Confused? What is better quality DivX or XviD?

I'm getting conflicting results when I search. I want to backup my movies. I've started using a program backing up to XviD, as noted in another thread in this forum http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/326409
Basically, I want to do what is best as far as quality is concerned and would like to keep as many movies approx 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours long to about 750-800 megs. Movies which go into 2 hours or longer I normally compress down to about a gig or a little more. So, as a beginner, what is best for me? Should I go DivX or XviD codec?

 

The best codec to use is DivX, whose Encoding Performance set on 'Slow' (maximum quality with a longer encoding time).

My personal suggestion is to avoid using a bitrate smaller than 700 kbps; it's better lowering the audio bitrate from 192 kbps (optimal) till 128 kbps or even 112 kbps or 96 kbps (if the movie doen't need a very high audio quality) and keeping the video bitrate high.

Keep in mind that, a V=700 kbps is given by DivX's bitrate calculator for a movie 1h 56' 50" long with an audio bitrate = 128 kbps .
More, in general: it's even better to backup an approx 2h movie in 2*700 MB AVI files, so the A/V bitrates are large enough.
It is told that 'a 2*CD-R DivX compression (2*700 MB) almost keeps the original quality'.

 

Excellent news. Thank you. I've been using the XviD codec thinking I must have been missing something. I heard a lot of people raving about it and noticed the majority of the movies my buddy shares for download are XviD codec. But if DivX is the way to go, then I will definitely change. Wierd thing I noticed during some of the converts. I got a lot of "Stats file not found" errors which forced me into using DivX.

 

Probaly because you chose 'multipass Nth pass' before choosing 'multipass, 1st pass', moment in which DivX creates the video.pass file which will be read during the Nth pass by DivX (so you'll need 2 DivX run, to make an AVI. The 1st time, only the 'video.pass' and an AVI file containing only the audio is created. The final AVI is the one creating on the 2nd run (you can do the whole process by creating 2 batch processes ['1st pass' followed by 'Nth pass'] on VirtulDub. Read the final part of the guide http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/dvd2divx_anamorphic.cfm)

 

XviD is definatly capable of better quality than DivX. What looks good given the contstraints of a set bitrate, etc. though is a different matter and really comes down to personal tastes. I'd still have to say that encoding for a given size, XviD is still the better of the two.

 

id go with divx

 

I'd listen to celtic_d

 

I've tested on AMD Athlon 3800 64 bit with 2 gig ram, and P4 2.8 ghz with 2 gig ram.

I've actually been screwing around going back and forth with the same movies between the two codecs. I've found when I maximize Bourne Supremecy the picture to full screen with DivX, the picture is below average, blotchy and when dark you can barely see the movie. I did the same movie with XviD codec and when maximized, there is little to no quality change at all. I use the default setting for both DivX and XviD and it seems XviD is astoundinly better. I've also used several different types of programs, they are.

1click dvd to avi
IMTOO DVD to MPEG,AVI etc
1stDVDripper
Amigo DVD ripper
Super DVD ripper
Magic DVD ripper
Saga DVD ripper
Ulead Video Studio 10
Pinnacle Studio 9.3
AVS video converter

AVS with the default settings XviD code by far and away is 10x's better than any of them quality wise.

 

You might also want to try AutoGK, FairUse Wizard, AVI.NET or StaxRip. They are all free and probably will give you better results than all the non free rip off stuff out there.

 

XviD is open-source (free!) and DivX costs money.
No discussion of which is better is possible without remembering that :^)
So even if XviD was only equally-good, it would win.
If Celtic_d thinks XviD is better, then the choice becomes a no-brainer...
pntyliner you should try GordianKnot
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/dvd_rippers/gordian_knot.cfm
I use it with XviD - and it too is free.
Regards

 

ARCalculator is also worth checking out.

 

Big ups to everybody for your replies. I too give props to Celtic_D. This guy really knows his $hiz. Hey, I tried the Fairuse wizard and AutoGK last night successfully. I tried using avi.net and staxrip too but get error messages without the proggy's even opening. I installed the .net utility it suggests but still get the same errors. Anyway, no big deal. Back to the successful runs. AutogK is soooooo simple. I backed up "Category6" to avi and it looks great. I tried using fair use but it only allows to convert either from the original or from ISO. So I'll give that a whirl again tonight. I already had Cat6 ripped to my HD, that's why I used that.

Celtic_D, I tried to get the ARCalculator but when I went to the site, I could only find I think spanish. Not sure. Is there an English site? I'd like to try that too.

I guess it sounds kind of foolish trying everything, but I am only doing so because I want to make sure I get the best possible product so that if I need to reconvert back to DVD in the future I'll be fine.

Does anybody have any config ideas for autoGK when converting? Or, does everybody agree the defaults are good enough?

Thanks everybody, this place is great. What a find. Never knew there wjould be so many helpful people. I'm learning a ton.

 

The site is Spanish, the app supports several languages including English.

2.7.0 Beta: http://www.canalxvid.com/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=28
2.7.0 Beta 2 Update: http://www.canalxvid.com/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=79

 

Sweet, thanks man. Next.......I'll be sure to give it a go tonight for sure.

 

The 'real' GordianKnot is more powerful than AutoGK.
Can we give you 1 more bit of helpful advice?
Please consider changing your loopey name and ridiculous pic, LoL
If you knew ANYTHING at all about women you would not go there...
L8R

 

Done!
Sig changed, but the name is inside joke with friend of mine.

Thanks for the info, when you say "real" GK, what's the diff? Same friendly interface? I don't know much about settings changes and rely mostly on the defaults.

 

AutoGK sacrifices flexibility in the name of automation and simplicity. GKnot allows you more control, useful if you know what you are doing, not so useful if you don't.

 

With that, how would one get to the level of "know what you are doing" from basically "Peon" level such as me? I'd like to know how I'm supposed to be config'ing. I've seen where some people change configs based on content such as time, movie, cartoon and such. My guess is you probably get DVD quality XviDs. That's ultimately my goal. Do you have any guides you might have used to get started? I see only two in this site, but again. I'd like to go from "peon" level snince I don't really know why I'd be making the specific changes. Thanks Celtic_D

 

LoL :^) Your name's okay I guess (it's kewl) but we won't miss that pic...
AutoGK was made to be an 'easier' GordianKnot. It makes some assumptions and doesn't ask you about this & that, so is very n00bie-friendly.
Development of AutoGK is ongoing though, and it actually has some of the latest updates to some of its components, whereas the real GordianKnot hasn't changed in a while.
If you know GKnot however, you know enough to insert the latest DG Index, AVISynth, VDubMod etc. into it...
I gave a direct link to GKnot in my post April 11 (yesterday).
Suggest you learn & use AutoGK with XviD - if you want to do something it isn't willing to go along with, or for any reason need more control, you could learn GKnot.
Note: GKnot was created to simplify and make more convenient and foolproof what we were already doing manually, so GKnot used to be the 'automatic' tool - now AutoGK has taken convenience to a whole new level ;^)
Regards

 

So, what you're saying is; I'm in pretty good hands using autoGK? I really isn't necessary for me to even bother with the original. That's cool. Hey, If I'm able to get the quality I see from the one I did last night all the time, I'm happy. So that's cool.