DivX Codec 4.0 (Beta 3) Release
===============================
Version: 4.0 (Beta 3)
README file updated on: 2001-08-01

(c) Copyright DivXNetworks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
"DivX" is a trademark of DivXNetworks, Inc.


Table of Contents
-----------------

  1. Introduction
  2. Installation instructions
  3. DivX encoding and decoding
  4. Known issues
  5. What's new in the DivX codec


Introduction
------------

  The DivX(tm) codec v4.0 is the latest and greatest release of DivX,
  the best compression technology for high-resolution movies.  The DivX
  codec (short for COmpression-DECompression) is becoming the standard
  for high quality video over IP networks because it hits the sweet spot
  between superior visual quality and small file size. With a broadband
  connection, you can download a full-length feature film in the time it
  takes to have a pizza delivered!
  
  THIS INSTALLER WILL _NOT_ INSTALL THE PLAYA. IF YOU WANT THE PLAYA,
  YOU SHOULD VISIT DIVX.COM AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL DIVX 4.0 INSTALLER.


Installation instructions
-------------------------

  To install the DivX codec, you should follow the following simple steps:

  1. Copy the installer program (DivX4CodecInstaller.exe) to a location on 
     your hard drive (e.g., C:\temp).  
  2. Run the installer program by double-clicking on the
     deainstaller.exe icon.  
  3. Follow the instructions of the installer program to install the
     DivX Codec.  
  4. Done! The CODEC should be installed in your Systems directory.  
  
  **What files are installed?**: The DivX Codec installer will install the
  following files on your system:
  
  * divx.dll	 		(DivX Codec) 
  * divxdec.ax			(DivX Decoder Filter) 
  * Help.chm			(DivX Help File)
  * README.txt			(This README file.)
  * License.txt			(License agreement for the CODEC.)
  
  **Uninstalling the DivX Codec**: To remove the DivX Codec from your
  system, you should use the "Add/Remove Programs" control panel in
  Windows. To this by selecting "Start -> Settings -> Control Panel ->
  Add/Remove Programs" from the Windows Start menu. In the listbox that
  is presented to you, choose "DivX 4.0 Beta Codec" and click "remove."


DivX encoding and decoding
--------------------------

  How do I use this thing?  Please refer to the Help File included in
  the installer.  You can find the help file in Start -> Programs ->
  DivX -> DivX Codec -> Help


Known issues
------------

  Please send submit all bugs to http://www.divx.com/feedback.


What's new in the DivX(tm) codec
--------------------------------

  **Features of DivX 4.0:**

* Improved decoder performance
* Higher encoding performance, almost 4 times faster than
  previous versions
* Multi-pass encoding and 2 different variable bit rate modes
* Improved visual quality
* Highly scalable codec from 16x16 to 1920x1280 (i.e. HDTV). All even
  integer dimensions are acceptable
* Support for popular encoding/editing applications
* Plays all DivX content

 ** Bugs Fixed in the DivX 4.0 (Beta 3) release:**

* DivX decoder registered itself for 3.x formats even if user answered 
  "No" when installing
* Found one more bug in 3.x decoder
* Fixed problem with quality loss when encoding at height 
  not multiple of 16 and low resolution
* Fixed crash when encoding on Pentium II / Celeron machines 
  (accidentally introduced in beta 2)
* Fixed noise problems in playing 3.x content
* More accurate 2-pass VBR
* Rearranged controls in encoder config dialog

  ** Bugs fixed in the DivX 4.0 (Beta 2) release:**

* DivX DirectShow filter did not work on Windows NT 4.0
* Encoding was broken at very high bitrates. You would receive scrambled
  picture if you tried to encode either in quality-based VBR at quality
  level >=95% or in two-pass VBR at bitrates roughly higher than
  1500-2000 Kbps
* Decoder was crashing in some cases on Pentium II and Celeron machines
  (a few SSE instructions were accidentally put into MMX YUV->RGB
  conversion routines)
* Decoder was crashing with post-processing level 6 or 7 and 16*N <
  height <= 16*N+8
* Fixed on obscure DivX 3.x decoder incompatibility issue
* DivX decoder filter was crashing when used by BSPlayer
  (http://bsplayer.cjb.net)
* There was a parameter in encoder settings, which was called
  "crispness" in the configuration dialog and "frame dropping" in the
  help file. It is now correctly called "frame dropping" in the
  configuration dialog.
* In the help file, on the page about post-processing, there was a
  duplicate paragraph, written in a slightly different way. This
  duplicate paragraph has been removed.
* The "About" dialog box of the codec showed an unreadable character
  after the word "DivX." On machines with installed Russin it is a
  trademark symbol, but there are lots of machines out there which do
  not have Russian fonts. :-) This has been fixed.
* Added brightness, contrast, and saturation sliders
* Encoder now stores its settings in the registry