[updated: 
I run the AVI FourCC Code Changer as follows:
Four CC Description Code:  XviD
Four CC Used Codec:  xvid

GSpot now shows:
4CC: XVID    Name: XviD

I've only tried a few files but so far this seems to do the trick.

thanks!]


I'm not impressed with the DMA2100 and it's ability to play DivX and XviD files.

First:
it takes a few seconds to start playing (from 10 to 40 seconds which according to some posts could be related to the audio being stereo or AC3) without any kind of feedback that it is working.. just a black screen.

Second:
It doesn't play all DivX and XviD files.
I have several movies which have been encoded in various ways and the extender doesn't like them all..only certain formats.

I ran GSpot on a few movies that won't play and it reports the codec is:
Video:
4CC:  DX50/XVID
Name:  DivX 5.0

edit:
BTW:  the files that have trouble playing on the extender play fine on a standalone DVD player.  In fact, I've never had any issues playing any DivX or XviD files on the standalone player.  Hopefully a firmware update will fix this.

A few movies that do play were reported as:
Video:
4CC:  xvid
Name:  XviD

What is the best way to convert to regular XviD format as shown for the movies that do play?

---

Vista Ultimate with TV Pack
Core 2 Duo E4500 @ 2.2GHz (OC'd to 2.9) / 4 Gigs Ram
c: 80 Gig d: 500 Gig SATA
Tuners: PVR-500 / HDHomeRun x 2 / WinTV 1600
Extenders: DMA-2200 / DMA-2100 x 2

Linksys V1 extender (for sale..anyone interested?)

Almost sounds like its transcoding instead of playing the media.  Whats the CPU load like on the MCE machine when you kick off an DivX/XVid?

byronm:

Almost sounds like its transcoding instead of playing the media.  Whats the CPU load like on the MCE machine when you kick off an DivX/XVid?

I had asked the same thing in the mini review before I picked up my own.

It does act like it, but the difference is that with T360, it would build up the timeline as it transcoded and you could only skip forward as far as the timeline had been built.
On the extender, when it brings up the movie, the timeline is completely visible and you can skip forward immediatley.

I didn't notice any kind of extra CPU load.  I could check again when I get home, but I don't think it's any higher than with watching a regular video.

---

Vista Ultimate with TV Pack
Core 2 Duo E4500 @ 2.2GHz (OC'd to 2.9) / 4 Gigs Ram
c: 80 Gig d: 500 Gig SATA
Tuners: PVR-500 / HDHomeRun x 2 / WinTV 1600
Extenders: DMA-2200 / DMA-2100 x 2

Linksys V1 extender (for sale..anyone interested?)

moved my reply from another thread..

bledsoe:

Sounds to me they didn't want to pay to divx compliant.  I thought they had some sort of "works with Divx" type program to brand products that are certified compatible with Divx.  Sounds like Linksys just did they best they could w/o being certified.  All my xvids so far work great.  No divx files to test though.

That's possible.. I can't find any mention of DivX on the Linksys site.  There's not even mention of XviD.

DLink mentions XviD in their specs sheet for their extender, but they also do not mention XviD.

I thought the files were XviD.. here's info from .nfo of the show I downloaded.
ViDEO......[ 765 kbps XviD 23.976 FPS]

GSpot shows this same show as:

Video:
4CC:  DX50/XVID
Name:  DivX 5.0

What's the best way to re-encode it to regular XviD?  Will there be any kind of loss (video or audio)?

---

Vista Ultimate with TV Pack
Core 2 Duo E4500 @ 2.2GHz (OC'd to 2.9) / 4 Gigs Ram
c: 80 Gig d: 500 Gig SATA
Tuners: PVR-500 / HDHomeRun x 2 / WinTV 1600
Extenders: DMA-2200 / DMA-2100 x 2

Linksys V1 extender (for sale..anyone interested?)

I would check out the guides on http://www.videohelp.com/guides for the best way to convert from divx to xvid, as I don't do that.

AutoGK is really good to go stright from DVD to xvid.

There's always a loss when you reencode, so the first thing I'd try is a 4cc changer. Divx 4 and up as well as xvid are just mpeg4 asp, so if the extender's firmware is blocking on 4cc, this should fool it. Otherwise, it might be that the movie uses a non-standard divx feature such as qpel or gmc, in which case you would be forced to reencode unless linksys claims specfic divx 5 pro support.

I called Linksys support and asked about this.
After an hour of being bumped around to half the residents in India, I actually spoke to someone who kind of understood my concern.

When I mentioned what I was seeing, the person I was speaking with figured out I was using GSpot to analyze the files.  She then said I would get a call back.

Yesterday I received the call.  The support rep mentioned they were seeing the same issues (with DivX 5.0 files) in their lab and that it would be fixed in a firmware update.  He didn't mention when we could expect it, but his answer was promising.  I was expecting him to simply say it was not supported.

Now we wait!

---

Vista Ultimate with TV Pack
Core 2 Duo E4500 @ 2.2GHz (OC'd to 2.9) / 4 Gigs Ram
c: 80 Gig d: 500 Gig SATA
Tuners: PVR-500 / HDHomeRun x 2 / WinTV 1600
Extenders: DMA-2200 / DMA-2100 x 2

Linksys V1 extender (for sale..anyone interested?)

That sounds like good news then!
Don't you just hate those indian call centers, I can't understand them, they can't understand me and its all scripted replies, if you actually get someone who fully understands your problem you are lucky.

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Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

Can anyone that has this device try the fourcc changer?  Simply google "fourcc changer" and it is the top download.

I would be very interested in seeing if a divx file changed to look like an xvid with the fourcc changer suddenly worked.  Would be a very easy fix until linksys resolves this issue.

Thanks

ilyo:

Can anyone that has this device try the fourcc changer?  Simply google "fourcc changer" and it is the top download.

I would be very interested in seeing if a divx file changed to look like an xvid with the fourcc changer suddenly worked.  Would be a very easy fix until linksys resolves this issue.

Thanks

It works!

My sample file had the current info as seen with GSpot
4CC: DX50/XVID    Name: DivX 5.0

I run the AVI FourCC Code Changer as follows:
Four CC Description Code:  XviD
Four CC Used Codec:  xvid

GSpot now shows:
4CC: XVID    Name: XviD

I've only tried a few files but so far this seems to do the trick.

thanks!

---

Vista Ultimate with TV Pack
Core 2 Duo E4500 @ 2.2GHz (OC'd to 2.9) / 4 Gigs Ram
c: 80 Gig d: 500 Gig SATA
Tuners: PVR-500 / HDHomeRun x 2 / WinTV 1600
Extenders: DMA-2200 / DMA-2100 x 2

Linksys V1 extender (for sale..anyone interested?)

Glad that works, I've forwarded the info to Microsoft who will hopefully pass it along to Linksys.

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Chris Lanier
The Green Button Forum Moderator

Happy to hear! 

FourCC worked for me!   I tested on over 20 files made with Divx codec's via AutoGK.   Nice find! 

Are these files starting any faster?  Are you re-encoding the videos completly?

No that is the beauty of it...no long process of re-encoding...simply changing the identifier on it to be xvid so the linksys will play it.