Posts by Carl Brown4

I was thinking about this last night while my old laptop was struggling to run a basic browser tab. It feels like we’re moving toward this era where everything is becoming so incredibly complex and miniaturized that the moment one tiny, specialized component decides to quit, the whole thing is basically a very expensive paperweight.

There’s a certain level of fragility in modern engineering that we don't talk about enough. We design these incredible, precision machines that can do things we couldn't have dreamed of twenty years ago, but we seem to be losing that "ruggedness." It’s like we're trading durability for sheer capability. Once you hit a certain level of sophistication, the margin for error becomes razor-thin. One little mechanical hiccup and the entire mission profile is thrown into chaos.

I wonder if we're reaching a point of diminishing returns where the complexity of our tech actually makes it less reliable in the long run. Is there such a thing as "too advanced" to be practical?

Do you guys think we'll ever get back to that era of "built to last," or is this fragility just the price we pay for progress?

Noah Sanchez39 said:(check availability) 😉

Well thanks, looks like it's available.

I see they have VUP and ROW versions listed. I assume VUP means VUP version upgrade, but what does ROW stand for? 😕

Hey,
I’m looking to pick up Windows 7 Pro, but I need it to be installable on multiple machines. That means I need the Retail version, not OEM, since OEM ties you to a single PC. The problem is, I can't find anyone in any store here in Washington, D.C. offering both versions online; it's almost entirely OEM...

Where can I find a Retail copy?
😕

James Roberts87 said:The image isn't identical for one simple reason.
I watch movies on a TV, not a computer monitor.
On my bedroom set, I don't even notice a difference.
But when I switch to the living room, where there's a Samsung 35 inch 100Hz flat screen,
the difference becomes obvious.
Same thing happens with an LCD.

I am talking about TECHNOLOGY—MPEG-4 is objectively superior to MPEG-2. You're arguing against things hundreds of experts at organizations like the MPEG group already know for a fact.

Debating a single specific movie is pointless. If you insist, you’d need data on who encoded both versions and how. Your DVD came straight from a Hollywood studio, whereas the DivX version was likely compressed by some kid who doesn't know what he's doing. There's a whole mountain of technicalities to explain, like what dustycanyon6 mentioned: DivX encodes an already degraded file, while the DVD encoder works from the master.

I fail to see the connection between the encoder, the TV, and the room layout.

brighthawk20 said:It works just like this:

DivX (Xvid) is basically MP3.
DVD is just music from an audio CD...

So, which one is actually better or more popular?

There are several sound formats used on DVDs. Surround sound on a DVD is encoded using Dolby Digital, which is compressed similarly to an MP3. On the other end of the spectrum, you have DVD-Audio, which is theoretically superior to a standard audio CD.

For instance, Beck's latest album, Guero, was released on DVD. That disc features the tracks in multiple formats:
- stereo Dolby Digital
- surround Dolby Digital
- stereo PCM (24-bit/48kHz, making it better than an audio CD)
- surround PCM

The specific format used depends entirely on what the DVD player can handle.

Paul Foster262 said:To add my two cents: Agreement is nearly reached regarding the new disc; they are moving toward a single unified standard.
Right now, the only official High Definition movie format for this new disc is Windows Media Video 9 (MPEG-4).

There are two main contenders for the "official" format. We have MPEG-4 part10 (either AVC or H.264), which is relatively recent—not to be confused with the MPEG-4 used in DivX—and Microsoft VC-1. For perfectly logical reasons, MPEG-4 is winning because more companies are backing it. I suspect both formats will eventually be included in the future specification meant to unify the Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD, but MPEG will likely dominate.

James Roberts87 said:No amount of DivX can compete with a properly mastered DVD.
A DVD would have killed off DivX in a heartbeat if everyone could actually afford them and we all had faster, cheaper broadband.

You're completely mistaken. MPEG4 (DivX) is objectively superior to MPEG2 (DVD); otherwise, the MPEG association wouldn't even bother releasing it after years of refining MPEG2.

Even if we had the high-speed internet you're dreaming about, why clog up the bandwidth with unnecessary traffic? If the quality is the same, I'm picking the half-sized MPEG4 every time.

Richard Howard2 said:The difference is massive.

DivX is the most famous compression format for saving space. Its main advantage is fitting an average movie onto a single CD instead of needing a DVD, all while maintaining decent quality. DivX is just one type of MPEG-4 codec. The picture quality is significantly lower than DVD format—as is the audio, which stays stuck in stereo—but it’s still much better than VHS or formats like Super Video CD and VCD. Beyond DivX, there are other formats like Xvid and Windows Media Video that aren't any worse. Unfortunately, DivX isn't an officially recognized format, so movies aren't released on DivX media, meaning most DVD players won't support it. Only a few do. While it's convenient for copying and cheap viewing, the plummeting prices of DVD recorders will eventually end the reign of low-quality DivX and its peers, since everything can just be burned to a DVD.

A major mistake...

MPEG-4 video is far superior to MPEG-2, meaning it beats DVD. Therefore, DivX and other MPEG-4 containers are BETTER than DVD. It all comes down to how much space you need to store high-quality video. MPEG-2 requires several GB, whereas an MPEG-4 movie fits on one CD.

DVD won't end the DivX era because the current DVD is already obsolete. A new format is coming that will utilize MPEG-4 video and MPEG-4 audio. Right now, there are two competitors: Sony Blu-ray and Toshiba HD-DVD. Both have their pros and cons. Recently, the two sides seem to have reached an agreement to propose a unified format. Whatever medium succeeds today's DVD, the video and audio will be MPEG-4.

rustyrider40 said:Adobe Acrobat Reader works fine if you just need to print.

Wrong. The guy is asking how to convert other formats into a PDF, not how to send a file to a printer.

amberorca192 said:Who isn't free?😕

Only Reader is free. Adobe Acrobat writer costs money.

John Palmer4 said:what about Adobe Acrobat?

It isn't free.

Try using www.smallpdf.com. It's straightforward. Works well enough for me.

Carl Brown4