Nicky Pages' Digital Solutions

No! The problem is that a standard Rom drive's laser cannot read DVD disc's. But DVD Rom drives are getting so cheap that it is not much of a problem any more. You do not need an Mpeg-2 decoder card to use a DVD-Rom drive either. The playback may be a bit crappy unless you have a decoder card or graphics card with a DVD playback feature but its not needed for ripping or playing DVD's.

The DVD Ripper cannot get the Vob files for some reason?

Try playing the DVD with your DVD player before using the ripper. Start the movie playing, press pause and then launch your ripper. Do not use DeCSS or DOD Power Ripper because they cannot handle any of the new DVD keys. Use SmartRipper, VobDec or CladDVD.

I converted "vts_0x_0x.vob" Vob file and I get green mess at the start and/or it looses part of the movie why?

This is because the second Vob in the list has the Keyframe to it in the previous file, this results in a few seconds of garbage and lost images. You must convert them all together as explained in my guides or just except that each file may get parts clipped out and green garbage appearing at the start or/and end of the individual Vobs!

I can rip the Vob file to my hard drive but when I play it, it looks scrambled?

If you play a DVD in a software player you can usually copy any file on it to the hard drive while it is playing. But getting it on the hard drive doesn't assure us that it is decoded correctly. Try using SmartRipper or Vobdec, DeCSS and Power Ripper do not support some of the newer CD encryption codes.

FLASK MPEG QUESTIONS

I can't choose the DivX codec in Flask Mpeg?

1. Try pressing the letter 'D' on your keyboard.

2. Some unknown registry problem causes Flask only to pick the first video compression codec in the System.ini file. One method you can try to fix this is to open your System.ini file "C:\Windows\System.ini". Find the part just below [drivers32]. Move the DivX codecs up to the top of the 32 drivers [drivers32] like this:

[DRIVERS32]

vidc.DIV3=DivXc32.dll

vidc.DIV4=DivXc32f.dll

msacm.divxa32=DivXa32.acm

After this I could see "FlasK DivX ;-) MPEG-4 Low-Motion" in FlasK Mpeg when it was time to pick a video codec, but no other codec. The codec I want to use in FlasKmpeg have to be at the top of the list... i.e. For "High-Motion", switch places with "vidc.DIV4=DivXc32f.dll" and "vidc.DIV3=DivXc32.dll". Its not the best solution but does the job.

I can't choose MP3 Audio in Flask Mpeg or I cannot choose 44100Hz MP3?

1. Microsoft's "Media Player" update will remove the MP3 codecs, try reinstalling them.

2. Check to see if the audio is 44100Hz or 48000Hz. If you try and encode a 48000Hz audio Flask will not give you the option to encode to 44100Hz Mp3.

3. If you can choose it but it dissapears again listen: Don't check it! If you go to select audio after you already chose MP3 it reselects PCM again. If it allowed you to choose MP3 you should have MP3.

4. One method you can try to fix this is to open your System.ini file "C:\Windows\System.ini". Find the part just below [drivers32]. Move the Radium codecs up to the top of the 32 drivers [drivers32] like this:

[DRIVERS32]

msacm.l3acm=l3codecp.acm

If it is not listed under your Drivers32 then paste it in. Also look inside the "C:\Windows\system" folder for the file called "l3codecp.acm" it should be there. If you have something called "L3codecx.acm" or "L3codeca.acm" try renaming it to "l3codecp.acm". I haven't tried this one yet because my audio never messed up, so tell me if it works. If it doesn't work don't ask for help because I'm out of idea's!

I created a movie in Flask Mpeg and it is almost 2 Gigabyte and wont play, why?

Flask has a problem if we reach close to or over 2GB files. There is no know solution for this other than to save more space by doing the audio seperately from the video. I have managed to create a DivX of almost 4GB without problems using other methods so this seems to be a Flask only bug!?

I used PCM audio in Flask Mpeg and it doesn't play, why?

Why does Flask crash half way through encoding?

I don't know, it could be a lot of things ;o(. If your computer is clocked this may well be the cause of your problem. That is why some say AMD's crash more often with Flask etc. AMD's are basically ready made clocked chips. But anyway my machine is an AMD and doesn't crash. You could also try turning off Windows power schemes too.

I made a File in Flask and when I try to play it Media Player says there is an error, why?

