Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Ok

1. I have just got Broadband and now that I can download films which is the best file format to look for?

2. Also I have a new computer which, unfortunately doesnt have a DVD burner - I should have ticked the right box on the Dell site....... how much would it cost me to add a DVD peripheral so that I could burn discs....my Toshiba DVd player doesnt play VCD's - but would a better option be to change the DVD player rather than opt for a DVD burner.........

3. Will the quality of say an 800mb file be better on a DVD disc as opposed to VCD??

Thanks in advance

angrynorth

The quality won't change whether its on a DVD or a VCD although you will struggle to fit an 800mb file onto a 700mb VCD. So really you need a DVD burner.

I would go with mpeg or even better .mov or .dv files if you want real quality but there won't be many of them around.

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Thanks - is mpeg the same as mpg?

I've seen some that say mpeg4? I think

Is there any software out there that can determine a file type and download it off the web as I've just started to d/load a film - thought I'd check it and it will play picture but not sound...... think its some new type software - but dont know what it is - I downloaded DivexCodec but it wont play in this either

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for that - just the answers I was looking for

dsmith

AVI is merely a file format. The codec and the bitrate used will determine the quality (and file size) .

DivX is a picture codec only (MPEG4). The sound may well be AC3 (e.g. Dolby Digital 5.1) or MP3 or......

Goto www.doom9.org and read their guides.Far more info than S'net

Deano

Sub97

Or you could get a Yamamda DVD player for around 75 quid, that will play everything, VCD's, SVCD's, mpegs, avi, DivX etc. On all formats too - CD, DVD rewriteables etc. You may find (I did) that you get sick of converting avi's to mpegs all the time.

Gareth Allan

for codec issues do a search with yahoo for 'having codec issues' and follow the first link to afterdawn.

would second the point about buying a fully functioning dvd player (not the cheapest one you can find) - that can play vcd, divx etc try maplins fo ra dvd divx player.

finally, on movies, beware it is addictive and you will end up with more movies than time to watch them (i'm told )

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Thanks again

Are there any other DVD players besides Yamada that do this? - I'll have a search on the Yamada - as the DVDplayer has to be Multi Regional

Thanks

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Maybe I'm being a mumptie as I can always have both DVD Players (i.e. my old one!) and the new one!!

I've looked at Doom 9 - cripes that site is complicated - even the newbie section

Scoty

£75 delivered for a Doshima 2038 on Ebay (identicle as an Elta 8883 but doesn't support Elta or Amstrad updates)

MPEG4: MPEG4, DivX™ ab 3.11 (4.02, 5.03)and higher, XviD
MPEG2VD and S-VCD (inklusive DSVCD u. XSVCD), Superbit DVD
MPEG1:VCD (including DVCD u. S/XVCD)
Audio:CD, MP3
Picture:JPEG, Kodak Picture CD*
Media:CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW *
5.1 Dolby Digital output
Progressive Scan
DVD-Audio
Connects: digital output(coax), Scart(RGB),S- VHS output, composite Video, SPDIF Ausgang, YUV output, Analog Stereo output
Coax- Digital Ausgang: DTS/ DOLBY Digital, MPEG, PCM
Zoom,
Children safe,
Format 4:3,16:9 (changeable)
ID3-Tag
Random play,
Angle view
Standby
Remote control(1.5 V, AAA)
10-bit/27 Mhz Video and 96 Khz/24-bit Audio DAC
On- Screen- Display (German/ Englisch)
Softwareupdate with CD-R
Codefree
color:silver
weight: 3,5 kg
dimension:420x 50x 300 (Bx Hx T in mm)
2 years warranty


Say's it's the First Player in Europe with DivX Pro: GMC, B-Frames and Quarterpixel,Post Processing (NR), Data Partition,Error Resysnc. Mark.

It's played everything I have tried so far (over 50 DivX/Xvid,various different media)
You could also burn 6 or so files onto a DVD-R, load it into the player and it will play them

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Scoty

I'm completely IT illiterate so:

Lets say I download a film in whatever format its in and just burn it to a disc.....whether it was avi/mpg/svcd....... are you saying that this DVD player and probably the Yamada above will play this

I.e I dont need to do anything other than to take the file version I have and copy this onto a blank (VCD) disc - the ones that I use to burn MP3 onto or save as a data disc (and cost me about 10p each!!

It would be good to just walk down to Richer sounds now as the wife wants to watch Shrek 2 and Chronicles of Riddick..............

Scoty

Fangora,

Yes

It will play them without doing anything further to the file, just burn the file onto a cd or dvd and it will play it.
Havent tried burning an MPEG directly onto a CD and playing yet, only converted them to SVCD, you can do the header trick to a SVCD so stick with SVCD's for better quality IMHO.
If you buy one make sure it's got a scart socket at the back, some only come with VGA sockets for PC monitors.



The day after my birthday press play on the remote and that's it...

Scoty

Gspot

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Thanks again

Just gone on ebay for the 1st time and registered

I can do a buy now for £60 plus postage or wait and see what happens in the auctions - I'm tempted to do a buy now - that way its hassle free - current bid is £40 on one that expires in the next 2 hrs - but then I guess theres no guarantees!! - as the buy now one ends in an hr!!

Rgds

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Doshima Purchased for £52 plus postage (£12)

Auction got a bit frantic in the last 2 minutes!! - was hoping that £47 would have been enough!!