As I promised: I've updated the GKnot guide considerably, fixed some issues in the AVI/AC3 & Lame guide, added diffcalc which makes using the DT mode in FairUse much easier and then there's the new DivX4 guide. Of course including azid audio decoding and 2 pass VBR encoding. You may notice that the screenshot from the codec configuration differs from the codec version you can download. That's because the codec I used is build 166, which is non public, but which fixes both the horizontal lines in DivX3.11 sources and the noise problems in DivX4 encoding. I hope that this or a later build will soon be released. In fact it's the mere reason why I wrote this guide. Now I think we can start testing the new codec big time.

Last but not least I've added CCE SP 2.50 demo since I got so tired of getting mails like "where can I get CCE SP 2.50". As usual it's a demo and that's all you'll ever get from me.

Don't worry... I haven't even had time to put all the new stuff online but I'm working hard on new guides, updating the recently released stuff and I have some interesting tools which you'll soon find here. Stay tuned...

For now I have something for you to test: Remember the DivX3.11 playback problems I was talking about when using DivX4 as playback filters? Well.. here's a sample DivX3.11 clip taken from my favorite movie which clearly exhibits the problem on my machine. Watch Morpheus' arm and the gray walls attentively and you'll see. In second 23 it gets especially bad. Hope geocities won't putt it before enough people have it so that it can multiply by itself (I'm counting on you here).

Gordian Knot guide is finished. Of course this guide requires that I add Gordian Knot to the software library, as well as the special mpeg2dec version required for GKnot to work. Since I've put 3ivx in my codec comparison I've added the codec and the flask plugin for the codec to the software library as well. Last but not least there's idM4C v5b6 which supports dvd2avi projects natively, supports filters and acts as a standalone program now.

And I've already some ideas for future guides, or updates of existing ones. Stay tuned.

If anybody knows a place where I could store roughly 10MB of video files for download for testing (I'm trying to get some feedback on my DivX4 problems) that does not object to videos and can take a lot of punishing trafficwise let me know.

And one of the upcoming updates is already finished: I've updated the Micro DVD Player guide to correspond to the latest release. I've also replaced VobSnoopy by ChapterXtractor since the latter is free software.

Since I haven't gotten any help offers for guides when I asked I had to do it all alone. Last in the line is the updated AviRevolution guide which covers VBR encoding in mpeg2avi.

DivXPlus is an application that you can use to watch DivX files on your TV if you have a H+.

DVD2SVCD 1.0.1beta11 adds support for PCM audio, selectable Force Film for the DVD2AVI part, and some general fixes. I have already updated the DVD2SVCD guide to include the new options. I've also updated the Fair Use guide to correspond to the latest Fair Use version and I've included azid and lame encoding instructions to this guide. You can find separate azid and lame guides on the audio guides page.

And while I was at it I also updated some of the other audio guides and uploaded normalize 0.24 and the OGG DS filters 0.04. And last but not least VCDImager Easy 0.94 which now no longer adds CD-i files when you make an SVCD and has a working XML creation for the latest VCDImager beta.

Mail problems: My doom9.net mailbox has been down for the last 12h or so. If you have sent an email to the help, or submission address (or directly to doom9@doom9.net which you are NOT supposed to do in any case since that will just make problems of this kind much worse) please re-send. Since it's the week-end there's not much chance that the problem will be fixed soon.

And finally it has been done: Check out the MPEG-4 codec comparison update, including the latest SBC, DivX4 and 3ivx clips. And while being at it I dumped the old OpenDivX articles and the WME7 test, as I think nobody would use these old utilities anyways.

Gosh.. in only 6 hours I have to be up again :(

When I wasn't working I was testing DivX4beta2 but whatever I did I couldn't get past these 3 things: 2 pass VBR at 1800kbit/s (using default parameters) resulted in a very noisy picture. In fact it looked pretty much as if the filtering was periodically kicking in, then fading out slowly, being activated again, etc. 2nd DivX 3.11 playback results in some horizontal lines that appear periodically and that also seem to be consisted of noise or the lack thereof. Last but not least the codec always plays DivX 3.11 content even if I don't want it to. I'd truly appreciate if I could get some feedback on these issues in the DivX encoding forum.

