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- DivX Codec 4.01
- ============================
- Version: 4.01
- README file updated on: 2001-08-28
-
- (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 v4.01 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 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
-
-
- **Change Log:**
-
- -- Changes since beta 1 --
-
- * DivX DirectShow filter was not working 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 / Celeron machines (
- a few SSE instructions were accidentally put into MMX YUV->RGB
- conversion routines )
- * Decoder was crashing with postproc level 6 or 7 and 16*N < height <=
- 16*N+8.
- * Fixed one 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 config dialog and 'frame dropping' in help file. It
- causes a lot of confusion.
- * In the help file, on the page about postprocessing, there was a
- duplicating paragraph, written in slightly different ways.
- * 'About' dialog box of the codec showed an unreadable character after
- the word 'DivX'. On machines with installed Russian it is a 'TM' sign,
- but there are lots of machines out there which do not have Russian
- fonts :-)
- * Added brightness, contrast and saturation sliders.
- * Encoder now stores its settings in the registry.
-
- -- Changes since beta 2 --
-
- * 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
-
- -- Changes since beta 3 --
-
- * Fixed more problems with decoding 3.x
- * Removed last SSE instruction from YUY2->YV12 MMX conversion function
- * Added sanity checks for log file contents
- * DirectShow filter was not applying brightness/contrast/saturation
- settings when starting playback
- * Reverted DirectShow filter overlay operation to beta2 style due to
- reports about decreased performance on some computers
- * Fixed few problems in 2-pass VBR ( sorry guys! )
- * Fixed memory leak at highest postproc levels
- * Fixed bug with coding as 'skipped' macroblocks that differ only in
- chrominance
- * Fixed buffer overflow in decoder
- * Purple areas were appearing sometimes near right edge of picture ( bug
- in encoder )
- * Added support of log file format version 2 ( should add minimal
- ability for external programs to control 2nd pass )
- * Encoder assumes that 1 kbps = 1000 bits per second
- * Crash with YUY2 output, height=16*x+2, width!=16*x
- * More fixes for decoding 3.11 with non-16*x dimensions
-
- -- Changes since 4.0 --
-
-
- * Fixed more problems with decoding 3.x
- * Incompatibility of codec with Vidomi encoder
- * Incorrect bitrate achieved during capture in '1-pass' mode
- with AVI_IO capture application
- * A few bugs in decoder implementation MPEG-2 inverse
- quantization ( not really used now, but necessary to claim that
- decoder is 100% compliant with MPEG-4 simple profile )
- * Slightly improved accuracy of RGB->YUV MMX/SSE conversions
- * Increased version number ( 4.0 -> 4.01 )
- * Some cleanup in help file, topic 'deinterlacing'
- * most important: hopefully fixed problem with some DivX 3.11
- clips fading to green between keyframes.
-