How is DivX Doing 82
Breadf-n wrote in to send usa link to an interesting
techweb snippit where you can read how
DivX and Circuit City
are doing. The interesting thing to me was the number of
DVD players sold. I wonder how long before it becomes the standard.
I'd really love to obsolete analog movies ASAP.
Most obvious DVD flaw (Score:1)
Already? (Score:1)
----
Dear God: (Score:1)
I know that you and I aren't on the best of terms
and all, what with me agreeing with Jody Foster's
character in that one movie and all, but I have a
prayer to offer up if you're listening:
Please, kill DIVX.
Maybe slaying the first-born of every Circuit City
ad exec would do it. Maybe raining brimstone
inside each Circuit City would do it (assuming the
sale isn't that great -- I bet people would deal
with the brimstone for a $80 scanner).
I know you're trying to help, but just giving the
salespeople facial blemishes doesn't seem to be
helping.
Amen.
----
english is changing coz of internet get used to it (Score:1)
> several hundred million people start speaking to
>each other on the internet?
>im just waiting for the next "Shakespeare"
My guess is that you won't be writing it
Poor, dumb Divx buyers (Score:1)
Obsolete analog movies? (Score:1)
I have an extensive video collection of movies that won't be on DVD for a long, long time. Most companies arn't in a big hurry to put cult classics on DVD. The price is forbidding, so the only companies putting out DVD movies are the ones who pay $200,000,000 to make a movie. Maybe when I can get Ed Wood movies on DVD, it might be worthwhile.
Besides, so many of the movies I love are just crap I taped off of HBO.. stuff that you could never find it stores. Eliminating the recordable aspect of video is sort of silly. That's why people love their VCRs.
Clues about Quality... (Score:1)
Those of you whining on about grainy VHS quality, due yourselves a favor and pick up a S-VHS system, and stop whining. You can get those for the same price, or better than DVD systems - and they record.
Claiming that DVD is the only option to VHS, and thus it's okay to take artifacts and all the other DVD crap into account just shows how little you even bother looking at the options in the market.
DVD Sucks for several reasons:
* Digital artifacts/pixelation. The most obvious one, and while dual-layer DVDs provide better quality, obvious MPEG problems, like flashing still backgrounds at keyframes locations are still annoying. Try rapid pans, and you get the same problems. I viewed a DVD of 'Devil's Advicate' on my friend's high-end DVD player, and I ended up picking it up on Laserdisc instead - much better quality.
* Regional encoding - the discs are digital media, thus, theoretically any disc should be playable on any machine in the world, the local machine taking care of the local TV conversion, right? Not so - thanks to the $$$ industry's clueless greed, we now have regional encodings which make sure that you can NOT buy discs from one country to play in another country. Supposedly to stem piracy of discs - funny that all pirated discs are encoded without regional coding, thus they are playable everywhere, so that really didn't do anything for that problem, except annoy consumers. Sure, I could pay more to get a DVD player that has no regional coding, but why should I pay more to fix a problem that shouldn't be there to start with.
* DVD sounds is inferior to LaserDisc digital tracks. This is true as the DVD's PCM tracks have less dynamic range and quality than LaserDisc's digital tracks. You *can* hear it if you have them side-by-side.
In summary, IMO, DVD is not worth it unless these items are fixed (albeit the sound is the least of them). Otherwise, it is just a medium that allows the movie companies to profit from the apathetic consumers.
DiVX? Not even worth mentioning - it was dead before it wa even conceived.
HarryZ
Absolete analog?! YES WAY!!! (Score:1)
Are you complaning about encoding artifacts! Where have you been!? I guess you have been living in some remote cabin up in the mountains for the last 20 years. You know, there is this thing called VHS, and it does not suffer for "encoding artifacts", however, I get muffled sound, "snow", out-of-sync colors, "skew" (now that's scary, it's so common, that players actually are coming with "anti-skew" button on them!) I take DVD over hyped, sucky, bulky VHS anyday! JVC HQ should be burnt to the ground for the years of suffering!
-jon
Yes, it's true -- Digital Cable is a joke! (Score:1)
If you've ever owned a DSS, you'll absolutely hate Digital Cable. I had Digital Cable for two months, and called the cable company and told them to shove it. It's crap, and considering what's already out there on Satellite, it's absurd that they think they are competition to DSS. The truth is, they think they can keep people ignorant of the benefits of small dish technologies by touting it's price, but the reality is that it pays for itself within a year as compared to Cable!