This happen sometimes, I’m not sure why but perhaps the audio settings are not compatible with the AVI? Anyway, usually opening it in VirtualDub and choosing direct stream copy for both Audio and Video will do the trick.

Before you do a complete movie always make sure you close Flask Mpeg and restart it or you could get errors in the movie.

Flask cannot open the Vob file when I choose DVD mode?

Make sure you are opening the IFO file and not the Vob file. Make sure the Vobs are decoded correctly by testing them in a DVD player. Some may still not play on their own but as long as one or two do without corrupted images then they are ripped correctly. If you want to use Flasks DVD move you cannot use SmartRippers movie mode. Neither can you use VobDec or CladDVD's multiangle features. The Vob files must be copied directly without any change or the IFO file will not be able to read them! Remember the IFO file its looking for the multiangles so if we rip them out it will not be able to read the Vobs correctly!

I downloaded Flask Mpeg but it says the AVI Plugin is not detected, what can I do?

Apparently this is due to a missing file called mfc42.dll. It could have been replaced by another application or something. Do an Internet search for it and put it in your c:\windows\system folder. Then try again.

Flask says, 'AVI Plug Error: AVIFile Open doesnt work'. Why?

If you have Nortons Windoctor it will usually solve this problem. It’s a registry problem where Flask seems unable to find file that are in fact there!! Infect0r-s on the Digital Digest forum had the great idea of making a correct registry file to replace the broken one. Download it here. To use just unzip and double-click on it. If it still don't work try the following as a last resort:

I don’t like people using Regedit because it can mess up windows big time! But try going to the Start button in windows. Select the run option and type in Regedit and press ok.

1. Go to Edit > Find

2. Uncheck the find whole key only box

3. type in Flask and press the find button.

The following folder should appear:

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\FlasK Development\FlasK MPEG]

Delete all files relating to Flask Mpeg inside this folder.

WARNING! Messing with windows registry can cause serious problems and I will not be held responsible for any problems caused by your actions.

The shortcut to Flaskmpeg doesn't work?!

Right-click on it and select properties. Then select where the .exe file is located again. Using shortcuts to the Flask Mpeg program can result in plugin recognition errors so I prefer to click on the .exe file anyway.

After I encoded my movie in Flaskmpeg its like a gigabyte too big?!

This is usually because you forgot to change the audio to MP3 or somehow it got reset to PCM by accident. Check that you set the correct bitrate on your original movie encoding. It is possible that because of this your movie cannot be opened and you will need to start again. Otherwise you can try opening the movie in VirtualDub and reencodeing the audio to Mp3 or WMA again.

MPEG2AVI QUESTIONS

Why does Mpeg2avi crash half way through encoding?

I don't know, it could be a lot of things :o(. If your computer is clocked this may well be the cause of your problem. That is why some say AMD's crash more often with Flask etc. AMD's are basically ready made clocked chips. But anyway my machine is an AMD and doesn't crash. You could also try turning off Windows power schemes too.

I made a File in Mpeg2avi and when I try to play it Media Player says there is an error, why?

When I start to encode with Mpeg2avi a black box appears and then closes and nothing happens! Why is this?

Mpeg2avi is a DOS program and usually cannot read the Windows long filenames. Hence it may give a 'cannot find file' error that will close the program! The solution is to never name your files or folders with names longer than eight letters! Use only letters and numbers in your file names and do not use spaces! It is also a good idea to keep all your ripped files in a folder on your main drive (usually the C: drive) in a folder called 'movie' or something like that. And do not put this folder inside any other folders unless they have eight or less characters in their names! This should solve all your problems.

Mpeg2avi says: 'Cannot open the files', 'AVIFileOpen ( ) failed' or 'Cannot find handler' or something simular, why?

I don't know! It is usually because it cannot find the file. Check to make sure all the location of your files are correct. Check to see that filenames are correct and no longer than 8 letters long etc., (see above question). There are a few versions of Mpeg2avi now and each require different way to set up. Check that you are using the version in my guide.

If not, check the instructions that come with it. One version doesn't require a final location name and will put the files to C:\videoout and C:\audioout. Others will require that you just specify the folder that you wish to store the finished .avi file! Only tell it the folder do not give the output file a filename. For example, the output on mine could be just C:\divx. Don’t put C:\divx\ either because it’s very touchy. You will have to delete the *.avi extension on the GUI and press Enter to accomplish this filename too.

