This must have been asked before.

But when I search the WWW, the name Divx often relates back to the infamous (read EVIL) competition for standard DvD. While the DIVX disks are a catch, this new format uses the same name as divx. Why ? http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~doke/dvd/divx.html

Who owns divx new silly format ? Can I get the source code like for the Mpeg2 standard ? Who wants to be taken for a ride into troubles and incompatibilities ?... Do people know what they are getting into with divx ? Are there Divx editors ?

MPEG1 does an excellent job with lesser quality video, is an OPEN and free format.. MPEG2, as we all know is much better and is also an open standard; but has royalities imposed.. So I cannot legally encode a Mpeg2 event and sell it to you, even if this is my own production. http://www.mpegla.com/faq_qa.html It's listed as 0.04$ per video-media plus 0.001$ for each additional 30min clips...as an example... I think this sucks.

With a name like that... Divx is bound to raise suspicion. either the original creator made this on purpose to create havoc, or they are ignorant of all the controversy. Both case are reason enough to stick with a more visible & open standard... Too bad Mpeg2 has royalities attached. Mpeg1 does not.

Too many people already swear by MP3 audio and do not know that many MP3 encoder limits the quality.... ON PURPOSE. Plus that you cannot sell a media item containing MP3 data, without paying royalities to Fran But people jump on the latest Hype much too quick. Paying the artist royalities for their work is one thing. Paying royalities to Fran is another. http://www.mpeg.org/MPEG/mp3-licensing.html I'd rather stick to Mpeg layer2 for audio.

I also think MPEG LA is an organisation that transformed the spirit on the MPEG organisation and became a bunch of greedy people... MPEG4 looks like another kind of trojan horse.

Where are we going with all that.. I ask you.

As I understand it, Slightly depressed, Ben

-- Ben®Zen (nomail@freesoul.com), January 02, 2001

Answers

I just found-out that DivX ;-) is indeed a Hacked codec to fit the MPEG4 sheme. http://macweek.zdnet.com/cgi- bin/storyforums/storyforums/_2000_10_08_1010qtkeyone/forum.pl?read=18

Also, "This hack was possible because the MS code was available under an NDA and 'escaped'. " -FigWig on Sunday June 18 2000,

If DivX ;-) looks like the 'good hacker' prople did it. It appears using this could leads to legal problems or dead-end. Who wants that.. Then if DivX ;-) dies.. Micro$oft will collect all people needing to remain compatible, by enforcing their Licensing... Is this a Micro$oft covert operation.. I wonder.

The MPEG4 is a well designed project and appealing format: http://www.mpeg.org/MPEG/starting-points.html#mpeg4 For supported features and certainly greater image quality than MPEG1 or VCD's...But at what cost ?

The MPEG4 Licensing is not ready according to the M4IF http://www.m4if.org/m4iffaq.html

So it's IMHO quite early to jump into using a hacked DivX codec, knowing the reslts will probably not be compatible with the finished standard... and nobody knows how much royality it'll cost for producing the video media.

It appears that Micro$oft is the strong player behind Mpeg4. http://wwwam.hhi.de/mpeg-video/faq-video.htm

But since the Licensing information is not available yet, and that the format supports ton's of separate patents.. The royality from it is bound to be a mess... (I am pessimist when Micro$oft is involved with something as important as a media)

This PATENT war is driving me crasy. Can someone think of a way to get rid of the U.S and international Patent office ? Invent some sort of teleporter and beam them to oblivion-13. :D http://lpf.ai.mit.edu/Patents/patents.html

Regards, Ben

-- Ben®Zen (nomail@freesoul.com), January 02, 2001.

You may not know this but there is a project "Project Mayo" that is in the works by one of the original DivX creators (or should we say hackers). This "Project Mayo" will be a better DivX that doesn't used hacked M$ codes, therefore...it probably will be freeware since M$ won't control it. If you have ever used DivX you will know that it can create much better audio and video than MPEG1 when size is a concern... ATI's Radeon even supports MPEG4 video now. Maybe in the future we will be watching DivX movies (internet variety...not the failed DVD replacement that was for sale at Circuit City) on our HD televisions.........just a thought.....

-- Honkweed (honkweed@honkweed.com), January 07, 2001.