Amen! (Score:1)
Blockbuster is watching you! (Score:1)
DVD complements, not replaces VHS (Score:1)
They can record and re-record, easily.
Even CDRs have not replaced the cassette for this because (1) The recording process is still too complex for Consumer Joe Schmuck to execute and (2) CDRW's don't work in most CD players and (3) The usual CDRW packetized re-recording format isn't understood by any audio CD decks and (4) The tech is still bulky (compare to microcassette recorders for lectures) and (5) the recording process is power hungry (no CDR portable recorders).
Considering that CDs came out almost 20 years ago. I don't see VHS going away for at least another 20 years as well.
When I see handheld DVD camcorders for $500, I'll believe that VHS will die.
Analogue (Score:1)
Don't forget that part of Pi's unique look is down to its use of an unusual development process, using the "obsolete" analogue techniques of "subjecting a load of chemicals to light"...
Digital TV isn't advanced enough (Score:1)
Divx won't last... (Score:1)
Once they do, however, the word will spread, and Divx will die the quick, nasty death it deserves. It doesn't need our help.
Looking for Tech Advice or URL lead (Score:1)
Any advice or a good URL link would be wonderful. Thanks for you help.
Ron
Try Video Essentials (Score:1)
I suggest getting the DVD "Video Essentials" to help calibrate a nice home theater setup.
Well, I *like* DVDs (Score:1)
Maybe I'm just not 3l337 enough, but I have noticed exactly one instance of MPEG artifacts in all those hours of viewing, and that instance lasted about 1/2 of a second.
DVDs kick ass. They're cheaper than VHS (I got all of Bubblegum Crisis on 3 DVDs for $50 as opposed to $160 on 8 VHS tapes), they include cool stuff (making of, production stills, cast interviews). Most importantly, VHS looks like total shit once you've watched a DVD. It's so *blurry*!
I can live with a half-second of artifacts per 30 hours of video in exchange for crystal clear images and wonderfully clear, obnoxiously loud and noise free sound.
Everybody: go buy a DVD player right now. DIVX must die.
--
So what does divx use for encryption? (Score:1)
Slider
Yes, it's true. (Score:1)
The thing to remember about technology and the "digital revolution" (hate that phrase) is that it's full of trade-offs. All things considered, I think digital cable is still a much better service than the old analog cable, flaws and all.
6 movies per person? (Score:1)
Even if you purchase the full release (for ~$20 extra?) for unlimited views, I believe it still has to authenticate off it's central server.
ARRGHGHGGHGHGH! (Score:1)
>>"Obsolete" is an adjective, not a verb.
>Any noun can be verbed.
"Verbing weirds language." (Where's that from?)
Divx (Score:1)
Uhm, "Normal" Cable TV == Digital TV (Score:1)
You get artifacting with digital video when people try to cut corners on the bits-per-second in order to cram more onto a single disc. But in a professional environment, it can be done right so that you wouldn't notice it. You crank up the bitrate until the artifacting goes away.
Jon
Not too Scary "Open DVD" is still firm leader (Score:2)
While I am a firm LP for quality sound man. VHS has multiple failings. One VCRs use variable gain so dynamic range of sound and sound quality is not preserved. Could Analog tape be a better media? Yes. When I rent "Apocalypse Now" and view it at home will it look and sound better on DVD or VHS? Definitly DVD. Not to mention how grainy and worn out video places let their video's get.
Though I have to admit I have already rented a scratched up DVD from blockbuster.
DIVIX is a dumb idea. I think it is a niche market to make some money for a little while, then toss. (and leave the DIVIX purchasers with an overpriced piece of crap that can't get new DIVIX titles.)
People still go to the close place ot rent videos. DIVIX makes people go to circuit city and pay more to "rent" a video. And if I want to buy, I can still purchase from Blockbuster, Amazon.COM, Fry's, Best Buy.....
The common fool will eventually succumb to his pocket book.
DVD country encoding? (Score:1)
As someone else mentioned, quality movies might not be converted to DVD, and the risk could be even greater for those with non-US encoding -unless I only want to watch French movies. And I don't. Delikatessen and others are great, but I would like to see independent movies from all over the world. These things make me wonder if there is any idea to buy DVD here.
However, someone said to me that "all DVD players sold in Sweden these days are with zero encoding so you can see any films". Is this true? Are there any legal DVD players with that ability?