Lastly, always check that the Vob files play correctly after they have been ripped to your Hard Disk! This is important because if they don’t then you will have corrupted files that won’t convert anyway! Please do not email me any more about this subject unless you have a solution to a problem I haven't found because I do not know any other fixes for Mpeg2avi!

The GUI keeps coming up with error messages, how can I fix it?

There is an .ini text file on your main hard drive (usually C:) if the GUI messes up its usually because of some wrong setting inside that. Delete this file so that the GUI will make a new one. It is called either DD-GUI or DD-GUI2 etc.

How do you stop interlaced effects in Mpeg2avi?

You can't! If you are trying to encode an NTSC movie that has bad interlace you can try using the inverse telecine option -s4 and setting a framerate of 23.976 fps it may work. If it works it works great, if it doesn't, it doesn't work at all! Sometimes using VStrip or MpegUtils to split the first Vob by Vob ID and deleting the intro logo (i.e. Warner bros, Universal etc) will help to prevent the movie from being encoded with the wrong settings. Then the leftover files can be remerged with Filemerger and encoded. But other than that you are better off seeking another method to encode the movie other than Mpeg2avi.

AUDIO QUESTIONS

How do I convert DTS Audio?

The easiest way is to follow my Graphedit guide. Do not use the Ligos Mpeg-2 splitter, just use the default Mpeg-2 splitter since ligos doesn't seem to support DTS. Use either the WinDVD or the PowerDVD filters to convert both should work. If it still doesn't give you the option to convert you may need to extract the audio and then convert it. Use Flask's direct stream copy or use Vobrator, VStrip or Vobsnoopy to extract the audio track from the Vob file. Then convert with Graphedit as normal.

When we encode to Mp3 does it keep the AC3 surround sound?

Not unless you know something your not telling me? MP3 can only handle stereo audio.

The Audio is out of Synch! Why does this happen & how can I fix it?

1. To Fix audio synch manually check out my synching guide.

2. Sometimes video capture cards will drop frames and cause synch problems. This can be fixed by just resetting the AVI framerate to what its should be with AVI Info Tool.

3. Usually it is the samplerate we choose that is the problem. Flask Mpeg doesn't convert 48000Hz down to 44100Hz correctly! I have found that only VirtualDub is able to do this reliably. Always choose 48000Hz in Flask Mpeg, don't just choose same as input. If you are making a VCD I don't know what to do because VCD only support 44100Hz. So you many need to find another method.

4. The Hacked Fraunhofer-IIS codec sets the bitrate of the audio incorrectly. For instance, a 48Kbit stream has a specified rate of 6000 bytes/sec, when in reality the stream is about 5971 bytes/sec. This 0.0048% difference may not seem like much, except that it causes the audio to race past the video approximately one second for every 200 seconds of video. VirtualDub is the only compressor that fixes this as far as I know.

5. Some VOB files are hard to read correctly and the audio may start a few seconds late. This may be a result of the DVD not reading the audio for the first start up logo on the DVD (i.e Warner Bros, Universal etc). It may be possible to cut this out of the Vob by using MpegUtils or VStrip to split by Vob ID and then remerging it with FileMerger. The same may apply where some DVD's change from one Vob to the next. The only solution in that case is to open the audio in an audio editor (such as Cool Edit) and cut out or insert a blank space so the audio matches on the second half!

Audio is too quiet or dull, buzzy etc., what can I do?

Check out my 'fixing bad audio' guide.

How can I put AC3 audio into my DivX movie?

I don't see the point in keeping a DVD's superiour quality audio if you are not going to keep the DVD's superior video. It sounds far more logical to use the space for a better picture. Anyway, I see no point doing a guide on this yet. Perhaps when I haven't anything else to do I will add one just to make the site more complete. But since Doom9 has already done a guide for AC3 audio, you can check him out at: Doom9.net.

VirtualDub says: "cannot initialize the audio codec" when I try and compress to Mp3?!

This sometimes happens if you have ripped the file at 48000Hz and you try to re-encode straight to Mpeg3 44100Hz codec. Try any 48000Hz Mpeg Layer-3 code and it should work. Otherwise you can convert the Audio to 44100Hz in VirtualDub first.

