DivX
Ranked 6 of 6 video encoders by recommenders
People recall DivX as a strong way to put films on video files instead of discs in its day; the most common caveat is that its MPEG-4 ASP format has real shortcomings.
People recall DivX as a strong way to put films on video files instead of discs in its day; the most common caveat is that its MPEG-4 ASP format has real shortcomings.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 6
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 6 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Solved disc and computer limits
“Not needing to get up and switch discs because you could use divx or xvid instead was a real life improvement.”
Comment from 19 Aug 2026 in “A 25-year-old video patent just expired, ending a legal headache for Linux” “They solved problems again which are caused by the limits of the computers.”
Comment from 28 Aug 2026 in “Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash” Prime software in its day
“Both DivX and XviD are prime pieces of software but they live within unbridgeable limitations of the MPEG-4 ASP profile”
Comment from 19 Aug 2026 in “A 25-year-old video patent just expired, ending a legal headache for Linux” “Yes, DivX was the sh*t back in the day. So good!”
Comment from 19 Aug 2026 in “A 25-year-old video patent just expired, ending a legal headache for Linux”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
MPEG-4 ASP shortcomings limit quality
“Both DivX and XviD are prime pieces of software but they live within unbridgeable limitations of the MPEG-4 ASP profile”
Comment from 19 Aug 2026 in “A 25-year-old video patent just expired, ending a legal headache for Linux” “DivX and XviD both encode to MPEG-4 ASP which has a lot of shortcomings”
Comment from 19 Aug 2026 in “A 25-year-old video patent just expired, ending a legal headache for Linux”
Other video encoders people recommend
The four most recommended other video encoders, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AV1 | 48 | 22 | 69% | 12 | — | Approved |
| VP9 | 12 | 5 | 71% | 6 | — | Approved |
| x264 | 11 | 3 | 79% | 8 | — | Approved |
| SVT-AV1 encoder | 11 | 2 | 85% | 6 | — | Approved |
| DivXThis page | 6 | 2 | 75% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
7 of the 8 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“an experiment with a terrible business model, not a technological failure”
“it's so damn blocky and also in that tiny resolution”
“They solved problems again which are caused by the limits of the computers.”
“Both DivX and XviD are prime pieces of software but they live within unbridgeable limitations of the MPEG-4 ASP profile”
“Not needing to get up and switch discs because you could use divx or xvid instead was a real life improvement.”
“DivX and XviD both encode to MPEG-4 ASP which has a lot of shortcomings”
“Yes, DivX was the sh*t back in the day. So good!”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.