If this is the case, DVD - here I come!
ARRGHGHGGHGHGH! (Score:1)
Obsolete may be used as a transitive verb meaning "to make obsolete." In fact, my websters indicates that the word "obsolete" is derived from the past participle of the latin verb obsolescere.
Mmm. I miss latin class...
So what does divx use for encryption? (Score:1)
Any noun can be verbed? (Score:1)
You are roading?
He/she/it is treeing?
Sure, I talk like this all the time.
English is Open Source(TM) (Score:1)
Question: Does the dictionary TELL us how to speak properly? Or does it merely DESCRIBE and CATALOG how we speak? Ie, which came first, the words or the dictionary? It seems that the dictionary definations are a reflection of how we use words, FOLLOWING language usage-- not an authority on how we SHOULD talk.
Language wants to be free.
(unless you're trademarking "you've got mail" of course)
W
5 of the movies are free (At First?) (Score:1)
Are these free forever or did they just waive the charge for the purchase price (about $5 if memory serves)? If they're not free forever, the poor sap who falls for the DiVX scam ends up paying the per view charge 48 hours after the first viewing. What a deal, eh?
ARRGHGHGGHGHGH! (Score:1)
That still doesn't make any sense.
Granted language does evolve... (Score:1)
Granted language does evolve, but that does not mean we should abandon the confines of proper english. For example, look at the inner cities. You have 'ebonix', this 'language' has become utterly unintelligible. The fact is, even the people who speak it hardly understand each other. Imagine trying to read a programming book, or an API filled with such nonsense. The problem is, if it evolves too rapidly it tends to splinter in a sense. There must be a certain common thread, a backbone if you will, which everyone can learn from and use to communicate without problems. This simply can't be done, if it becomes standard practice for anyone to mangle it at will. This is kind of like MS altering some well defined APIs, but atleast they've got the clout to make the rest of the world adapt to them.
DivX: not much chance in the marketplace (Score:1)
If movie studios REALLY wanted a piece of the rental market, the format would be simple. Screw the whole phone-line/silver disc crap, I think that is too Big Brother for most consumers. I don't want my rental habits charted by anyone. Lower the price to $2 and reduce the packaging to nothing, and let me watch the movie for 48 hours.
I don't know how this would be enforced (this movie will self-destruct in 5 mins?), but I'm sure someone could come up with something. An added bonus would be if you could bring a rental in for $1 off of the regular movie.
Why is DiVX so bad? (Score:1)
Shouldn't we all be hoping that DIVX takes off like wildfire, and that every film is released in that format, so that we can all benefit from the upcoming hack?
Or is someone actually going to use the work 'unhackable'?
CLUE: VHS is *NOT* the only alternative... (Score:1)
What is DIVX (Score:1)
There don't appear to be any pirate DVDs at present. The pirate production business haven't taken off so far as DVDs are so damned hard to produce.
Probably the first pirate DVDs will be from Sony or Pioneer. Don't laugh. Their contract pressing divisions are the main source of pirate LDs. Their confidentiality practices don't allow them to check what they press. I guess in another year or so the villages in GuangDong will be buying DVD making machines, and the piracy business will take off.
The authorities in China are making some real efforts to reduce piracy, but its tough. A pirate CD plant can be a village's main money earner. Try to shut it down and the villagers get violent. They have to sent armed soldiers to shut these plants down, and people have been killed.
Thoughts on quality (Score:1)
1. VCD gives poor video and sound. However, its video is about the same as VHS. VHS looks like an impressionist painting. While I love the French impressionists, I don't want to see the world like that 100% of the time. With the latest encoders the VCD's MPEG1 artefacts aren't too nasty, and even subtitles can be kept clean. The sound is pretty awful, though (MP3 essentially, at a fairly low bit rate). The PCM sound on VHS is certainly better.
2. DVD is way ahead of VHS and VCD in picture quality. Sure, you can get some amazingly nasty artefacts. With the right material it goes completely crazy. However, most of the time it looks about the same as LD. Subtitles are about as clear as a conventional TV can resolve. The sound is still a bit iffy, though (MP3, but I don't know the bit rate).
3. LD quality has always been limited by the quality of the source material, and not the medium itself. That is true for DVD too. You don't need something better than DVD until the production people produce cleaner results.