The audio is ripped in the wrong language?

If you are using Flask Mpeg choose another one in the list. Always do a test to see what audio you will get before you encode the whole movie! If you are using SmartRipper it may not be able to isolate a single audio so it may rip them all or it may have just ripped the wrong audio track, so try again.

Graphedit only lets me rip the audio from the first Vob of the movie, why?

The audio headder is only kept in the first Vob file of the movie. If you choose to encode the audio using Graphedit you must do all the Vobs together using the I-Media Multisource filter as explained in my guide. The only alternative is to extract the AC3 file from the Vob with VStrip or Vobsnoopy. Then you would be able to merge them with FileMerger and encode them any way you like.

Flask / Graphedit / Ac3dec / SmartRipper etc., only give me one language or no sound option at all?

With Flask you can try increasing the search size in the audio settings. But if, for some reason, one or all of these programs cannot find a secondary audio track, you will need to get the AC3 files yourself. To extract any AC3 file you can use VStrip or Vobsnoopy, then listen to the AC3 files to see which one is the language you want. Merge them together with FileMerger and encode to wave or PCM with any method you like best.

I’m using Ac3Dec to decode audio to wave but I get pops, clicks and hissing. Any way to solve this?

Not unless the programmer brings out a better version. The best way to get the highest quality audio is to use Graphedit and the Xing Audio Decoding Filters. The next best method is to use the WinDVD audio filters. PowerDVD filters offer a nasty swishy sound so I wouldn’t recommend using them if you can use any other.

Should I use the DivX audio in Flask Mpeg?

No. Flask cannot handle the DivX audio! You can only encode to DivX audio (WMA) using VirtualDub and then only if the audio is converted to 44100Hz PCM and set to encode at DivX audio 64kbps.

DIVX / MPEG QUESTIONS

I downloaded a DivX clip but I cannot jump to parts of it. How can I solve this?

There are a bunch of doughnuts out there who still put NO keyframes in their DivX rips. Any movie player (such as Media Player) can only jump to keyframes because only keyframes hold an entire picture. To jump to any other picture requires reading EVERY frame to reconstruct the images. In short, the only way to get to any part is to play it in real time or fast forward mode!! Ths can be fixed with VirtualDub. See my repairing DivX guide for details on doing this.

I downloaded a DivX movie but just near the end the computer crashed and I now have a 500MB file I cannot play!?

See my repairing DivX guide for details on doing this.

At certain parts in the film (always the same bit) the video stops and audio keeps playing?

The at low bitrates the DivX codec may drop frames to save space. The playback codec sometimes gets confused thinking that the video has ended or something strange like that. Lowering the smoothness setting on the DivX codec and using a higher bitrate can help to stop this happening usually 75% is enough. If you set the Fast Motion codec to a minimum of 1500-2000kbps this will happen much less. And never use the Low Motion codec under about 600kbps. The only other thing you can try is opening the bit that goes wrong using VirtualDub, re-encode the bad clip and then re-join it back to the original. Check out my joining AVI guide for details on doing this. Other than that I do not know.

Jerky playback, how can I stop it?

1. This may be a result of a badly multiplexed file in Flask Mpeg (another bug). This causes Media Player to struggle to play it back and hence make it jerky! To fix this, open the movie in VirtualDub and choose: File > Direct stream copy for both Audio and Video. Then choose Save AVI. This should fix any multiplexing errors.

2. If the movie is too large it will also have jerky playback. Try different sizes to see which works best! A high amount of keyframes can make this worse. You will notice the jerkiness more every time the movie hits a keyframe because keyframes take even more processing power to play back.

3. For PAL movies (only) never use "reconstruct progresive images" in Flask Mpeg or any framrate other than 25fps, it almost always results in jerky playback!

4. Some NTSC movies are both progresive and interlaced (don't ask me how). You will notice this change as Flask encodes it because it swaps between Source: interlaced and Source: progresive on the display. This may cause jerky playback. Usually Flask will choose the best settings. But if you notice jerkiness you can try changing the framerate to 29.970 fps (instead of 23.976fps or 24). This will almost always require that you use Flask's deinterlace option! As always test your movie before you encode.

