XviD_Codec - 1.0a

Very good encoder et very fast (as fast as 3ivx) and quality equivalent to x/h264.
I use it to shrink my DV (12 Gb) on a DVD (instead of 3 DVD). The quality is really near DV format.
I use MPEG stream Clip with options:
- deentrelace video
- quality 50 %
- 2pass-1
- HQ search Off, no advanced options
- MPEG quantizer
The output is 10 Mbs and the encoding takes 3 or 4 time on a iBook 12"

First of all, for proper audio playback, you need the official Divx codec at www.divx.com. That should go without saying at this point, but I just want to be thorough.

For video decoding, we have 3 QT codecs: Divx, 3ivx, and now Xvid. Divx is the worst, but is necessary for proper audio playback. Fortunately, any other installed codec will take over the video handling capabilities, so you get Divx's audio handling + 3ivx or Xvid's superior video handling. Best of both worlds.

Now the question is, which is better, 3ivx or Xvid? On my 1.25GHz G4, both can tear through any normal file I can throw at them. The only difference in speed I could determine was when I tried to play a 1024x768 video at double speed; QT reported 5-9 FPS with the Xvid codec, and 20-35 with 3ivx. So I'll say 3ivx is still the speed king.

However, I have not yet compared them on a G3-based machine, which is where the speed really counts. It's possible (likely, even) that 3ivx gets its speed edge solely from superior altivec support, so Xvid may well be faster on G3s. I'll post a reply to this review once I run tests on a G3.

So, my advice for playback is, stick with the tried-and-true Divx+3ivx combo. Fortunately, you can install Xvid on top of both of those without disrupting their decoding; Divx will still do its audio thing, and 3ivx will still handle the video. That way you get the ultimate in decoding while still having access to Xvid's encoder. Best of all three worlds.

As for the encoder, I haven't played around with it enough to compare it to similar encoders. It appears to be the beefiest Xvid encoder I've seen on the Mac, though, with more of the options accessible than OpenShiiva's implementation. Plus, being QT-based, it's more flexible. This is definitely a nice addition to the QT family.

Bottom line: Only install it for the encoder. For decoding, stick to Divx+3ivx (at least on G4s; G3 testing still pending). 4 stars for, if nothing else, finally bringing Xvid encoding to QT.