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DivX is a new format for digital video, much like MP3 is a format for digital music. DivX is the brand name of a video compression technology created by DivXNetworks, Inc., (also known as Project Mayo). The DivX codec (short for compression-decompression) is based on the MPEG-4 compression standard. This codec is so advanced that it can reduce an MPEG-2 video (the same format used for DVD or Pay-Per-View) to ten percent of its original size. Video on regular VHS tapes can be reduced to about one hundredth of their original size.
Most films that are downloaded at present, are in the DivX Format, and by using this method of compression/decompression, a Movie can typically be compressed to about one tenth of its original size and downloaded without noticeable loss of quality to a users PC.
Here it can be stored on a Hard Drive or burnt onto a CD/DVD and viewed on a DivX compatible Media Player.
Due to the massive popularity of Movie Download networks, DivX has become a very popular video compression technology (it was initially derived from MPEG-4), and is doing for video what MP3 did for music.
In practise DivX is used in the form of codec software, (a codec is a compressor/decompressor).
When a DivX encoded Movie is played out from its storage media (DVD/CD/Hard Drive),it is decompressed by the DivX software and relayed on to a DivX compatible Media Player such as Windows Media Player for Viewing.
For example, a Movie containing several Gigabytes of data can be compressed to several hundred Megabytes of data, and downloaded via the internet to a PC in about 2 hours using a typical 512kb DSL connection, this compares to about 20hrs for an uncompressed Movie!
For reference:
1GB =1000 Million Bytes
1MB = 1 Million Bytes
A typical DVD can store about 4.7GB
A typical CD can store about 700MB
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