5. Don't use DeCSS or DOD Power Ripper to rip your movies - use SmartRipper, VobDec, CladDVD or VStrip.

6. Try turning the CPU usage down on the DivX playback settings, if it is set too high it will sacrifice smoothness. Right-click on Media Player and select Properties:

Go to the Advance tab and select DivX Mpeg-4 and Properties again.

Turn the CPU setting down a bit. For most this will probably mean going to "0" for really smooth playback!

7. Other things you could try are lowering your screen resolution to 640 x 480. Turning down the screen colours from 32 bit to 24 bit and making sure no programs are running while you are playing your movie. Try other DivX players Media Player 7, for example, tends to have more trouble playing DivX than Media Player 6. You may want to try BSPlayer or MicroDVD or something like that.

That's it! No more Emails about this subject please, that is, unless you can tell me another solution to jerky movies! Some people never have trouble and others cannot seem to solve it by any method?!

I installed my DivX, MP3 Radium or some other codec etc., and now it is gone or doesn't work, why?

Some programs install their own codecs over the top of the ones you installed or cause windows registry problems. The Panasonic Mpeg Encoder, Windows Media Player 7 or Media Tools and the Angel Potion codecs are prime examples of this! I cannot solve this for you you will need to try and reinstall the original codec or fix the registry problems yourself.

You can also try shutting down and restarting Flask Mpeg or rebooting windows too. Sometimes its just because Flask cannot find the file it already opened once!?

Which Codec is the best?

All Mpeg-4 codecs including Navi SMR, AngelPotion, DivX and any other of the hacked Mpeg-4 codec's give the same results! Some go about the hacking differently and perhaps some are more stable than others (i.e. less crashes etc.,) but that's the end of it.

What are the best settings, sizes, bitrates etc., for my movies?

check out my quality and comparison guides for this.

What do the Smoothness and Crispiness settings do in the DivX codec?

check out my quality and comparison guides for this.

What is better for backing up movies: SVCD, DivX, VCD, Mpeg-2 (DVD) etc?

Check out my quality and comparison guides of a detailed analysis of the formats. Basically SVCD and VCD are the only ones that can be played back on standalone DVD player's or (s)VCD player! BUT most DVD players don't play SVCD's so be careful. DivX can only be played back on an PC with good a VGA card and at least 300Mhz CPU! DivX do best as lowest bitrates, SVCD do best at medium bitrates (i.e: 3 CD's or more) and Mpeg-2 does best at highest bitrates.

There is a lot of crap going around saying DivX is going to replace DVD Mpeg-2, but this is not true! DivX (Mpeg-4) was designed for very low bitrates. It was designed by the same people who made Mpeg-2. The average bitrate of a DVD is something like 4000kbps and will go up to about 6-9000kbps on action scenes when its Variable Bitrate. The Low Motion codec even set at 6000kbps doesn't equel the Mpeg-2 quality picture. Perhaps there will be an Mpeg-8 or something like that that improves on Mpeg-2 but it will not be Mpeg-4.

Ah, I've changed my opinon on this one before I look stupid. From what I'm hearing about the new OpenDivX it may be possible that it will be able to equal Mpeg-2. But this will be because it has been altered to imitate Mpeg-2 rather than to use true DivX settings. All guesswork of course.

What is an XVCD?

VCD's need to be a certain size and format to be played back on a standalone DVD or SVCD player. If they do not follow these rules they are called eXtendec Video CD's. This is not an offical format!

I cannot play audio / video in Media Player it gives me an error cannot open file, why?

I do not know! Try downloading a DivX trailer from Digital Digest (or wherever) and see if it plays first. If it doesn't, you can try installing the codec's again. Also it could be that the movie was made as a Navi SMR, Angelpotion or a Hacked M$ Mpeg-4 codec. If this is the case then try installing one or all of them. Make sure you also use the "run me first" option when installing the DivX codec. Reinstall the radium codec's etc., for audio.

If the trailer you downloaded plays perfect but the DivX you encoded doesn't it is more likely a problem with how it was encoded. You could try DivXFix to repair it or opening it and resaving it in VirtualDub if you like. Other than that I do not know what could be wrong. This falls into one of those weird Windows problems we may never track down. Please don't email me unless you have a solution on this one becasue I do not know any other solutions for this.

I have a a 700MB DivX and want to fit it onto a 650MB CD is there any way this can be done?

