How is a dvd recorder with DivX different from one without it?

Question

Should I pay the higher price to buy a dvd recorder with DivX, or should I pass?

Answer 1

Stardard DVDs use mpeg2 video which under "standard" encoding quality is about 5-8Mb/s (that's mega-bits per second).  DivX (aka mpeg4) is a newer compression method that claims smaller file size for similar quality.  As much as half or even a quarter of the size with "acceptable" quality.  Both mpeg2 and mpeg4/divx are lossy so the question of "similar or acceptable quality" is very subjective.  I've found that encoding mpeg4 at a bitrate less than half of mpeg2 degrades quality noticeably but at around 50-70% there is little to no noticeable difference.  FYI, most satellite and cable providers are switching to mpeg4 so they can push more channels through the same bandwidth.  One thing to keep in mind is that disks recorded in divx format can't be played in a regular dvd player.  If the price difference isn't much or you have the money to spend, then I'd say go for it.