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I've been a linux user for almost 6 years, and generally laughed at Macs (the whole one-button thing, etc.)

I wanted to find a nice laptop that would run linux, and even had a dell for a few days. Then, a friend of mine introduced me to Macs, and, in particular, the Tibook. You can see it yourself - overall, its probably the single best piece of hardware engineering imaginable.

And OS X really is awesome. I'm not into having the point-and-click interface myself, and love the console. But OS X really is nice to use. Its networking support is amazing, and works right out of the box. Support for sleep is great too.

Right now, from what I can see, the biggest problem with OS X is the lack of a decent DivX player. (4.11 tends to desync in about a second). Otherwise, it's awesome. And, if you really can't let go of blackbox or whatever (like me), there's the XDarwin project that lets you run X on top of OS X. So far, I've only tested the default twm, which runs fine. But using the apple developer tools you can compile any window that's been ported (I believe at least gnome and afterstep have been), and run it there.

Certain products are still not quite ready for OS X, but the situation is improving rapidly. I have to disagree with one of the posts below - its not about being "productive"; one could easily do that in Linux. (I refused to run IE, and will
NOT be getting Office). But it is a sincerely nice operating system to use, and the hardware is definitely going to be a computer legend.
Regards,

trurl

So... you'd only be able to rip the DVD to Divx format 10 times before it turns into a coaster. Looks like i'll be replacing all my failed burn cd-r coasters then!

I don't know where the divx installer says you *have* to use their player, and secondly, you can download just the codec by going to the right category of their download section ('codecs').

divx.com's codec section

Likely you just followed the 'Download DivXTM Now!' link, which directs you to download the "DivX(TM) 4.11 Bundle (includes The Playa and DivX Codec)"

DivX 4.0 isn't really related to 3.11a. It's a new codec that has been ramped up partly from scratch and partly from the MuMoSys reference code. ...

Also, from personal experience, at 500 kbps, I get good quality Divx4 video. I'd say it's better than VHS at that rate, except for some problems with very low contrast settings.

Q: Is DivX(TM) video technology a hack of Microsoft code?

A: Absolutely not. A lot of people seem to think we're not making ourselves clear here, so pay attention: the DivX(TM) codec is a patent-pending (as in, patents owned by DivXNetworks) technology created from scratch (as in blank screen, blinking cursor) by DARC (the DivX Advanced Research Center) and the team at DivXNetworks. We hope this puts that issue to rest. Q: No really, isn't DivX(TM) video technology related to Microsoft in some way? A: Well, other than being the highest-quality video technology available for Windows Media Player...no. :-)

take a look at the licensing for divx 4.11. The mac version says it uses an open source license (I'm not sure which since I don't have a mac), but the Windows and Linux versions both use the following EULA:

DIVXNETWORKS, INC. END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE
USING THIS PRODUCT. IT CONTAINS SOFTWARE, THE USE OF WHICH IS LICENSED
BY DIVXNETWORKS, INC., TO ITS CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR USE ONLY AS SET FORTH
BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS
AGREEMENT, DO NOT USE THE SOFTWARE. USING ANY PART OF THE SOFTWARE
INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS.

LICENSE: DivXNetworks, Inc. grants you a personal, limited, non-
exclusive license to use the accompanying software program(s) (the
"Software") subject to the terms and restrictions set forth in this
License Agreement. You are not permitted to lease or rent (except under
separate mutually agreeable terms set forth in writing), distribute or
sublicense the Software or to use the Software in a time-sharing
arrangement or in any other unauthorized manner. Further, no license is
granted to you in the human readable code of the Software (source code).
Except as provided below, this License Agreement does not grant you any
rights to patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, or any other
rights in respect to the Software.

The Software is licensed to be used on any computing device. You may
reproduce and provide one (1) copy of such Software for each computing
device on which such Software is used as permitted hereunder. Otherwise,
the Software and supporting documentation may be copied only as
essential for backup or archive purposes in support of your use of the
Software as permitted hereunder. You must reproduce and include all
copyright notices and any other proprietary rights notices appearing on
the Software on any copies that you make.