Not much new today. You can still subscribe to the newsletter (news will come on Mondays and Thursdays) and Lame GUI 0.1 has been released. I discovered a bug in DivX 4 beta (it was already known though) so my test got delayed for at least one if not two days. Hopefully the developers can come up with a working solution till then. And due to the lack of time no updated DVD2SVCD Guide today either.. but it's definitely planned and as soon as my schedule will allow it I'll do it.

I've added the latest VCDImager GUI which has been completely redesigned and offers many more options. DVD2SVCD 1.0.1beta10 adds permanent subs (beta stage), a default save to folder for all programs, all the latest softwares (azid and toolame), a bitrate check (prevents too high bitrate) and verbose logging for easier debugging. I'll update the guide once I have the codec comparison up-to-date.

IMPORTANT WARNING: Probably you have heard of the Sircam worm. No, I don't have it but more than 50% of the mails I get contain that virus so I have disabled my primary email till the spread has been stopped and I urge each and everybody of you to visit the following two sites, get the scanners and run them. Then get a decent virus scanner and install a firewall as well. In terms of firewall I have a very good tip for you: ZoneAlarm. It's free and one of the best firewalls on the market. You should never get online without a firewall!

And now the two URLs which you MUST visit: AVP's Sircam page and Symantec's Sircam page.

Also look on the right side and you'll find a way to sign up for the new bi-weekly newsletter.

DivXAuto4b is a modified DivXAuto version that supports the new DivX 4 beta. The usage instructions are in the source code but it shouldn't be too hard to locate them.

I've spent the whole weekend ripping DVDs and here's the result: An up-to-date version of the DVD Ripper Comparison. If you ever wondered why I kicked most DVD rippers off the page that's what you should read. I only offer the best rippers. While I'd have to test every DVD on the planet to make sure that the features I report as working truly work in any case I think the test was hard enough to separate the good from the bad. Do you want to know which program won? Read the comparison. On another front I've also been working on a DVD2SVCD guide and I must admit that I really like that program. The author is actively supporting it through my forums and he's constantly updating the program so we should see some interesting improvements soon.

And last but not least a warning: EVERYBODY should read this virus warning. We have a highly agile virus spreading fast over the net. In the last 48h or so I've got a considerable number of emails containing the virus to my Doom9 address so many of you have already been infected.

Azid 1.7.1 fixed the -N crash. There's a new FlaskMpeg release called FlaskMpeg XiS. It adds YUV support, fixed various bugs, has a new resizer, subtitle start & stop points and some GUI improvements. Due to time constraints I cannot test it for a whole so I simply put a link.

As I've started my summer job I only have like 4-5 hours each day after work before going to sleep (getting up at 6am isn't exactly my favorite but it has to be done). That doesn't exactly leave me much time to work on this page and as the usual answer-mail-updated-page-read-forums already takes away quite a bit of that time I have virtually no time to work on guides. Hence I'm looking for some people who could help me out in that department. Specifically: Write an azid guide, write a GKnot guide & update the AviRevolution guide. I'm currently working on updating the MPEG-4 codec comparison, updating the DVD ripper comparison and writing a DVD2SVCD guide so I have my hands more than full and new stuff keeps coming in faster than I can deal with it. Of course if you volunteer for a guide you should be able to live up to the standards, or in other words you should be perfectly familiar with the program you're writing a guide about but I think there's more than enough people who qualify.

BTW: the Newsletter volunteer search is over. We're sorting out the last technical details and as soon as it's done you can sign up.

And last but not least: Starting tomorrow all email addresses ending with @doom9.org are no longer valid. Check the contact page for the new addresses.

First of all the daily reminder: there are new email addresses. Update your address book. Starting Monday the old ones are not valid anymore.

Zoom Player 1.70 is out. Lots of nice new features. Furthermore I've added the last Eugene's DVD Player and Zone Selector.

