Page 1 of 4: Introduction + Encoding Methods

Select the "DivX 6.x Codec" (where "x" is the sub-version number) in the codec selection section of your video conversion/encoding software. Press the "Configure" button or whatever button that let you configure the codec settings, and you should now have access to the configuration options described below (see screenshot below).

DivX 6 - Main


We'll now go through the three major encoding methods (1-pass, 1-pass quality-based and multi pass encoding), and click on the links in the listed steps to find out more about the configuration option. Please also refer to the official DivX guide (large file, also included in installer - check your Start Menu Folder) for more detailed and technical information on these feature - this guide will provide a quick run through of all the information needed for encoding, while the official guide offers more detailed explanations and technical information (please note that this guide is for DivX 5.x, but many of the settings are similar between both versions - there is no equivalent guide for DivX 6.x.


1-Pass Encoding :

1-pass encoding is the quickest way to encode your video in the DivX format, at the expense of some quality - it allows you to set a fixed average bit-rate to use for the entire encoding (the average bit-rate will be matched over the length of the content). 1-pass encoding is great for when encoding speed is an issue, and also when compatibility on DivX Certified equipment is required. The steps for 1-pass encoding are as follows :

1-Pass Quality-Based Encoding :

1-pass quality-based combines some ideas from multi-pass encoding with the quickness offered by single pass encoding - you get to select the quality of the output (using a constant quantizer setting), as opposed to the bit-rate (which will be adjusted accroding to the quantizer you've selected and the source video). This mode is not recommended for DivX Certification, and content encoded in this mode will more than likely fail with certified devices. This mode can be used for video capturing, since it has relatively good speed and maintains high enough quality for re-encoding later on. The steps for 1-pass quality-based encoding are as follows :

Multi-Pass Encoding :

Multi-pass encoding is the best way to achieve maximum quality with the DivX format, at the expense of encoding speed. The passes of a multi-pass encoding gathers information regarding the source video and then the subsequent pass use this information to dynamically adjust the size of the output, to get the best ratio between the specified output file size and video quality. Multi-pass encoding includes at least 2 passes. This is the most recommended mode for encoding, as it combines compatibility with high encoding quality (although it will take longer than the previous two methods, and cannot be used for video capturing or realtime tasks). The steps for multi-pass encoding are as follows :

 

 


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