NO ASSIGNMENT; NO REVERSE ENGINEERING: You may transfer the Software and
this License Agreement to another party if the other party agrees in
writing to accept the terms and conditions of this License Agreement. If
you transfer the Software, you must at the same time either transfer all
copies of the Software as well as the supporting documentation to the
same party or destroy any such materials not transferred. Except as set
forth above, you may not transfer or assign the Software or your rights
under this License Agreement.

Modification, reverse engineering, reverse compiling, or disassembly of
the Software is expressly prohibited. Analyzing the input to and output
from the Software is expressly prohibited except when this is done
solely to evaluate the subjective quality of the Software's visual and
audio processes. You may not otherwise modify, alter, adapt, port, or
merge the Software except as specified in this License Agreement.

EXPORT RESTRICTIONS: You agree that you will not export or re-export the
Software or accompanying documentation (or any copies thereof) or any
products utilizing the Software or such documentation in violation of
any applicable laws or regulations of the United States or the country
in which you obtained them.

TRADE SECRETS; TITLE: You acknowledge and agree that the structure,
sequence and organization of the Software are the valuable trade secrets
of DivXNetworks, Inc. and its suppliers. You agree to hold such trade
secrets in confidence. You further acknowledge and agree that ownership
of, and title to, the Software and all subsequent copies thereof
regardless of the form or media are held by DivXNetworks, Inc. and its
suppliers.

TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS: "DivX" is a trademark of DivXNetworks, Inc.
You may not remove, alter, deface, overprint, or otherwise obscure any
DivXNetworks, Inc. trademark, service mark, or copyright notices
included with this Software.

NO COMMERCIAL USE: This License Agreement grants you the right to use
the Software for personal use only. Commercial use of the Software or of
the work products resulting from its use is not permitted under this
License Agreement. Such use may be permitted under another license,
which must be separately agreed to by you and DivXNetworks, Inc.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: All intellectual property rights in and to this
Software are and shall remain in DivXNetworks, Inc.

TERM AND TERMINATION: This License Agreement is effective until
terminated. You may terminate it at any time by destroying the Software
and documentation together with all copies and merged portions in any
form. It will also terminate immediately if you fail to comply with any
term or condition of this License Agreement. Upon such termination you
agree to destroy the Software and documentation, together with all
copies and merged portions in any form.

GOVERNING LAW: This License Agreement shall be governed by the laws of
the State of California and by the laws of the United States, excluding
their conflicts of law principles. The United Nations Convention on
Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980) is hereby excluded
in its entirety from application to this License Agreement.

LIMITED WARRANTY; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED
OTHERWISE IN A WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN DIVXNETWORKS, INC. AND YOU, THE
SOFTWARE IS NOW PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR
THE WARRANTY OF NON-INFRINGEMENT. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING,
DIVXNETWORKS, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT (i) THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET
YOUR REQUIREMENTS, (ii) THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED,
TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, (iii) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED
FROM THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, (iv) THE
QUALITY OF THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS, (v) ANY ERRORS IN
THE SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED, AND/OR (vi) YOU MAY USE, PRACTICE,
EXECUTE, OR ACCESS THE SOFTWARE WITHOUT VIOLATING THE INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY RIGHTS OF OTHERS. SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE
EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED
WARRANTY MAY LAST, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF
TEXAS LAW IS NOT HELD TO APPLY TO THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY REASON, THEN IN
JURISDICTIONS WHERE WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND/OR
CONDITIONS OF ANY TYPE MAY NOT BE DISCLAIMED, ANY SUCH WARRANTY,
GUARANTEE, REPRESENATION AND/OR WARRANTY IS: (1) HEREBY LIMITED TO THE
PERIOD OF EITHER (A) THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF OPENING THE
PACKAGE CONTAINING THE SOFTWARE OR (B) THE SHORTEST PERIOD ALLOWED BY
LAW IN THE APPLICABLE JURISDICTION IF A THIRTY (30) DAY LIMITATION WOULD
BE UNENFORCEABLE; AND (2) THE SOLE LIABILITY OF DIVXNETWORKS, INC. FOR
ANY BREACH OF ANY SUCH WARRANTY, GUARANTEE, REPRESENTATION, AND/OR
CONDITION SHALL BE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A NEW COPY OF THE SOFTWARE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL DIVXNETWORKS, INC. OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE TO YOU
OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING,
WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS,
WHETHER OR NOT DIVXNETWORKS, INC. HAD BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES, AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN
CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE. SOME JURISDICTIONS PROHIBIT THE
EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL
DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THESE
LIMITATIONS SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE
OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY.

