Compressing file using the DivX Codec

spidermark23 · Post by **spidermark23** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:27 am

Good day!

Im just new with this editing stuff and asking for your technical advice!

I followed the Video Tutorial using the High Gear Divx to compressed my files to achieve hugh quality files with small size. I believe that the tutorial was from VS10 and the version of DivX then was 6.4, On my VS11 i have the DivX 6.7 version and i have followed the steps in regards with the tutorial but for some reason it gives an error after rendering the said files. I have tried playing with it for almost 2 hours switching from different variation and it still wont obtain atleast 75% compression.
The best compression i have was at 25%

Im working on my friends wedding video and its a huge files to work with.
I would really appreciate if somebody can teach me the most effective way on compressing this example file below:

File format PAL DVD
File size 20MB <----- the smallest file there is
Duration 21 second video
Video Type MPEG2 Video Upper Field First
Attributes 24 bits 720x576 16:9
Frame rate 25 fps
Date rate Variable bit rate(Max9400kbps)

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:41 am

Can we first ask why you are trying to compress it with DivX? (i.e. What will be your end product?)

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:49 am

In addition to the obvious question already given by Jeff.
Your source file PAL DVD is already compressed and so you will not achieve as much further compression as would be expected from another file in a less compressed format such as DV - or even uncompressed avi.

spidermark23 · Post by **spidermark23** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:11 am

Im just trying to use the DivX codec to somehow make the files smaller. im not really upto what it could possibly end up but as long as its small with decent video qualit atleast but i guess like what sjj1805 have said. Its already compressed.

Oh well, Thanks for the fast reply.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:13 am

Unless all your friends have DVD players which are rated to play DivX video, or they all have computers with the DivX codec on them and are happy to only be able to play your video back on the computer, there is no point in going the DivX route. There are a growing number of stand-alone DVD players which can play DivX video, but this is nowhere near universal as yet.

If you intend to produce a DVD of the project, then you already have the format and properties which are compatible with a standard DVD -- though the bitrate might be a bit high. With a bitrate of 8000 kbps and using, say, Dolby audio, you could burn about 75 minutes to a single layer DVD at high quality.

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:39 am

NOTE - I don't use DivX, but I know that file size (in any format) is determined by the combined audio & video bitrate and the playing time.

I have tried playing with it for almost 2 hours switching from different variation and it still wont obtain atleast 75% compression.
The best compression i have was at 25%

When you say "75% compression" are you trying to compress your 20MB, 20 second video to 5 MB??? That should be possible! You need to use a DivX bitrate that's 75% smaller than your MPEG-2 bitrate (~2350kbps).

A 2350 DivX bitrate should give you good quality, but it might not give you "wedding quality". Any re-coding is going to result in some theoretical quality loss. (If that deterioration is noticeable or not depends on many factors, so I won't even guess.)

MY OPINION - For a wedding video, quality is important. (I don't think anyone wants their still wedding photos over-compressed either.) It's also important to have the video in a popular, standard, "archive" format. So, I'd leave it in the original 9400kbps MPEG-2 DVD format.* I might edit it, and add menus, but I wouldn't alter or re-code the underlying format. If the entire video wont fit on a single DVD, I would consider making a short 1-DVD version and a version that spans 2 or more DVDs. Most people don't want to sit-through much more than 45 minutes of wedding video anyway. They can play the "long version" in the background at their 50th anniversary.

I would consider an additional DivX version if that's what the bride & groom wanted...

* Some DVD players have trouble with high-bitrate "burned" DVDs. So I might consider bringing it down to 7000kbps.

spidermark23 · Post by **spidermark23** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:42 am

Thanks for the fast reply guys! I really appreciate it.

I'll start creating my 1st ever video from VS11 tomorrow and im so excited about it. I've learned a lot from this forum and hopefully i can make a decent video out of it.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:54 am

Just to clarify things a little.
Most DVD players use Standard DVD Video Discs - the sort of thing you buy in the shops. These comprise of VOB files which in fact are MPEG2 files. Therefore to create a Video DVD you use MPEG2.

If you want to post a video on the internet - such as your own website,
You Tube, VEOH, Google Video etc. Then this is where you are likely to use DivX. It is as you thought a highly compressed format but manages to retain high quality. A lot of TV Stations are now placing their programs on the internet so that if you missed an episode you can download it.
These TV Companies tend to use DivX or one of the other two similar formats Xvid / MPEG4.

Hope this helps demystify things a little.