The DivX 4.0 beta is actually the same build as the one at divx.com so don't you worry about gettting and outdated version. Important: Do NOT use the cripsness setting in this very codec. It's mislabeled, actually it's an option where the codec drops frames if there's not much action. So: LEAVE CRISPNESS AT 0 IN DIVX 4.0! I've made the same mistake presuming it were the same as in the old DivX codec and now I can remake all my test-clips. But then again I should have read the help file more attentively.

I'm looking for somebody willing to do a Doom9 newsletter. Basically you'd make weekly or bi-weekly letters that would mention the new softs released in this period (doesn't have to be detailed.. names and version numbers usually do the job well enough).

Thanks for all the email on the new DivX release but keep in mind that I have my connections too.. and I had the codec before it was out on the official homepage but I was instructed to keep it until it was officially released and once I leave for my day-job there's nothing I can do for the site till I get back in the evening. In fact I'm quite frustrated.. so much to do but just not enough time to do what I'd like to do concerning this site. At least we should have all servers up-to-date and working again now.

Okay.. DivX 4.0 beta has been released. It comes with a nice help file explaining all the options, allows for 2 pass encoding and should be significantly faster. Furthermore the decoding engine has been improved and it is compatible to the old DivX release. Rest assured that once I have the time the codec comparison will be updated. DivX.com has another executable but since I got this directly from the developers I presume it's good. They've also released a new version of Tha Playa. I also have a new version of Sasami2k. Build 743 has working equalizers now, you can force font, size and position of the subs and some bugs have been fixed. Last but not least there's azid 1.7 which supports outer output file types (floating point style for instance) using the -F option, the internal representation of the audio is 100% floating-point resulting in increased quality and a 90deg real channel filtering is available for improperly encoded DD 5.1 files and Dolby Pro Logic files (DD 2.0).

Do not forget to update your address-books. All email addresses have changed and the old ones will soon become invalid. Valid addresses are on the contact page.

And even more news: VirtualDub 1.4.5 is out and it fixes a row of bugs, adds a bob filter, fast recompress now works even if no decompressor is available, and experimental support for hardware YUV/UYVY has been added. And last but not least the GPL conflict surrounding Vidomi has been resolved. The new Vidomi comes with dynamic normalize, 2 pass normalize, VBR encoding mode, size predictability and batch capability.

And while the day is still ongoing FlaskQT is a 3ivx Plugin for FlaskMpeg. Now I truly have my hands full with new codecs, new DVD ripping progs and test discs, new apps that deserve guides, etc.

I know I'm rather late at this but PowerDivX NextGen 3.0 came out. It comes with a new menu format (easier than MDVDP), adds support for dual language AVIs, an internal subtitle engine, support for more subtitle formats, skin support, post CPU quality settings, access to the internal DivX settings, WMA and DivX audio equalizer, drag&drop support, better shell integration and the ability to change the speaker mode without restarting the player/movie. Plus there's a lot of bugfixes. I've also added the latest DVD2SVCD beta but since there have been so many new releases since the last version I had online you better check out the changelog on your own. If you still have the old version from my page now it's definitely time to upgrade. Also check out the SVCD and DVD2SVCD forums for a great Q&A on the program.

Now we're starting to reappear online with an up-to-date version. If you get this and the next time you return to this place you get an outdated copy don't worry... one of the two servers doom9.org is running off may be back online but I don't have ftp access to it for the moment. That should be fixed within the next 24h and I'll have a fully working doom9.org again. Doom9.net's server may soon be canceled and I'm looking into replacement options at the moment.

Fair Use 0.30 adds audio demuxing (sorry, no audio decoding and audio interleaving for the moment), all encodings are done as one process (no more time-outs), the IFO parser should be able to handle more titles, the resizer has been adjusted according to ITU standards and the MPEG-2 decoder should handle more video streams. Furthermore various small issues have been addressed.

Please note the new email addresses on the contact page! All @doom9.org mails will soon become invalid.

DVD Genie 4.02b fixes a PowerDVD run bug.

