A look back at DIVX

[stefanb]

Is it just me, or was this a creation about 6 years ahead of it's time? For those of you unaware of what DIVX WAS (not is, was), It stood for "Digital Video Express" and if you had a DIVX-compatible DVD player you could rent disposable movies. Today, DIVX is a type of compression that in the video world rivals the change MP3 was to audio. But I'm talking about the now bankrupt/defunct DIVX. The idea was that you go to rent a movie and you just BUY this disk. You put it in your DVD player and from the first time you play it, it's "tagged" and only works for about a week after that. Then, you pitch it in the trash. I was just thinking how much WAY COOLER that is then the current rental system. Now, you go to blockbuster, set up a membership, give them your credit card information, sign over your left testicle just to rent a friggin movie. With DIVX you could walk in, BUY a disposable-movie for the same 5 bucks, watch it, and use the disc to sit your drink on after it stops working. No memberships, no late fee bull-shit, accounts, NOTHING! It could spell the end for Blockbuster cause what's to stop every corner store from selling them. The business doesn't have to go through the hassle of trying to track down the people who steal the movies by never bringing them back. That would bring down the cost of renting for everyone. To me, this just seems like it was WAAY ahead of it's time, and if all the DVD players had supported DIVX it'd probably be kicking ass today. Unfortunatly, not many manufacturers made DIVX compatible players and the company went chapter 11. Now we all get to drag this sorry crap back to the place we rented it at just to avoid being charged for a whole nother day if it's not back by 7pm. I don't know why it all just occured to me, but it did. Now I've said it and I can move on.

http://www.crownstoreall.com/images/sig.gif

[Movieguy16]

I personally have only rented a DVD once...and that was only because I had a free Netflix rental. Otherwise I typically buy my DVDs just for the purpose of ownership. I wouldn't want to buy a movie...and then have to buy it later down the line again if I wanted to watch it another time...even if it only cost 5 dollars. And plus, many Divx movies were not even presented in the correct aspect ratio, much like VHS...so Divx is a lot like VHS, and as we all know..VHS is crap.

[stefanb]

Well, I have a big-screen rear projection TV, so I like the widescreen and letterbox formats, but most people I know... and basically everyone I know with a < 27" TV actually prefers the full-screen. And I but a lot of DVD's also, but I'm just talking about the rental flicks. The movies like, uhhh... hmmmm.... Lemme think of one now... Urban Legends I&II, The Halloween movies, the Wild Wild West and Shanghi Noon western comedy's, etc, etc, etc... I'm talking about the movies you want to see, but you don't ever plan on watching it again, so I liked the idea of a disposable rental. I wish it had caught on. I've taken many shot-in-the-dark movie purchases and bought DVD's of movies I'd never even seen just assuming I'd probably like it. Well, needless to say I've offered up many a bargains on eBay in the used-once DVD library. So I buy as many as the next guys does, but those aren't the flix I'm talking about.

[The Heart Collector]

It would have worked.... for a while. But many would rather buy the movie. Or better yet, just rent the DVD and watch the film on it's original aspect ratio.

[Movieguy16]

I totally agree with you stefanb,but,I myself have a 27" T.V and I always prefere the widescreen format, I've seen widescreen films for 6 years now, since i was 11 and have basically gotten used to it and I always notice what is missing when i see a pan and scan movie. Hopefully this Christmas I will get a widescreen tv to truly enjoy a dvd.

[Jedizim]

I used to work at Circuit City who was one of the developers of the DIVX format for dvd's. I agree that the idea was way ahead of its time, but it COULD have worked had they gotten any backing what so ever. Circuit City was in talks with Wal-Mart and Blockbuster to carry DIVX movies and both chains dropped out of talks and decided not to carry the DIVX disks for whatever the reasons. That in essence quashed any chance that DIVX might have had. After that it was all downhill from there with clearanced dvd/divx players and the movies at 99 cents a piece to clear out the inventory... Circuit City took a hurting on that concept and it is one that they are finally starting to recover from.

So yes, the idea was ahead of its time, but it also was not offered outside of Circuit City in most cases, so it was never really given a chance to blossum... who know what might have been?

[inglourious basterd]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Jedizim:
I used to work at Circuit City who was one of the developers of the DIVX format for dvd's. I agree that the idea was way ahead of its time, but it COULD have worked had they gotten any backing what so ever. Circuit City was in talks with Wal-Mart and Blockbuster to carry DIVX movies and both chains dropped out of talks and decided not to carry the DIVX disks for whatever the reasons. That in essence quashed any chance that DIVX might have had. After that it was all downhill from there with clearanced dvd/divx players and the movies at 99 cents a piece to clear out the inventory... Circuit City took a hurting on that concept and it is one that they are finally starting to recover from.

So yes, the idea was ahead of its time, but it also was not offered outside of Circuit City in most cases, so it was never really given a chance to blossum... who know what might have been?</font>

I think Blockbuster dropped out because they realized that most of their income came from the late fees. With DIVX, rental fees would be a thing of the past...

[stefanb]

funny funnie he ha... here (http://www.hecklers.com/interactive_top_ten/ttdisplay.cfm?ttrecord=1871).