your home, problem is there is no such folder.

o well. i had my hopes up. i guess its too much to ask that divx work in osx.

 

[arn]

Originally posted by AmbitiousLemon
but ive got a question of my own. Has anyone gotten this thing to work?

i know the file is divx because ive played it in os9 with the divx player from mac.divx.st. but quicktime wont touch the file with these codecs from quicktime 5 installed.

i put the codecs in the/library/quicktime folder and restarted as was outlined in the installation instructions. they said if this doesnt work then to itnstall it in the quicktime folder in your library folder in your home, problem is there is no such folder.

o well. i had my hopes up. i guess its too much to ask that divx work in osx.

I didn't test it extensively, but it plays my Avi2Mov converted Divx's just fine...

Their tool didn't do much for me... Let's hope Quicktime 6 fixes this avi-parse bug...

arn

 

[Xapplimatic]

I trust that Quicktime 6 will be a better solution for Avis with MP3 than any "workaround".. The question is when it will be released, since Apple is mal-content with the licensing terms of MP4 and is holding QT6 up for a new deal..

 

[kidtronix]

divx 5 my ass, it is not even made by the same people who made the original hacked 3.11 codec, just like "divxnetworks" so called divx 4. there is only one divx.

 

[jamka]

flies?

about how big is a divx file?...would it be remoteley possible to download one on a modem connection? probably not...oh well....

 

[cryptochrome]

Originally posted by kidtronix
divx 5 my ass, it is not even made by the same people who made the original hacked 3.11 codec, just like "divxnetworks" so called divx 4. there is only one divx.

I hate to break it to you, but the folks what made the original 3.11 hack didn't give a crap about the mac, which is why other people had to pick up the job. What matters is that this DivX 5 component/plugin (and its Divx4 predecessor, and the now-abandoned ffmpeg DivOSX component) will handle DivX video without having to use that old DivX doctor/WMP 6.3b2 hack. All we need now is a DivX 5 encoder and a version of Quicktime (6, when it comes out) that can handle VBR audio in AVI files so we don't need DivX doctor/AVI2MOV and we're golden.

 

[cryptochrome]

Re: flies?

Originally posted by jamka
about how big is a divx file?...would it be remoteley possible to download one on a modem connection? probably not...oh well....

DivX files vary greatly in size (smallest I've seen for a 25 minute ep is 30MB, largest is ~250MB). You can download with your modem, it'll just take hours and hours. Plus you need a decent machine to play it.

 

[jamka]

oh, that's not too bad...i probably wont try to download it on my modem though. when you say you need a pretty good computer to play the movies, i assume that a 500mhz imac would fall under that catagory...or would it? do you need a G4 or something to decode them? My guess is no, but then again i really don't know much about Divx

 

[cryptochrome]

Originally posted by jamka
oh, that's not too bad...i probably wont try to download it on my modem though. when you say you need a pretty good computer to play the movies, i assume that a 500mhz imac would fall under that catagory...or would it? do you need a G4 or something to decode them? My guess is no, but then again i really don't know much about Divx

It all depends on the quality and resolution of the file. I'm using a 600mhz iBook. Usually it's fine, except with really large files it does stutter a bit, particularly with complex fast motion scenes. A huge improvement over my previous computer, but perhaps could be a bit better. There may be problems if your bus speed is less than 100mHz too.

 

[AmbitiousLemon]

hey cryptochrome sounds like you got it to work. any idea what i did wrong? all the files work with the old divxdoctor hack but i just get quicktime's white screen of death with this divx5 hack.

any ideas?

 

[MacAztec]

WHERE?

WHERE do you get DivX files?

 

[AmbitiousLemon]

try any of the popular peer to peer applications. here is a link to another thread where i compiled a list of the p2p apps i knew of. link

 

[arn]

Re: WHERE?

Originally posted by Mac_User
WHERE do you get DivX files?

there are also samples at http://www.divx.com

arn

 

[irmongoose]

Originally posted by AmbitiousLemon
hey cryptochrome sounds like you got it to work. any idea what i did wrong? all the files work with the old divxdoctor hack but i just get quicktime's white screen of death with this divx5 hack.

any ideas?

"Validate" the divx movies with the Validator which comes with app. That should do the trick.


Divx movies really are high-quality... wow.




irmongoose

 

[blakespot]

Re: flies?

Originally posted by jamka
about how big is a divx file?...would it be remoteley possible to download one on a modem connection? probably not...oh well....

A divx file can be anywhere from a few Kb to gigabytes in size. As for getting it on a modem--sure you can. It depends upon your patience, grasshopper.


blakespot

 

[AmbitiousLemon]

well ive been playing with the divx plugins for awhile. (i was already using the validator). seems pretty buggy. i think ill stick with the old method which worked all the time. i got so excited at first when i thought i would be able to watch divx files in osx.

seems maybe 2% of my divx files will work with this new plugin. some others either get the white screen or are all graining with things not refreshing in certain areas and blocks floating around. and some others have the audio way out of sink.

but in os9 all of these play perfectly everytime.

i guess im still holding out hope that quicktime6 will solve these problems. perhaps with its other builtin functions they will be able to make a better divx codec for it. but after this last experience im not holding out too much hope.