[/b]What is DivX?[/b]
DivX:
-Uses the highly compressed MPEG-4 video format, with variable bitrate (VBR)
-The resolution varies depending upon nature of material and size of movie file(s)
-Audio format is a matter of choice, but (VBR) MP3 is typically used, and sometimes AC3 (Dolby Digital 5.1, the original DVD audio)
-Usually avi extention
-Almost always 1 or 2 CDs, depending upon the length and nature of the film
-Three different codecs - 3.11, 4.xx and 5.xx
-3.11 is a hacked Microsoft codec and is the only one used in the scene
-4.xx and 5.xx were developed by DivXNetworks, a commercial entity
-3.11 movies play only on PS2/#### consoles (under certain conditions - where a certain modchip is installed, etc), a computer monitor or on a television via a computer's tv-out, not on standard DVD players. At most a few specially designed DVD players on the market support DivX, and even then 3.11 support is typically non-existent.
What is XviD?
XviD:
-Uses the highly compressed MPEG-4 video format, with variable bitrate (VBR)
-The resolution varies depending upon nature of material and size of movie file(s)
-Audio format is a matter of choice, but (VBR) MP3 is typically used, and sometimes AC3 (Dolby Digital 5.1, the original DVD audio)
-Usually avi extention
-Almost always 1 or 2 CDs, depending upon the length and nature of the film
-Fully ISO (Internation Standards Organisation) compliant
-Open source, free and still being heavily developed. There are multiple binaries available as a result
-Added as an alternative codec in the DivX scene "TDX Rules" for 2002 (it's a one or the other choice - i.e., a movie can be released in either DivX or XviD format, but not both)
-Increasingly being used instead of DivX
-Play only on PS2/#### consoles (under certain conditions - where a certain modchip is installed, etc), a computer monitor or on a television via a computer's tv-out, not on standard DVD players.