Not as such. Get an 80mins CD to burn it. Otherwise you could re-encode the whole film again in VirtualDub choosing a lower bitrate than the original one. But this will take as long as making a new DVD rip and you will loose image quality! Another much faster trick (only takes a few hours) is to re-encode the Audio only. Often the audio is compressed at 128kbps so if you encode it again to something like 64kbps you can perhaps loose enough. You could also use VirtualDub to clip out and re-encode just the end credits; I cut off another 30-50MB from doing that! Check out my cutting and joining guide for more details on this.

DivX? Is that the same as DIgital vIdeo eXpress?

DivX has nothing to do with the old Circuit City pay-per-view film service!

When I play my DivX I see lines across the screen why?

No sure!? Go to the website of your graphics card etc., and make sure you have the latest updates etc. I am told that this is a result of "colorbanding" and occurs when the number of colors the videocard can display is less than that of the movie. All I can say is, make sure your video card is set to al least 24 bit and get the latest drivers for it from their website!

If you are using Flask Mpeg I have been told that this can be solved by using HQ Bicubic resizing instead of normal Bicubic. I don't get the lines problem so cannot test this myself.

Why wont my Nero SVCD play on my Standalone Player?

It could be because your VCD player doesn't support VCD. Most DVD's don't support SVCD. VCDImager seems to make compatable files but is hard to use. Easy CD creator sometimes makes bad files it depends on how twitchy your player is and Nero may burn a new SVCD version that isn't supported by your player. All else fails all you can do is try the VCDImager instead. I haven't the time to study this and explain a fix but here is the basic problem below:

Nero doesn't seem to be able to tell the difference between versions 1.1 and 2.0 of the VCD format and so burns the wrong one. There is a way to patch the *.svd file, that requires changing one hex byte in a hex editor. I have show a picture of where it is. I'm unable to test if it works because both versions play fine for me. Below is an example of the code that changes a version 2.0 to 1.1. Hopefully I've identified the correct part :o\

Version 1 - wrong!

Version 2 - correct!

Why can't I encode to SMR (Navi) or Angel Potion Movies?

Why do you want to?

SMR are a warez group that make Mpeg-4 movies. SMR stands for Shadow Movie Realm, their IRC group name. Their group is on EFnet IRC network at: #shadowrealm and they post movies on the newsgroup: alt.binaries.movies.shadowrealm. Their official website is: http://www.smr-movies.net/index_smr.html

SMR's codec is called nAVI and is not even a real codec. The group themselves are little more than a bunch of rascals trying to baffle the world into thinking they are some kind of super elite force. All their movies are lowish quality (usually 20fps and 352 x 288 or smaller). SMR started making movies shortly after DivX had first appeared and at a time when there was a big debate going on about which was better ASF or DivX. In the codec confusion SMR could see an opotunity to make a name for themselves by pretending that they had something special and better than everyone else. So they used Gej's DivX hack (which wasn't a very well known codec back then) and changed it so it used the fourcc code nAVI rather than the DivX's fourcc DIV3. Now all the movies SMR made with Gej's DivX codec would only play if people downloaded "their" hacked DivX codec, which they called nAVI. They then claimed they made nAVI themselves from scratch as a codec that could easily beat the quality of ASF movies.

As a result there is actually no such thing as a nAVI (SMR) compressor that people can use to make SMR movies. Anyone can make an SMR movie simply by making a DivX movie and using the AVI FourCC Changer tool from www.inmatrix.com to change the fourcc code to MP43 or nAVI. Of course SMR no doubt have rules for making their movies, sizes (352 x 288?), framerates (20fps?), adding a custom logo (SmR) etc., but they are quite easy to make.

After DivFix appeared (which was desigined to fix damaged DivX movies by reconstructing their index file) it was hacked to make SMRFix which could fix broken SMR files. But SMR say they didn't hack it. Some seem to think SmR used to say it was their tool but then changed their minds when they were found out. I don't know about this??

A while after SMR had created nAVI, AngelPotion decided to produce their own hack of Gej's DivX codec just like SmR did. This AngelPotion codec simply redirected all of the fourcc codes to use the same DivX decompressor. They joined in with SMR's deception and claimed they created their own Mpeg-4 codec from the MPEG ISO specifications. This was just a big lie!