4. MPEG2 broadcast quality is a totally variable thing. They can give you high or low quality, depending on how they program the bit rate. It can be excellent. It can be awful. Don't judge the technology by a few samples you may have seen. This is especially true in the US, where price wins over quality every time. Demand quality, and be prepared to pay extra for it.
5. None of the new media - DVD, MP3, etc. - offer Hi-Fi sound. As in the phone market, there seems to be a drift away from sound quality to reducing costs with excessively low bit rates. The DVD audio disks offer wonderful sound - far better than CD, especially in the quieter passages of a classical piece - but so far I have only seen demo disks. It is unclear whether there will be any production releases (though I may be wrong). Until the production costs of DVDs come down I don't expect to see any mass market audio disks.
6. There is no good reason why an inexpensive DVD machine should give poor pictures. Those high end machines are a con. There is a good reason why the sound quality may vary, especially if they really market the DVD Hi-Fi audio disks.
7. Rental DVDs suffer scratch problems, just like game CDs. Soemone made a reasonable comment about them not being used by 8 year olds. If you have rented LDs, though, you will know they get badly scratched. DVD will be worse - its compact format encourages mis-handling.
8. Compared to a fractal coded solution, MPEG-2 quality stinks at equivalent same bit rates. Fractal coding is very asymmetric, though - it requires enormous resources to code, but quite limited resources to decode. MPEG-2 was designed for things like mini-DV, as well as replay only systems like DVD. I guess DCT based solutions were the only choice to suit all needs.
Check your english (Score:1)
'Nuff said.
Force Recon Half-Life TC: Check it out [cass.net]
DVD is great but... (Score:1)
Working in a boutique video store ( not this BlockBuster crud ) long ago has really given me an appreciation for just how gigantic the videography really is and hard it will possibly be to port all of this old videoware over.
Sure, the huge movies, classics, not so huge and even small films will get ported, but finding certain old films by 3rd party distributors, indies etc will probably be impossible and its saddening. DVD is the format of the future but I think it will forget much of its past far to quickly. This could possibly be a major loss to our film heritage and really a blow to our culutral memory, sad as it is, movies and TV are our cultural scat for which we will be collectively remembered...
So what does divx use for encryption? (Score:1)
//geach
//An once of plutonium makes a bigger bang than a ton of TNT
when it gets hackable, I'll buy one (Score:1)
Divx is a waste. (Score:1)
Open DVD is the only way to go. That's why there are so few titles available on Divx...movie studios aren't willing to support such a worthless standard.
High end audio/video manufacturers aren't making Divx players. We're talking Meridian, Runco, Theta, Pioneer Elite. Buying Divx is like throwing your money down the toilet.
Kurosawa on analog better than "full house" on DVD (Score:1)
"Ran" a little while ago. i don't know why it wasn't broken down into chapters, but otherwise it's a very nice disc
Getting DIVX vs. Standard DVD (Score:1)
Circuit City sunk a shitload of money into the DIVX project. This was enough to hurt their quarterly earnings the quarter they did that. When that happened, their stock dropped a nice share, representing the support of the investor into CC's venture.
When you are buying a player, DIVX players are only sold at a couple places, and is more or less more expensive than a comperable DVD.
If you go to Best Buy, before the end of last year, their deal was five free DVD moves and 13 free DVD rentals from Hollywood video. Circuit City has something like 10 free DIVX. Please.
DIVX, just because of the lack of popular support, expecially from movie studios shall be the downfall of it.
About Artifacting (Score:1)
I contacted Manga, the publisher, and they sent me a new copy, along with a t-shirt. The new copy is absolutely flawless.
It appears that some discs have buggy encoding, which causes problems on some players. I believe that this is simply a learning stage associated with the *relatively* new technology. When problems do occur, the companies involved seem to be very anxious to correct the problems and to make the consumer happy.
I for one am very happy with DVD, and continue to be impressed by the new releases.
Divx is crap, unless... (Score:1)
And Divx. A great idea. I'm not to blast on it. If you want one, buy one. I don't want one. But I got a great thought coming from the hacking point of view. What if there was a mod chip? Just like the playstation. A chip that would let you play the divx movies without paying. Once that happens I'll buy a divx player, but until then, I'm sticking with the DVD-ROM in my Dell
Really bad (Score:1)
Just to prevent that, I bought a DVD machine and some movies:-) My vore is on DVD. DIVX will never take hold, especially outside of the USA.