MPEG-2 doesn't necessarily produce bigger files than MPEG-1. MPEG-1 at 4mbps will be twice the size of an MPEG-2 file at 2mbps. It all depends on the bitrate. MPEG-2 can usually produce a better image at the same bitrate than MPEG-1. However, just about every media player in the known universe contains the MPEG-1 codec, but due to licensing restrictions there are many players that do not include the MPEG-2 codec. You're much safer sticking whith MPEG-1.

DivX is ... well ... scary. There are no official standards organizations that endorse it. There are many competing (and sometimes incompatible) versions of the codecs out there. Most of the time it works ok, but if you're going for universal then avoid it. If nothing else, it would probably require a large number of your viewers to download the codec or a player, and that may be asking a lot of some of your audience. Stick with MPEG-1.

This is a pretty difficult call and maybe you're looking at it the wrong way around.

First you need to specify which way is the material being distributed, CD, DVD, VCD, SVCD, streaming. In the last case you need to consider how much bandwidth will be available on the servers and for the audience.

If your sending it out on CD then you've got a size limitation. If its not very long and you like to have a menu SVCD is an option as it can be played in any DVD player although some PC based ones wont play them.

Okay, how do you get Vegas to show DivX up in the render as box ?

I got the standard download for DivX but ..........

My understanding is
VCD is mpeg1
SVCD and DVD is mpeg2
DivX is mpeg4 and good compresison.

If i want to cut a CD 650MB full, should I use DivX and my CD burner, or stick with DVD creation software and use DVD settings ?
I guess that is the difference between SVCD and DVD re: hardware players.

Can a DVD player read a burnt vid in DivX format , or do I need to cut a SVCD and DVD?

"Can a DVD player read a burnt vid in DivX format , or do I need to cut a SVCD and DVD?"

Currently there are very few (if any) DVD players that have Divx decoding. It's just like alot DVD players now can read MP3's. It's gotta have the decoder inside. DVD players will be able to do the same in the future. I read in PC Mag. that Divx is being looked at as the compression standard for high def. DVD. Who knows.

jack

Okay, I mostly get it now ........ 60 mins+of vid means either as Mpeg2 -DVD (using DVD burner) or as mpeg4-DivX on CD using a CD burner.
Fine.
Dohhh.

But I want to stick to Vegas in using DivX, so how do you get it as an option in the render as box ? Place in the plugins directory ?

Do you need to buy DrDivX to get the library to use first ?
Perhaps any other dload other than the standard one ?????

I'd recomend buyinf Dr. Divx. Vegas has problems rendering/reading Divx files sometimes (depends on Divx version, etc.). Plus, with Dr. Divx you are guarented it will work. Or you can buy the Divx codec from their site, or use the *shudder* GAIN version. But gain sucks. annoying.

but.... if you're playing it on VD, a high bitrate might not be a good idea. a 1x CD is about 150kbs. So, if you wanted to do a 5mbs quality, then the viewer would need a 33x CD drive. But, the 33x is the MAX speed, so probley a 50x speed would be good.

If you installed the DivX codec, the codec is available to Vegas.

To render,
* From the File menu, select Render As...
* In the Render As box, go to the Save as type dropdown->Video for Windows (*.avi)
* Next, press the Custom button.
* In the Custom dialog box, select the video tab (at the bottom)
* At the Video format dropdown, select DivX (r) 5.1 Codec
* Press the Configure... button. This should bring you into the Divx configuration dialogs

After your done with your settings, press OK. At this point you might want to save this template (rename the Template and hit the floppy icon)

For two-pass just repeat the above, but go into Divx configuration and select nth pass.

DVD players can't read Divx, they can only read VCD and DVD discs.

Thanks,
VCD is MPEG1 but SVCD is MPEG2 and DVD is MPEG2 too.

Plese clarify, will a DVD player read SVCD and VCD or just SVCD, thanks ?

All DVD players will read DVD.
Most DVD players will read VCD.
Some DVD players will read SVCD.
Few DVD players will read raw MPEG files on a data disc.
Very few DVD players will read DivX.

Probably within a year most low end DVD players will play all the above, plus WMV and MOV.

i love this site thanks guys.

Its funny for 'Real' and 'WMV' and 'mpeg-1' i need to set my vids to lower field first and deinterlace to interpolate. Results are great.
Also, generally for the 'Real', I deselect deinterlace in the template as this seem redundant.

But when doing Mpeg2 these settings seem to create crystal clear interlace problems.

Technically is there a reason for this ?
Perhaps I need to turn off deinterlace when rendering DVD ?
I guess I will work out what works but it seems strange.

In "pixel aspect ratio" there is a choice between DV and VCD, is this a contributing factor ? There is also a square pixel template. Perhaps these are just guesses.

What settings are you using for a DVD cut, and is it different from a mpeg-1 setting ?

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Also "good" render is recommended in Help. Says something about 'artifacts'.
Have any of you used 'best' with DVD's and liked the result, despite the wait ?
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