Just remember there are currently only four working Mpeg-4 codec's in existance:

the MS Mpeg-4 family of codecs (including ASF)
the 3ivX codec (a work in progress)
the OpenDivX codec (a work in progress)
DivX 4.x (project Mayo's non-hacked?? DivX codec)

ALL other mpeg-4 codecs including DivX, nAVI, Angel Potion etc., are the MS Mpeg-4 v3 or v4 codecs! The following are their details:

Original Microsoft Mpeg-4 FourCC = MPG4 or MP4 or MP42 or MP43 (http://microsoft.com/)
AngelPotion FourCC = AP41 also plays: mp4, mp42 mp43 (http://angelpotion.net/)
DivX FourCC = Div3 (low motion) or Div4 (fast motion) (http://divx.com/ or their old website is http://divx.ctw.cc/)
3ivX FourCC = 3IVX (http://www.3ivx.com/)
nAVI (SmR) FourCC = nAVI or MP43 (mpeg4v3 also called MicroCrap Mpeg-4) (http://www.smr-movies.net/)
DivX 4.x FourCC = DIVX (http://divx.com/)
OpenDivX FourCC = DIVX (http://projectmayo.com/)

SUBTITLE QUESIONS

I cannot get subtitles or parts are missing when I use Flask's DVD mode?

1. It could be because you used the multangle option with VobDec or CladDVD or the movie mode in SmartRipper. Never use multiangle options of any kind when ripping files to be encoded with Flask Mpeg's DVD mode! The IFO file will not be able to make sense of the movie because you ripped out the things it was looking for!

2. The DVD IFO specifications costs thousands of bucks to buy! So every program that does IFO reading is based on guesswork. This means on many movies both Flask and many other subtitle decoders will fail. There is no solution for this! You can try using Subrip to get the subtitles as a text file and play the in MicroDVD. There are also other subtitle ripping programs and plug-ins for VirtualDub you can try to get your subtitles working. Doom9.net has more information on subtitles than me so I suggest you check him out. You may also consider giving DVD2Mpeg Squeezer a try. Its a slow, low quality DVD ripper, but because it is a hacked DVD player should be able to handle just about any subtitles you throw at it - although I've never really tried it for subtitles.

How do I rip non-Roman style text such as Chinese from a DVD with Subrip?

You have to use Flask Mpeg or a simular method Subrip or any subtitle tool that converts the DVD subtitle pictures into text cannot read non-roman style text.

MICRODVD & MULTIMEDIA VCDS

Do I need to split my subtitles up into two files to make subtitles appear on my 2 CD MicroDVD movie?

No. Just copy the same file to both CD's

Do I need to split the audio up into two files to make a secondary audio track appear on my 2 CD MicroDVD movie?

Yes. Please re-read the guide again.

Can I autorun a MicroDVD CD?

There is an option to do this in the MicroDVD documentation but I'm not sure how to do it. There are also many DivX launcher programs that you can try out on the Digital Digest download section.

OTHER ISSUES

Why can't I store a file larger than 1, 2 or 4 Gigabytes?

This is a limitation of windows File Allocation System (FAT). For more details see my article AVI 4GB Limit.

I keep getting a Quartz.dll error, what can I do?

Do an internet search for the quartz.dll and put it in your 'C:\windows\system' folder.

Such and such doesn't work in Windows ME or Windows 2000?!

In either case I cannot tell you what to do! Its usually some kind of compatability problem because it is the new Windows version. I do know that many people have been using Windows 2000 very sucessfully with just about all (if not all) the programs mentioned in my guides. But if you have a problem I would not be able to tell you what it is - I'm still not even using Win2k. I suggest you make sure you download all the latest updates and drivers for your hardware from the manufacturers websites and any bug fixes from microsoft website when they appear.

I get a Something.dll error trying to do such and such?

Looks for it the file on an FTP search engine and try and replace it! If you have Nortons Windoctor try running that to fix registry problems... although I don’t trust Nortons completely =^).

Can I play a DivX on my Hollywood Plus or Mpeg-2 Decoder card?

No. It only supports Mpeg-1 & 2! It unpatchable hardware too. You could no more patch it to play something else than you could patch your CPU to make coffee! However there is now an application called DivXPlus that allows you to play them to the TV though the card but there is no hardware acceleration with it.

Can a DivX movie be played in a stand alone DVD player like VCD's?