SEVERABILITY: In the event any provision of this License Agreement is
found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality
and enforceability of any of the remaining provisions shall not in any
way be affected or impaired and a valid, legal and enforceable provision
of similar intent and economic impact shall be substituted therefor.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This License Agreement sets forth the entire
understanding and agreement between you and DivXNetworks, Inc.,
supersedes all prior agreements, whether written or oral, with respect
to the Software, and may be amended only in a writing signed by both
parties.

For information about commercial licensing please email licensing@divxnetworks.com
DivXNetworks, Inc.
10350 Science Center Drive
Building 14, Suite 140
San Diego, California 92121
16 July 2001

Now, this is only the license for the non-commercial codec so that people can actually watch the stuff. Licencsing for commercial uses is different and information on it can be obtained by emailing licensing@divxnetworks.com. Considering Blizzard just got a license to use DiVX to distribute their trailers and say they only keep QT arround for the Mac users, it seems that whatever license DivX is using for commercial application in proprietary and non proprietary systems might be exactly what you are looking for.

take a look at the licensing for divx 4.11. The mac version says it uses an open source license (I'm not sure which since I don't have a mac), but the Windows and Linux versions both use the following EULA: DIVXNETWORKS, INC. END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT. IT CONTAINS SOFTWARE, THE USE OF WHICH IS LICENSED BY DIVXNETWORKS, INC., TO ITS CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR USE ONLY AS SET FORTH BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT, DO NOT USE THE SOFTWARE. USING ANY PART OF THE SOFTWARE INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS. LICENSE: DivXNetworks, Inc. grants you a personal, limited, non- exclusive license to use the accompanying software program(s) (the "Software") subject to the terms and restrictions set forth in this License Agreement. You are not permitted to lease or rent (except under separate mutually agreeable terms set forth in writing), distribute or sublicense the Software or to use the Software in a time-sharing arrangement or in any other unauthorized manner. Further, no license is granted to you in the human readable code of the Software (source code). Except as provided below, this License Agreement does not grant you any rights to patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, or any other rights in respect to the Software. The Software is licensed to be used on any computing device. You may reproduce and provide one (1) copy of such Software for each computing device on which such Software is used as permitted hereunder. Otherwise, the Software and supporting documentation may be copied only as essential for backup or archive purposes in support of your use of the Software as permitted hereunder. You must reproduce and include all copyright notices and any other proprietary rights notices appearing on the Software on any copies that you make. NO ASSIGNMENT; NO REVERSE ENGINEERING: You may transfer the Software and this License Agreement to another party if the other party agrees in writing to accept the terms and conditions of this License Agreement. If you transfer the Software, you must at the same time either transfer all copies of the Software as well as the supporting documentation to the same party or destroy any such materials not transferred. Except as set forth above, you may not transfer or assign the Software or your rights under this License Agreement. Modification, reverse engineering, reverse compiling, or disassembly of the Software is expressly prohibited. Analyzing the input to and output from the Software is expressly prohibited except when this is done solely to evaluate the subjective quality of the Software's visual and audio processes. You may not otherwise modify, alter, adapt, port, or merge the Software except as specified in this License Agreement. EXPORT RESTRICTIONS: You agree that you will not export or re-export the Software or accompanying documentation (or any copies thereof) or any products utilizing the Software or such documentation in violation of any applicable laws or regulations of the United States or the country in which you obtained them. TRADE SECRETS; TITLE: You acknowledge and agree that the structure, sequence and organization of the Software are the valuable trade secrets of DivXNetworks, Inc. and its suppliers. You agree to hold such trade secrets in confidence. You further acknowledge and agree that ownership of, and title to, the Software and all subsequent copies thereof regardless of the form or media are held by DivXNetworks, Inc. and its suppliers. TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS: "DivX" is a trademark of DivXNetworks, Inc. You may not remove, alter, deface, overprint, or otherwise obscure any DivXNetworks, Inc. trademark, service mark, or copyright notices included with this Software. NO COMMERCIAL USE: This License Agreement grants you the right to use the Software for personal use only. Commercial use of the Software or of the work products resulting from its use is not permitted under this License Agreement. Such use may be permitted under another license, which must be separately agreed to by you and DivXNetworks, Inc. