I worked for Circuit City back when Divx was brand new. This was a great concept. Just was far ahead of its time. But still not as good as Netflix, Hulu...etc. These discs can only be unlocked via the divx servers that no longer exist. The Divx DVD players were hooked to a telephone line that reached out to the Divx servers to break the encryption. Nothing you do will get these things to work now.
@@williamhaynes7089 some people have made divx server emulators that can unlock the disc but not many people have showed how. But that will work if you can make the emulator.
For those of you who might be a little confused, DIVX was not just a failed concept by Circuit City, a retailer on its way out. DIVX was the brainchild of a Hollywood law firm that saw what Napster did to the CD music industry and thought of creating a 'brilliant' solution to prevent DVDs from doing the same. DIVX stands in a long line of technology invented by monopolists who hate the new features of up and coming technology. Think of Digital Audio Tape cassettes, Digital Rights Management media files, or Quibi.
And THIS is why it failed. The only technology that wins any war is the tech that lasts. There are probably many VHS tapes that still play as we approach the 50th anniversary of the format. There are many DVD's that still play after 25 years. There are many Blu-Rays that still play after 15 years. Hell, you could probably play a LaserDisc after ~45 years if you could source one along with a working player. But DivX was not apparently built with long term success in mind.
And, I randomly found this video, because I was reading about other stuff on wikipedia, where DIVX was mentioned. I seriously never heard of DIVX before, and even now I just don't get it; people had the options of home video formats, VHS tapes and DVD's - and naturally there were rentals as well. How exactly was this supposed to be a good, or successful idea? I mean, I can kind of get that, that's where rentals ended up now, with Netflix still providing a rental service by mail, but I just don't get it..... you're going to BUY a movie, but have to continue paying a fee to be able to watch it? And, there were (or were going to be) silver and gold options, with gold being unlimited for the discs you get gold for - what, the fucking hell, is the difference between that, and just buying Kindergarten Cop on DVD? Anyway, I see why this failed.
It was basically a way to rent a movie for about the same price as renting one at Blockbuster, without having to return it, with the option of paying more (about the price of a dvd) to own it for good.
You're thinking this was a DVD rental or purchase when it really wasn't. It was basically an MP4 video stored on a DVD. the file was locked and could be unlocked (essentially rented) by your player pulling a24 hour license to it. It saved you the bandwidth of downloading or trying to stream the MP4 which wasn't really possible with the speeds back then. It might as well have come on a little USB flash drive but that would've been more expensive whereas DVDs were pretty cheap and considered disposable. Also why AOL bundled their installer on disc.
@@NickNieves112 It wasn't MP4, the files on the Divx discs were the same Mpeg2 type files that were used on regular DVDs. The DVD structure was the same with .VOB files and menus, etc. They were just encrypted in a different way (other than CSS used on regular DVDs), that required calling into a server via your phone line to download a decryption key. The discs were almost exclusively pan-and-scan video, and no bonus material. So movie only, pan-and-scan and a single audio track and sometimes subtitles. There were a couple (and I think literally 5 or less) that were widescreen and/or maybe had a bonus piece or two. But the video itself was normal Mpeg2 just like any DVD. Another comment mentions they might have had a higher bitrate than DVD... If that's true for any of them, it was only because they had no bonus content, and so they could encode the feature at a higher rate. But the discs were also usually DVD-5s unless the movie was really long, so I don't think the bitrate was that big of an improvement...
@@kurtsentrik The missing part of the equation is that you needed a special and somewhat more expensive DVD player. So, it's only cost comparable with Blockbuster once you have the player.
If this concept could have been used with existing players, it might have worked as a rental model, but requiring a new DVD player was a steep hurdle. If the keys and server protocol could ever be discovered, it would be fun to make a phone jack device that enables the discs.
Except you can still play HD DVDs. They play just fine in my PC with an LG dual HD DVD/Blu-ray drive, running Windows 10 and the latest PowerDVD. Absolutely nothing can play DIVX discs any more. And HD DVD vs. Blu-ray was a true "format war", it was two different, competing formats that both had their technical advantages for the consumer. (Although all of HD DVD's advantages were equaled or exceeded by Blu-ray when Blu-ray specification 2.0 came out.) DIVX had no technical advantage for the consumer. The only "advantage" was that the rightsholders would charge less money up front for the discs. Every other "advantage" was solely for the benefit of the movie studios.
theres 2 types of divx, this kind plays on literally nothing, because its a video rental that is encrypted youre probably thinking of the other kind of divx which is just a sound and video format
As mentioned before, Divx (short for Digital Video Express) and DivX are two different animals. Divx discs are encoded with some really tough encryption that, so far, has not been broken. This is what really keeps Divx discs from being played today. If you can't crack the encryption, then the discs are worthless ... not that it really matters anymore since whatever was released on Divx is likely also available on DVD, Blu-Ray Disc, and as downloadable/streaming content.
it needed the encryption file that was only available on Circuit City's servers. Since they're bankrupt, the discs are completely fucking useless.
