Websites using Divx

Okay, let s break down DivX, focusing on its overview, revenue (or lack thereof currently), alternatives, pricing (past & potentially present), and customer care details.

DivX Overview

• What it is/was: DivX is a digital video codec (encoder/decoder) technology primarily known for enabling the compression of video files while maintaining relatively high visual quality, making them smaller and easier to share. It emerged as a popular alternative to MPEG-2 in the early 2000s.
• Key Features (at its height):
  • Compression Efficiency: DivX could significantly reduce file sizes compared to uncompressed or less efficient formats.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Initially, the goal was to have it work on multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, etc.) though its usage on specific media players or devices was limited based on licensing.
  • Video Quality: Aimed for a good balance of visual fidelity and compressed size.
  • DivX Player & Software Suite: Included a player, converter, and tools for working with DivX encoded video.
• Historical Significance: DivX played a pivotal role in the early days of digital video sharing, online content distribution, and ripping DVDs. It fueled growth of online video file sharing, and was frequently used with P2P file sharing networks.
• Current State: The DivX codec itself has become significantly less relevant in the age of H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and other modern codecs. DivX has rebranded and shifted focus towards video advertising and technology solutions for media companies (as part of the wider Xperi Corporation).

Revenue

• Past Revenue: In its prime, DivX Inc (the original company) generated revenue through:
  • Licensing Fees: Charging hardware and software manufacturers to use the DivX codec in their products (e.g., DVD players, media software).
  • Software Sales: Selling the DivX software suite to consumers.
  • Advertising: Generating some revenue from the DivX Player and other software.
• Present Revenue: The company (now owned by Xperi) doesn t report revenue specifically for DivX branded products anymore. Xperi s revenue is derived from a broad range of intellectual property licensing and products, including technologies for:
  • Video Advertising
  • Audio & Visual technology
  • Automotive technology

Alternatives

The modern landscape of video codecs offers numerous alternatives to DivX:

• H.264/AVC (Advanced Video Coding): This is one of the most widely supported and versatile codecs. It is extremely popular for online videos and broadcast TV.
• H.265/HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding): Provides better compression than H.264 for the same level of visual quality, especially important for high-resolution content (4K and beyond). It is now commonplace for streaming and higher res video playback and has become the new standard.
• VP9: Developed by Google, this is an open and royalty-free codec used primarily in web applications and video streaming.
• AV1 (AOMedia Video 1): A next-generation, royalty-free codec offering even better compression than H.265/HEVC. It is gradually being adopted for streaming video.
• MPEG-2: This is an older codec mostly used for legacy DVD and Broadcast TV.

Pricing

• Past (DivX Inc.):
  • Software: The DivX Pro software package was sold at varying prices but was generally between $19.99 - $49.99 depending on the version.
  • Hardware Licensing: Specific licensing fees were not made public but varied greatly based on product type and volume.
• Present: Xperi does not provide DivX branded products to consumers in the same way. Instead of selling a video player, they focus on licensing the underlying technology, which has moved beyond consumer based video codec. Because of this new business model, there are no consumer facing prices listed.

Customer Care Details

• Past (DivX Inc.):
  • Support Website: DivX maintained a website with FAQs, tutorials, and a customer support forum.
  • Email/Ticket Support: Offered email-based support for technical issues and sales questions.
• Present (Xperi Corporation):
  • Xperi Website: Xperi s website serves as the primary resource for information about their products and services.
  • Contact Form: A general contact form is available for inquiries.
  • Limited Direct Consumer Support: Since the focus is on B2B, direct consumer-level technical support for specific products related to the past DivX product suite is limited.
  • Knowledge Base: Some historical articles and FAQs about legacy DivX are available on the Xperi website but may not be well supported.

In Summary

DivX was a significant force in the early days of digital video but has largely been superseded by more modern codecs. The technology still exists within the broader Xperi Corporation, but is focused on business to business licensing for their various audio and video technologies. The company has transitioned from a consumer software business model to a broader B2B intellectual property provider.

If you have very specific questions about DivX, feel free to ask and I ll do my best to answer them based on the available information!