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: All intellectual property rights in and to this Software are and shall remain in DivXNetworks, Inc. TERM AND TERMINATION: This License Agreement is effective until terminated. You may terminate it at any time by destroying the Software and documentation together with all copies and merged portions in any form. It will also terminate immediately if you fail to comply with any term or condition of this License Agreement. Upon such termination you agree to destroy the Software and documentation, together with all copies and merged portions in any form. GOVERNING LAW: This License Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California and by the laws of the United States, excluding their conflicts of law principles. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980) is hereby excluded in its entirety from application to this License Agreement. LIMITED WARRANTY; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED OTHERWISE IN A WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN DIVXNETWORKS, INC. AND YOU, THE SOFTWARE IS NOW PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR THE WARRANTY OF NON-INFRINGEMENT. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, DIVXNETWORKS, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT (i) THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, (ii) THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, (iii) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, (iv) THE QUALITY OF THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS, (v) ANY ERRORS IN THE SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED, AND/OR (vi) YOU MAY USE, PRACTICE, EXECUTE, OR ACCESS THE SOFTWARE WITHOUT VIOLATING THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF OTHERS. SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY MAY LAST, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF TEXAS LAW IS NOT HELD TO APPLY TO THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY REASON, THEN IN JURISDICTIONS WHERE WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND/OR CONDITIONS OF ANY TYPE MAY NOT BE DISCLAIMED, ANY SUCH WARRANTY, GUARANTEE, REPRESENATION AND/OR WARRANTY IS: (1) HEREBY LIMITED TO THE PERIOD OF EITHER (A) THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF OPENING THE PACKAGE CONTAINING THE SOFTWARE OR (B) THE SHORTEST PERIOD ALLOWED BY LAW IN THE APPLICABLE JURISDICTION IF A THIRTY (30) DAY LIMITATION WOULD BE UNENFORCEABLE; AND (2) THE SOLE LIABILITY OF DIVXNETWORKS, INC. FOR ANY BREACH OF ANY SUCH WARRANTY, GUARANTEE, REPRESENTATION, AND/OR CONDITION SHALL BE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A NEW COPY OF THE SOFTWARE. IN NO EVENT SHALL DIVXNETWORKS, INC. OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER OR NOT DIVXNETWORKS, INC. HAD BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE. SOME JURISDICTIONS PROHIBIT THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THESE LIMITATIONS SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY. SEVERABILITY: In the event any provision of this License Agreement is found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of any of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired and a valid, legal and enforceable provision of similar intent and economic impact shall be substituted therefor. ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This License Agreement sets forth the entire understanding and agreement between you and DivXNetworks, Inc., supersedes all prior agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the Software, and may be amended only in a writing signed by both parties. For information about commercial licensing please email licensing@divxnetworks.com DivXNetworks, Inc. 10350 Science Center Drive Building 14, Suite 140 San Diego, California 92121 16 July 2001 Now, this is only the license for the non-commercial codec so that people can actually watch the stuff. Licencsing for commercial uses is different and information on it can be obtained by emailing licensing@divxnetworks.com. Considering Blizzard just got a license to use DiVX to distribute their trailers and say they only keep QT arround for the Mac users, it seems that whatever license DivX is using for commercial application in proprietary and non proprietary systems might be exactly what you are looking for.

Well actually it's pretty useful. Instead of going for the expensive TV add-on (on slashdot about a week back but I can't find the link, sorry), if you've got a Microdrive or large CF card you can watch a movie on your IPAQ instead.