I will no longer be able to use the server doom9.net runs off so atm both urls go go the same set of servers. Hope that doesn't create too much traffic... I may need some additional hosting at some point. Also note that the email addresses have changes since zoneedit actually charges for forwarding email. The old @doom9.org emails will soon cease to exist.

Nandub 1.0 RC2 fixes the not properly working bitrate calculator, Nandub's inability to mux 2 CBR MP3 streams, Smart Keying not being bound to the Space KF parameter, Segmented AVI writing now works in other modes than direct stream copy and specifying non existing stats file for the 2nd pass no longer results in a crash. Furthermore Nandub will now complain if it can't create a stats file, the instant bitrate will be shown in the status window in the first pass as well and the debugview executable is no longer in the package since every Windows version would require a different executable which would blow up the size of the package considerably.

The latest VobSub supports more text-based subtitle formats, adds OpenDivX and MPEG-2 compatibility and multiple subtitle handling. The DirectVobSub part will name unidentified tracks as Unknown after indexing, cell IDs are now selectable and the cutter function has been extended with an FPS modifier.

Zoom Player 1.61 enhances the mouse-wheel functionality, has a random video selector, allows selecting the zoom axis in the right click menu, allows multiple instances and to automatically disable the screen-saver in zoom/full-screen mode. DVD Genie 4.02a is mostly a bugfix for the latest PowerDVD and WinDVD versions. Lame 3.89 has also been released.

Then we have Nandub v1.0 RC1. For those who don't know RC stands for Release Candidate. An RC is feature complete but still has bugs to be nailed. The most important changes since b28: Many bugfixes concerning the image processing in the YUV2 colorspace (avisynth mmx). Note that most filters work in RGB mode and hence fast recompress (and the speed increase by keeping the video data in the YUV2 colorspace will be nilled), furthermore features like anti-shit won't work in YUV2 mode. Save segmented AVIs should work in every case now, and a new option allows to collect keyframe positions in the first pass which allows for a smarter keying (check the readme or guide for the full blurb on this feature). The AC3 info box will now be displayed for max 10 seconds which allows for complete automatic 2 pass encoding with an AC3 audio source. Furthermore Nandub now supports two audio tracks of any type (even VBR MP3s). The max compression level for keyframes has been reintroduced (refer to the readme) and all (hopefully) problems with ranges should be solved now.

Now on a personal note: This was just a quick jump back into my "usual waters". I'll be back on holiday after this update has been made and the email backlog will have to wait until my holidays are over. Also, don't expect any updates in the coming days but I should be back next Sunday/Monday and then for good (assuming that they have installed DSL at my new location by then).

In about 9 hours I'll be leaving for a 10 day holiday. As you may know already the forum is a very good place to get your questions answered and there's many knowledgeable people hanging out there so you won't be hanging in the dry while I'm gone. Most likely I will not bother to check my mailbox during my absence so don't bother sending questions there.

Furthermore.. I've had new hardware for quite a while so you can once and for all stop sending suggestions to my hardware problems. It was the MB, most likely the voltage regulator and my new configuration (MSI K7T Turbo, 1.2 B class T-bird and 384MB RAM) works just fine. The only thing left is to actually pay the money back to the guy who got me all this (I got a 1.2 C class T-bird but it died from heat because the fan came off :/ good thing a reader was so nice to provide me with another chip ) so when I'm back I'm gonna set up the kagi order page (finally got my account activated) so you can all flood me with money ;)

ZoomPlayer 1.60 has a long list of new features, most importantly it supports skins now.

Nandub b28 fixed a bug where video data would be converted to RGB format even if you enabled fast-recompress. The curve dialogue has been changed a bit which hopefully should clear up the confusion surrounding that option. A new configuration file format has been defined, you can find more info about this in the readme and it's definitely a developers only feature (hence it's not in the guide). Ogg support has been reactivated (check the thread in the Nandub developer forum about more info) and the program has been optimized for more speed. Last but not least when you now load a DivX or MPEG4v2 file Nandub will show you the compression factor of the frame you're currently looking at. As usual the guide has already been updated.