All They Can Be Used As Now Are Fucking Coasters.
Yet you still have people asking $20> for them on ebay. 😂 good luck selling them...@@litten3578
I worked for Circuit City back when Divx was brand new. This was a great concept. Just was far ahead of its time. But still not as good as Netflix, Hulu...etc.
These discs can only be unlocked via the divx servers that no longer exist. The Divx DVD players were hooked to a telephone line that reached out to the Divx servers to break the encryption. Nothing you do will get these things to work now.
maybe an old engineer would know how
@@williamhaynes7089 some people have made divx server emulators that can unlock the disc but not many people have showed how. But that will work if you can make the emulator.
It was not a good idea. People don't want to pay to watch their own discs.
@@DozensOfViewers that's what you do when u watch a movie
It wasn't a good idea at all, and that's why it went under.
For those of you who might be a little confused, DIVX was not just a failed concept by Circuit City, a retailer on its way out. DIVX was the brainchild of a Hollywood law firm that saw what Napster did to the CD music industry and thought of creating a 'brilliant' solution to prevent DVDs from doing the same. DIVX stands in a long line of technology invented by monopolists who hate the new features of up and coming technology. Think of Digital Audio Tape cassettes, Digital Rights Management media files, or Quibi.
about $5.00 for a dvd that self destructs? what a ripoff
There were a few similar things too, flexplay dvds for instance had chemicals that caused the disc to become unreadable after 48 hours
You're gonna hate Flexplay
Well you could pay to extend your rental period or even buy it.
Still wouldnt work now as the service is no longer online
@@fugativeredeye Right, I meant back in the day.
Dude: Get a tripod!
My CZcams videos from 2015 (they no longer exist) did not have tripods.
4:03 Same message as before, but now it's much more smaller then the previous attempts.
And THIS is why it failed.
The only technology that wins any war is the tech that lasts. There are probably many VHS tapes that still play as we approach the 50th anniversary of the format. There are many DVD's that still play after 25 years. There are many Blu-Rays that still play after 15 years. Hell, you could probably play a LaserDisc after ~45 years if you could source one along with a working player. But DivX was not apparently built with long term success in mind.
And, I randomly found this video, because I was reading about other stuff on wikipedia, where DIVX was mentioned. I seriously never heard of DIVX before, and even now I just don't get it; people had the options of home video formats, VHS tapes and DVD's - and naturally there were rentals as well. How exactly was this supposed to be a good, or successful idea? I mean, I can kind of get that, that's where rentals ended up now, with Netflix still providing a rental service by mail, but I just don't get it..... you're going to BUY a movie, but have to continue paying a fee to be able to watch it? And, there were (or were going to be) silver and gold options, with gold being unlimited for the discs you get gold for - what, the fucking hell, is the difference between that, and just buying Kindergarten Cop on DVD? Anyway, I see why this failed.
yeah it was a very stupid and niche concept, there was also a self destructing dvd called flexplay, which was also pretty dumb
It was basically a way to rent a movie for about the same price as renting one at Blockbuster, without having to return it, with the option of paying more (about the price of a dvd) to own it for good.
You're thinking this was a DVD rental or purchase when it really wasn't. It was basically an MP4 video stored on a DVD. the file was locked and could be unlocked (essentially rented) by your player pulling a24 hour license to it. It saved you the bandwidth of downloading or trying to stream the MP4 which wasn't really possible with the speeds back then. It might as well have come on a little USB flash drive but that would've been more expensive whereas DVDs were pretty cheap and considered disposable. Also why AOL bundled their installer on disc.
@@NickNieves112 It wasn't MP4, the files on the Divx discs were the same Mpeg2 type files that were used on regular DVDs. The DVD structure was the same with .VOB files and menus, etc. They were just encrypted in a different way (other than CSS used on regular DVDs), that required calling into a server via your phone line to download a decryption key. The discs were almost exclusively pan-and-scan video, and no bonus material. So movie only, pan-and-scan and a single audio track and sometimes subtitles. There were a couple (and I think literally 5 or less) that were widescreen and/or maybe had a bonus piece or two.
But the video itself was normal Mpeg2 just like any DVD.
Another comment mentions they might have had a higher bitrate than DVD... If that's true for any of them, it was only because they had no bonus content, and so they could encode the feature at a higher rate. But the discs were also usually DVD-5s unless the movie was really long, so I don't think the bitrate was that big of an improvement...
