Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

ericwass · Jun 29, 2002, 12:05 PM

OK... I'm pretty damn skilled with my computer. But for the life of me I've never been able to get DivX to work. Am I a total retard or what? I downloaded DivX 5 alpha 2 from divx.com, gone to macdivx.com for help, but nothing works. Could anybody just STEP me through it. Treat me like a total fool. I don't care. I just want to know. Running OS X.1.5 on a G4 DP 1Ghz. Thanks.

Justin W. Williams · Jun 29, 2002, 12:21 PM

Welcome to my world. You aren't a retard. Most DivX isn't encoded for anything but some codec on windows boxes. Try ripping your own dvd to divx and seeing it it works.

lucylawless · Jun 29, 2002, 01:38 PM

well, I've never had a problem with it, but I can't help unless you say what you've tried, and what happened when you tried it...

you might also give a list of what's in your /Library/Quicktime folder

VEGAN · Jun 30, 2002, 06:49 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by ericwass:
OK... I'm pretty damn skilled with my computer. But for the life of me I've never been able to get DivX to work. Am I a total retard or what? I downloaded DivX 5 alpha 2 from divx.com, gone to macdivx.com for help, but nothing works. Could anybody just STEP me through it. Treat me like a total fool. I don't care. I just want to know. Running OS X.1.5 on a G4 DP 1Ghz. Thanks.<hr /></blockquote>Download `vlc' from <a href="http://www.videolan.org" target="_blank">VideoLan</a> .

Hornet · Jun 30, 2002, 07:44 AM

use VLC and thats it

VLC supports everything up to divx 5.02, ie, EVERYTHING. It can't encode. You really can't encode on mac atm.

Other options: Divx Doctor (www.3ivx.com). Problem: sucky, needs to make a whole new freaking large file... but will play native in QT (1.2GB for a typical movie length divx... eep!). But, it can play divx (3, 4, 5) and 3ivx

The 'official' divx (www.divx.com) alpha 2 is the same. Drop the divx file onto the divx validator, let it run thru (if it needs to), then run the file. Same problem, makes a new file.... but, this file is a .avi so it can be played by PC's just the same. But, it only plays divx's

GO VLC GO!

pilauh · Jun 30, 2002, 07:49 AM

Yeah....

VLC rules... (at last french boys are good at something...)

:-)

Hornet · Jun 30, 2002, 08:08 AM

use VLC and thats it

VLC supports everything up to divx 5.02, ie, EVERYTHING. It can't encode. You really can't encode on mac atm.

Other options: Divx Doctor (www.3ivx.com). Problem: sucky, needs to make a whole new freaking large file... but will play native in QT (1.2GB for a typical movie length divx... eep!). But, it can play divx (3, 4, 5) and 3ivx

The 'official' divx (www.divx.com) alpha 2 is the same. Drop the divx file onto the divx validator, let it run thru (if it needs to), then run the file. Same problem, makes a new file.... but, this file is a .avi so it can be played by PC's just the same. But, it only plays divx's

GO VLC GO!

memento · Jun 30, 2002, 10:04 AM

A couple of things here.

ericwass, we need more details. Open the movie in quicktime, hit cmd-I (get info) and tell us what it says under "format". I have found that a lot of movies (downloaded) seem to have an incorrect fourCC code. I'm also going to assume that you ran the divx installer and then rebooted? That would be important. It's also possible that another installed codec is trying to run your movie (like 3ivx or something). Like lucylawless said, tell us what's in you're /library/quicktime folders.

As for vlc, that's personal preference. I don't like it because it only works when you're in thousands of colors mode and I always run in millions. It also has a problem for me opening a second movie - doesn't work. I have to quit and restart. With Quicktime I have the option to recode into a different codec if I want.

You CAN encode to divx on the mac using ffmpeg, but it's CLI only for now.

lucylawless · Jun 30, 2002, 01:49 PM

yeah, I usually start a movie in VLC because it's convenient, but I always switch back to quicktime because the sound in VLC pops periodically. Also the sound is always about 1/3 the volume in VLC (even on DVD's). Though I do love it because it can give DVD screenshots even with a radeon card.

As for Divx Doctor, "sucky" really isn't a good description. If your 'doctored' files are bigger than the avi, it means you have "decompress audio" checked, or your avi uses WMA for audio, and whoever encoded the file is "sucky." Also, you can un-check the "make stand-alone movies" and then the created file will be only about 1/10 the size of the original. Unless the original is "sucky" and has WMA for the audio format.

Might I add, that VLC doesn't currently read WMA audio at all, and the only way to do it is with the wmaaudio extension in OS 9 from homepage.mac.com/collectivesw which the Divx Doctor uses to create an OS X readable (huge) file, which you can compress yourself in iTunes with about 3 clicks

ericwass · Jun 30, 2002, 07:10 PM

Thanks for the feedback. I think most of it was a step or two ahead of me, but I'll try to decipher. That's sort of the reason I asked for step-by-step instructions... Assume I have nothing and get me working.

Here's a shot of my Quicktime Library folder. You can see it's really bursting with codecs...
<img src="http://toomuchtea.com/FinderScreenSnap001.jpg" alt=" - " />

I've tried DivX doctor without much luck. Inevitably, I just get a warning from Quicktime that says something like "this file requires a compressor not available for download". If I'm lucky, I'll get white screen and some audio but usually nothing.

In any case, I don't know what VLC is or where to download it. But, despite appearances, I'm not a vidiot. I'll figure it out.

VEGAN · Jun 30, 2002, 07:43 PM

To use DivX Doctor, you need the 3ivx component. Obviouslt, (thanks for the picture <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> ) it is not installed. Get the "3ivx D4 PR1 Decoder OSX" only then will DivX Doctor work, that is, only then can QT play those Doctored files.

Besides, you most likely need the Jamby component too (to use Avi2Mov to ge the audio synced, etc.). Usually, you should run Avi2Mov first, then DivX Doctor.

CyberDave · Jun 30, 2002, 08:00 PM

I've had pretty good luck so far with the latest DivX 5.0a2 codec from <a href="http://www.divx.com" target="_blank">http://www.divx.com</a> and the new validator app that's included.

I haven't gone through my collection of DivX movies on CD, just a few that were sitting around on my HD, but they work fine (with MP3 audio) after using the DivX Validator app.

Just my 2�

CyberDave

lucylawless · Jun 30, 2002, 11:19 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by ericwass:

In any case, I don't know what VLC is or where to download it. But, despite appearances, I'm not a vidiot. I'll figure it out.<hr /></blockquote>wasn't the first mention of it in this thread a link to the download site? Go to <a href="http://www.videolan.org" target="_blank">www.videolan.org</a> and download the Videolan Client (for OS X)

pilauh · Jul 1, 2002, 07:47 AM

hey,

regarding VLC... their website (http://www.videolan.org) stated clearly that there was a well-known incompatibility with QT6 Preview (in millions...) : they say it is a QT6 bug !

so use QT5 or lower color depth...

what I love with VLC is you can give a try to a divx file (all of the divx...) before deciding if you want to convert it (Avi2Mov) for a VCD purpose.. that's an example of a good app. to have at hand...