Encoding tips are:

Get the latest DivX (4.01) here

320 x 240 (or 320 x 180 if you want 16:9 widescreen).

Decimate (knock out) every other frame, so if your movie plays back at 25FPS you want 12.5FPS. VirtualDub Ctrl-R will give you these options.

Encode using 2-pass DivX at 256KB/Sec or so, and put it on "slowest" or "slow" for best quality/performance ratio. Don't bother with "fastest", it actually makes the movies larger and doesn't seem to increase the speed (remember you're cutting the frame-rate in half anyway so it's not going to make it much smoother).

Encode the audio at a highly compressed rate, such as 16KBPS 16KHz Stereo using DivX audio, as you don't really need higher quality.

You should be able to squeeze a 2 hour video into 150MB or so, easily enough to fit on even the smallest microdrive or a big compactflash card (don't forget a USB cable to transfer it though, 'cause that take forever with serial!). Don't use the backlight when watching otherwise the battery will die well before the movie is through, and make sure that Audio, KeepAlive and Clean Video (dithering) are enabled in the PocketPC viewer. Oh, and use decent low impedance headphones and keep the audio low to drain the battery less. I'd recommend a battery pack backup such as this as well (or make one yourself), 'cause the IPAQ's battery life with a microdrive is pretty pathetic.

Happy viewing,

Stef

He's referring to divx the digital video compression format, not divx the Circuit City digital video rip-off scheme. Check out http://www.divx.com/support/what.php for more info.

You can encode a 90min action dvd into 700mb with sound(160kb mp3) and afterwards watch it on a computer without almost any loss in perceptable picture quality(interestingly sound suffers almost more).

Downside is that 2-pass variable bitrate encoding for 90min movie takes roughly 13 hours on a 900mhz athlon and setting it up is not exactly trivial..

Check out www.divx.com for more info.

DivX (from Project Mayo) is based on MPEG-4 and will at some point be fully MPEG-4 compliant. It still needs more features but the existing features are according to MPEG-4.
What is DivX
Forum discussion about .avi

MS-MPEG4 is - of course - a different take on MPEG-4 with a different feature set.

DivX (from Project Mayo) is based on MPEG-4 and will at some point be fully MPEG-4 compliant. It still needs more features but the existing features are according to MPEG-4.
What is DivX
Forum discussion about .avi

MS-MPEG4 is - of course - a different take on MPEG-4 with a different feature set.

Agreed. But with thousands of titles and a great deal of studio support (Warners and New Line spring to mind immediately, though only Fox, Disney and Dreamworks really pop up as recalcitrant), and with the demise of ShiTX, and as players head towards and south of $300, I think the current DVD medium is here to stay.

The only thing is, it'll be fun to see the transition to the higher-density storage formats, but I doubt we'll have to worry about that until 2006...

(And don't forget a crucial difference between Betamax and DVD: your laptop can't have a Betamax drive, but you can watch DVDs anywhere you can put a DVD-equipped PC.. (and don't doubt that wasn't a HUGE factor in the death of DiVX...))

www.divx.com now shows the press release...
- - -

More interesting is that their FAQ says the call happens monthly, not when you start a movie. Which implies the keys needed to unlock any Divx disc are already available locally, so if they can be extracted from the tamper-resistant hardware....

It seems DIVX uses a proprietary scheme that involves 3DES (considered strong), and probably a tamper-resistant flash RAM holding your keys and stuff. I don't understand the claims about lacking DVD features- why wouldn't they just encrypt all the DVD's bits as-is?

One wonders how strongly they're handling key exchange, especially if they ever want to export players. The bitstream going into the MPEG decoder is another target, but they've probably thought of that....

It's not an awful idea; my real worry is that it'll do well enough they stop pressing real ownable DVDs. But it'll go nowhere at that price. Video stores (and DirecTV pay-per-view) are just convenient enough to compete. The notion they might AOL the discs around is kind of scary, though. I've heard pressing bulk CDs is well under US$1.00 nowadays- how much does it cost to press movie-length DVDs?