@@kurtsentrik The missing part of the equation is that you needed a special and somewhat more expensive DVD player. So, it's only cost comparable with Blockbuster once you have the player.
If this concept could have been used with existing players, it might have worked as a rental model, but requiring a new DVD player was a steep hurdle. If the keys and server protocol could ever be discovered, it would be fun to make a phone jack device that enables the discs.
I literally just saw the circuit city training video man!! Hahaha and i too love halo and the simpsons and original Xbox brother!
Isaac yeah it's a great training video because how funny it is simpsons and halo are great games
"I can't ever imagine it going under."
Chad sent me. :D
Did anyone ever make a decryption software for the PC ? It should be possible at this point.
As far as I can tell no one has but I do agree it should be possible
No one will bother doing that because everything released on the format was also released on regular DVD and later Bluray anyway.
Even if DIVX can be cracked I don't think anyone would want to.
@@fugativeredeye I recall playing that crap on some player i downloaded from Russian Torrent tracker.
Try "hero dvd player". Btw how did u, man of science, came up with x-box and dind get a dvd drive for pc?
Did you ever manage to get a tripod since this time?
It's a real shame no one has figured out how to crack divx, I heard something on a forum about divx having a better bitrate than dvd
It didn't. Circuit city employees would say anything to get it to sell
DivX - tired of renting and returning movies? Buy them, then rent them from yourself 😀
No point in going through so much trouble for a sub 480P video.
have you tried dvd decrypter I believe it had a divx decryption algorithm in it
this was like the hd dvd to bluray
Except you can still play HD DVDs. They play just fine in my PC with an LG dual HD DVD/Blu-ray drive, running Windows 10 and the latest PowerDVD.
Absolutely nothing can play DIVX discs any more.
And HD DVD vs. Blu-ray was a true "format war", it was two different, competing formats that both had their technical advantages for the consumer. (Although all of HD DVD's advantages were equaled or exceeded by Blu-ray when Blu-ray specification 2.0 came out.)
DIVX had no technical advantage for the consumer. The only "advantage" was that the rightsholders would charge less money up front for the discs. Every other "advantage" was solely for the benefit of the movie studios.
@@EdHurtleyPDXwait you can actually play an hd dvd on that drive? wow
why not just get a regular dvd of kindergarten cop? its gotta be cheaper than 4.49
Obviously and it would work too, I just got that one because DIVX us part of film history
@@fugativeredeye i know, im just trollin ya
I still got that poster from Halo lol
Is that a DVD622/37? My Region 1 Philips has the "loading DVD" screen as this.
It's either the way they were burned or it's the disc itself. I have ones I burned years ago and they still work np on my modded Xbox and my PS3.
Do flexplay next
I have a DIVX disc and DIVX player and idk if they still work
I cried when it said You're R word. And throws it.
I have travel sickness now
u should take it back to circut city and complain lol
a DivX crack exists ?
How did you unlock your DivX player?
I didnt, it was a failure, this was just an attempt video
Theres a video of someone playing these movies. I think all you have to do is burn the disc to another disc lol
Are you sure its this DIVX and not the other DiVx
@@fugativeredeye czcams.com/video/b-1mTvKFvoM/video.html
What brand of Blu-ray player do you have
I think it's a magnavox i haven't used in years though
Why not try it on PC with the actual divx media player?
Jack Perkins how do I get divx media player I was under the impression its nearly impossible to do
fugativeredeye you can download it free just Google divx 👍
DivX, the video format, and DIVX, the disc rental program, are not the same thing.
@@HildebrandJohnson Apparently the DivX codec was named after this DIVX as a joke.
Thanks
The PS3 plays them np
theres 2 types of divx, this kind plays on literally nothing, because its a video rental that is encrypted youre probably thinking of the other kind of divx which is just a sound and video format
@@fugativeredeye not sure tbh, but I still play movies I burned from like 15 years ago on there.
I had to stop watching the video because I was getting sick at how much it was shaking.
Christian Oshiro I understand I didn't use a tripod or anything so it's pretty bad sorry about that
Its fine 🙂
Codecs....duh...you need to DL divx codecs.... you're trying to force a square peg into a round hole...
No, the DivX codec is a different thing. It's just spelled the same. DIVX discs needed a special player and a connection to the long gone servers.
As mentioned before, Divx (short for Digital Video Express) and DivX are two different animals.
Divx discs are encoded with some really tough encryption that, so far, has not been broken. This is what really keeps Divx discs from being played today. If you can't crack the encryption, then the discs are worthless ... not that it really matters anymore since whatever was released on Divx is likely also available on DVD, Blu-Ray Disc, and as downloadable/streaming content.
I called the number, it says "the number is invalid. Please check your listing and call again"