No. DVD players can only handle Mpeg-1 and 2 formats.

How can I turn a 2 CD DivX into a single CD?

Join both CD files together in VirtualDub (see my joining article for details) and reencode at a lower bitrate.

Your FAQ's is Crap / Great! Where can I find information for such and such a problem because you don't cover it?

Use the Digital Digest forum or any DVD newsgroup. There is usually someone who can answer any problem you can think of.

Where can I download a DivX Movie? I’ve searched everywhere but cannot find one?!

It’s not really legal to swap movies even in lower quality DivX format. If you want to compare results download a trailer from Digital Digest. Most movies are exchanged illegally using IRC or a simular chat client. If you want such movies join a DivX channel with mIRC. I'm sure in no time you will be downloading DivX movies or swapping them with other unscrupulous fellows.

Where can I download such and such a utility / or other illegal / pirate software??

Hey, this is the Internet, how is it possible not to find illegal software? Digital Digest do not link to pirate sites or put illegal software on their website, but some of the excellent DVD related sites have links to may of the utilities so you might get lucky.

Don't you think it is wrong to teach people how to make pirate DVD's?

I suppose I'd better give a more detailed answer to this one. Firstly, I'm not teaching how to copy DVD's! The quality of a DivX is very nice but, in spite of my enthusiasm, it cannot compare to a DVD or even a VHS video for a single CD rip. It is far more expensive to copy a DVD than it is to buy the original boxed copy from the shops. Most people do not have a DVD-R to burn them anyway. For these reasons NO pirate DVD's exist ANYWHERE in the world yet! Besides these facts, Vobdec and all the other DeCSS softwares can copy DVD's very easily and people DO NOT need my instructions to be able to use them! So I am NOT teaching how to pirate DVD's! All I do is show how people can convert AVI, Mpeg-1 and Mpeg-2 into the open DivX format. Of course copyrights are an issue and I do not agree with people copying DVD's if they intend on making money or exchanging them with others for any reason. Even so, I only show people how to use the programs that other people have made - without them I am nothing!

Nevertheless, I think it is time to stand back and take a look at the big picture! Every CD Writer that is sold comes with software that has a few single click buttons that enable anyone to copy any Music CD you can buy in a digitally perfectly form!! You could copy Metalica's greatest hits in literally 15 minutes with no degradation at all! And it only costs 50p to buy a CD-R to put it on! Maybe it is time to sue the CD companies? You would think that the music industry would be suffering greatly because of this fact, but this is not the case!

They thought video recorders would be the end of cinema, but the box office's are making more than they ever have. And who of you hasn't copied to video tape from Cable, Satelite or TV a blockbusting movie? Then you are a hypocrite for even suggesting this contributes to piracy when you are doing it yourself! That video tape you own is still almost always higher quality than any DivX movie and a hundred times easier and faster to make. Ban the video recorder that's what I say! =^) Plus you can buy a video player for under £100, but a PC able to play a DivX would almost always cost between 800 to 1000+ pounds! Obviously this DivX process could be used for computer piracy, but sugar and fertalizer could be used to create a bomb, so what's your point!?

Lets take MP3 as another example. It is possible for people with T1 or DSL connections to download whole music albums in literally minuets!! You can download Xings AudioCatalist for a very small cost. AudioCatalist is designed to rip music CD's and copy them straight to MP3. I am not joking when I say this is literally a single button process. If a hacker had made this product he'd probably be in jail by now! Because, really, its only real use is to copy copyrighted CD's to Mp3! They are trying to ban Napster, but the real problem is how people are using it. Ban Napster and you have to ban IRC! No more internet chat or file sharing allowed! Fact is, it's just as easy or easier to download copyrighted music with mIRC! I'm not for or against Napster's banning beause I don't use it. But I think banning Napster changes absolutely nothing. Getting rid of it will not slow down internet piracy in the slightest.

I'm NOT saying that because its so easy to get pirated stuff on the internet that its okay to pirate movies too, because obviously it is not! All I am trying to point out is that DVD ripping and the DivX format are not a form of piracy; and are LESS of a concern than the existance of video recorders or TV sets! In short, I think if people want to copy the DVD's that they have bought, and mess around with them on their PC's or even back them up, then that's their own business!

Duplication of links or content is strictly prohibited. (C) NICKY PAGE 2000