DivX vs DVD

[doanster]

Playing which type of media eats up more CPU power?

 

[DanDaMan315]

Probably DivX unless your video card doesn't have a mpeg2 decoder.

 

[Continuity28]

DIVX.

MPEG4 (DIVX) takes more compression than MPEG2 (DVD), so it takes more CPU power to watch. With the right settings MPEG4 can be higher quality than MPEG2 though, while still maintaining a smaller filesize.

 

[doanster]

Originally posted by: Continuity28
With the right settings MPEG4 can be higher quality than MPEG2 though, while still maintaining a smaller filesize.

Yup, DivX HD is higher quality than standard DVD-Video.

 

[doanster]

Would I be able to watch standard DVD movies on this machine?

AMD K6-2 @ 400MHz
128MB PC100 RAM
16MB nVidia Vanta or 4MB Rage LT Pro
on-board stereo sound

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Continuity28
DIVX.

MPEG4 (DIVX) takes more compression than MPEG2 (DVD), so it takes more CPU power to watch. With the right settings MPEG4 can be higher quality than MPEG2 though, while still maintaining a smaller filesize.

Precisely. I can compress a DVD to XviD with virtually no quality loss - use the first pass mode, and set it to leave the resulting file. It might not be MPEG4 compliant, but it'll be full quality. If you want full quality compliant MPEG4, do the second pass, but set it to 8000kbps. It'll only use as much as it needs.
Result - a DVD quality file at about half the size of the original file.


Also, on CPU usage:
MPEG2 decoding may take 25% of a 2.0GHz CPU, unless you have a videocard that can do MPEG2 decoding on its own. MPEG4 can take more like 80% for the same resolution. Much more complicated algorithms are used to squish the video data with MPEG4.

 

[ViRGE]

If you go with the Vanta, probably not, since the video card doesn't have any MPEG2 decoding acceleration(it wasn't added until the GeForce, IIRC), you're using the CPU entirely, and 500mhz is the magic mark there. I do think the Rage LT Pro has acceleration though...

 

[coomar]

as long as your videocard has hardware acceleration, you'll be fine

 

[doanster]

hey, wat do u know... that old mobile video chip (Rage LT Pro) in my desktop DOES support MPEG2 hardware decoding... woot!

thx guys!

 

[0roo0roo]

xvid type stuff uses a load of post filters to take out the compressed ugliness.

 

[SGtheArtist]

I played DVDs on a PII 300MHz with an ATI AIW Pro (like the Xpert98 - Rage chipset i think). It would play but I believe the software made the CPU do the decoding.

In addition only the DVD software was running.

 

[doanster]

Originally posted by: SGtheArtist
I played DVDs on a PII 300MHz with an ATI AIW Pro (like the Xpert98 - Rage chipset i think). It would play but I believe the software made the CPU do the decoding.

In addition only the DVD software was running.

Hmm... how smooth was playback?

 

[SunSamurai]

This question doesnt even make sense.

1. DVD is not a codec. Its a media storage.
2. DIVX? Who uses this? Xvid has been supirior for years.
3. H.264 is supirior to Xvid.

 

[pibb]

Originally posted by: doanster
Would I be able to watch standard DVD movies on this machine?

AMD K6-2 @ 400MHz
128MB PC100 RAM
16MB nVidia Vanta or 4MB Rage LT Pro
on-board stereo sound

when I was running my 475mhz k6-2 compaqs a couple years back the only way i could get DivX to play w/o audiosync problems was to use BSplayer.org player. I know this has nothing to do with DVD but I figued it may help you out.

 

[doanster]

Originally posted by: pibb

Originally posted by: doanster
Would I be able to watch standard DVD movies on this machine?

AMD K6-2 @ 400MHz
128MB PC100 RAM
16MB nVidia Vanta or 4MB Rage LT Pro
on-board stereo sound

when I was running my 475mhz k6-2 compaqs a couple years back the only way i could get DivX to play w/o audiosync problems was to use BSplayer.org player. I know this has nothing to do with DVD but I figued it may help you out.

Hey I'll give that a try... I had the same problems

Any, the goal is to turn my hunk of junk into a useable media center style pc.

 

[SunSamurai]

...or you could give it to a needy school and buy a $30 DVD player...

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: aeternitas
...or you could give it to a needy school and buy a $30 DVD player...

That is nonexistant, I see so many computers stacked up in schools it's not even funny, like really not funny. People wonder why were in debt, we waste so much on our technology budget, giving kids in richmond llaptops like WTF If the schools just kept their PII systems, upgraded them for a small price, everything would be fine I mean who needs a 2GHZ machine to do powerpoint/word processing, I mean WTF!?

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: goku2100

Originally posted by: aeternitas
...or you could give it to a needy school and buy a $30 DVD player...

That is nonexistant, I see so many computers stacked up in schools it's not even funny, like really not funny. People wonder why were in debt, we waste so much on our technology budget, giving kids in richmond llaptops like WTF If the schools just kept their PII systems, upgraded them for a small price, everything would be fine I mean who needs a 2GHZ machine to do powerpoint/word processing, I mean WTF!?

lol yea. its "technology" and stupid school admins were just spending money so they could look techy. never mind the fact that computers don't teach children the basics any better then books

 

[SunSamurai]

What part of 'donate' wasnt understood? The free part?

 

[aatf510]

Originally posted by: aeternitas
This question doesnt even make sense.

1. DVD is not a codec. Its a media storage.
2. DIVX? Who uses this? Xvid has been supirior for years.
3. H.264 is supirior to Xvid.

I like your second statement..
Who uses DIVX?
pretty much everyone that watches movies on their computers.